Recent Blog Posts
December 1, 2015 / Product Injury
A Toy Story?
Your Children’s Toys: How Safe Are They? It’s difficult to contemplate that items bringing as much happiness as toys do might cause harm. Yet, like it or not, toys are responsible for a significant number of injuries. Over a quarter-million kids visit the ER because of toy-related injuries every year. One-third of injuries happen to children under the age of five. Still, we have to ask ourselves, with the annual lists that appear touting “dangerous toys,” is the danger nothing but hype? We know the news media can be prone to exaggeration. What are the facts? Toy Safety Facts The numbers of children that end up injured or even dead from toys are not hype—they are facts. But childhood injuries are largely caused by toys that a[...]
November 5, 2015 / Medical Malpractice
Unnecessary Surgery, Insurance Fraud, and You
Have you had any surgeries in the past few years? Think back, especially if it involved your heart or circulatory system. Perhaps you had spinal fusion or a joint replacement done. Did you have any surgery done because the doctor told you that you needed it? Often we have surgery because the doctor tells us that surgery is the only option. Few of us have the medical knowledge to ask the right questions regarding alternatives. We do what the doctor tells us to do, especially if death is mentioned. The lure of easy insurance money, especially when it is from Medicare or Medicaid, can play a part in a surgical recommendation if the doctor is not ethical. Here in Indiana, a group of cardiologists and a hospital, Cardiology Associates of North[...]
September 9, 2015 / Vehicle Accidents
Accidents Happen—and This Manufacturer Made Them Worse
Accidents that occur on major highways, or in places where drop-offs or other hazards exist, can be horrific. That’s why guardrails that stop a car’s progress are so important in mitigating such crashes. But, as it turns out, sometimes the very item meant to protect us ends up harming us. This indeed appears to be the case with Trinity Industry guardrails, which have been installed on roads around the U.S. for many years. A change in Trinity’s manufacturing process to its ET Plus product, beginning in 2005 -- a change which they kept secret -- created “end caps” on guardrails that turn into deadly spears, killing and maiming occupants of cars instead of protecting them by peeling away. What Happened? After Trinity’s guardrail de[...]
September 2, 2015 / Vehicle Accidents
But I Fastened My Seat Belt!
You’ve probably read quite a bit this year about the multi-million-vehicle Takata air bag recall. The faulty air bags have been implicated in at least eight deaths and over 100 injuries, and the automakers run the gamut from Honda to GM to Ford to Nissan. But you might not have heard as much about the seat belt recalls involving four major car manufacturers. Air bags would not be as life-saving as they are if we didn’t have seat belts in our cars. Seat belts do indeed save lives. It could even be argued that seat belts are more critical to our safety than air bags. They are the original, first line of defense when it comes to minimizing serious injury and death in automobile accidents. Seat belt use has risen over the years. Indiana[...]
August 5, 2015 / Vehicle Accidents
DWS (Driving While Sleepy)
As drivers, we’ve all felt the heaviness in our eyelids that means, “pull over,” and perhaps even scared ourselves because of an unintentional drift in our steering path. Drowsy driving is no small problem: In the U.S. every day, a quarter-million folks fall asleep at the wheel, according to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School. “Driving while sleepy” in the U.S factors into more than 100,000 crashes annually, with 1,500 deaths and 40,000 injuries. An astonishing 23 percent of adults have fallen asleep while driving, according to a 1998 survey. But legal drugs are making the situation worse. Asleep at the Wheel An increase in car accidents has become associated with three prescription sleeping aids: temazepa[...]
July 24, 2015 / Vehicle Accidents
GPS: Blessing and Bane
In a few short years, GPS systems and satellite navigation have changed our lives in fundamental ways. Some of us couldn’t get ten miles up the road without it. No more checking paper maps en route, or printing online maps and directions before we take a road trip. It’s a good thing to have when you are traveling in unfamiliar areas, especially when you have the step-by-step audio guidance so common these days. Theoretically, you can keep your eyes on the road and your mind on your driving. But, if that’s the case, why are we seeing accidents that have been triggered by the use of GPS? What is GPS? GPS stands for Global Positioning System, which means a group of satellites that communicate with your device to determine location. These[...]
July 20, 2015 / Vehicle Accidents
ATV: All Too Vulnerable to Injury
There’s no question that summer is the time when those who enjoy all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are in their glory. And there’s no denying that ATVs can be a ton of fun. But when operated incorrectly, without safety equipment, or when under the influence, ATVs can be deadly. During one May weekend in 2014, three separate ATV accidents in southern Indiana’s Harrison and Washington counties left one dead and two seriously injured. So many accidents happen during the summer that the period of time between May and September is known as “crunch time.” We at Stephenson Rife want you and your loved ones to avoid getting “crunched.” Injuries: All Too Frequent The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) most recent report co[...]
July 14, 2015 / Vehicle Accidents
“Racing Experience” Questions
If you are a NASCAR or Formula 1 racing fan, or if you just love fast cars, you may have heard about “racing experiences.” They allow you to get behind the wheel of a real race car and try it out after some classroom time and safety instruction. They go by names such as the Rusty Wallace Racing Experience or the Mario Andretti Racing Experience. It’s one of a number of “fantasy experiences” that have sprung up in the last few years, and you can sometimes get a deal online to try them. It’s common to drive more than 100 mph; in fact, it’s expected that you will. To a number of us, this really sounds like fun. Certainly 30-year-old Stephen Cox from Decatur, Indiana, who participated in the Rusty Wallace Racing Experience (RWRE)[...]
June 23, 2015 / Personal Injury
That Old Swimming Hole Might Not Be Safe
For those who don’t have access to a pool, a lake, or a refreshing stream, summertime may send them in search of a different kind of place to cool off when the temperatures soar. Often, it is our youth and young adults who are attracted to abandoned quarries and mines as places to swim, dive, and “hang out.” Generally, abandoned mines and quarries—of which Indiana has several—are not safe places to explore. Nationwide, accidents in abandoned quarries and mines take 20 to 30 peoples’ lives every year, with drowning the most common cause of death at abandoned quarry and mine sites. Indiana suffers its share of injuries and even fatalities most years as well. As an example, in Bloomington, Rooftop Quarry is popular because it [...]
June 15, 2015 / Personal Injury
Bouncing Your Way into the ER?
A fast-growing craze among young people is foam pits and trampoline parks. On the surface, it sounds like wholesome fun that will help kids get some needed exercise, and the kids seem to love it. But stories of injuries and deaths, and warnings from doctors, have started to emerge. What Are Foam Pits and Trampoline Parks A foam pit is exactly what it sounds like—piles of foam cubes, usually supported by a trampoline, which people, mostly kids and teens, jump in. A trampoline park is a large room filled with trampolines. Often, the same recreational facility has both. They are popular with those who want to try out acrobatic or gymnastic moves. In Indiana and surrounding states, there are several “jump gyms,” as they are sometimes call[...]