Recent Blog Posts
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. Th[...]
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 c[...]
June 8, 2015 / Personal Injury
Accidents Are Not Amusing
It’s a beautiful day. You and your family are out to enjoy yourselves at an amusement park. You feel great anticipation as you climb into the ride’s car. This will be exciting and fun! Unfortunately, perhaps it won’t. We’ve all heard the stories -- from the derailed roller coaster car that flew into a tree at a California park in 2014, to the woman who fell out of a roller coaster in Texas in 2013, to the story of the young woman who suffered amputation by a flying cable at nearby Kentucky Kingdom in 2007. At this point, you might be wondering if amusement parks are really that dangerous. Risky Rides Amusement parks are responsible for a surprising number of injuries. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has esti[...]
May 21, 2015 / Personal Injury
Young Workers in Danger
Youth at work may appear vigorous and strong, even invincible. We may even lament our own restrictions that occur with increasing age. Yet that same vibrant quality of youth can be a hindrance when it comes to occupational safety. Would you be surprised to learn that young workers, meaning those under 25, have higher occupational injury rates than older workers? It’s true. For workers under the age of 24 during 2012, there were 375 deaths, with 29 of them suffered by workers less than 18 years old. And during the years 1998 to 2007, younger workers were the victims of roughly twice as many nonfatal workplace injuries each year as workers 25 and over. Advantage: Maturity Being young is not always an advantage in the workplace. A person[...]
May 19, 2015 / Personal Injury
Dangerous Dust
Dust seems harmless, doesn’t it? Everyone breathes in dust every day. We joke about having dusty homes. And yet, dust that contains respirable crystalline silica can cause irreversible, chronic, and even fatal illnesses. Exposure to crystalline silica kills more than 250 U.S. citizens each year from silicosis alone, and approximately one million workers are exposed to crystalline silica. Workers in the construction and mining industries, as well as those who work in sandblasting, stonecutting, and even landscaping are among those at risk. Those who work at hydraulic fracturing (fracking) sites, or especially in frac sand mining, or who live near such mines, also face the potential of future illnesses. In Indiana, the risks from frackin[...]
May 15, 2015 / Vehicle Accidents
Binge Drinking: A Serious Problem Going from Bad to Worse
Binge drinking is on the rise in this country. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington reports that, since 2005, heavy drinking in the U.S. has gone up by 17.2%, and binge drinking has risen by 8.9%. And Indiana is no exception to this general rule. A Ball State report found that more than one-third of Indiana adults who drink admit to binging regularly on alcohol. Despite the way some comedians characterize drunken behavior as amusing, binge drinking is no laughing matter. It contributes to vehicular injuries and deaths, especially those of teens and young adults; it damages the health of drinkers; and it can harm families. It’s a sad situation all around. Defining Binge Drinking and DU[...]
April 29, 2015 / Personal Injury
Stage Collapse Spurs Questions
Dozens of high school kids and parents panicked on April 23, 2015, when part of a stage collapsed during a spirited musical, plunging Westfield High School performers into the orchestra pit. School Superintendent Mark Keen estimated the drop to be 12 feet to a concrete floor below. During the finale of the school's annual "American Pie" concert, which each year features music from one decade, a large group of singing, dancing students came from the wings onto a platform used to extend the stage area over the pit, a procedure used many times in the past without incident. This time, however, due to causes that are still under investigation, the flooring gave way. More than a dozen students were injured, with ten being transported to[...]