Every 46 minutes a child is injured by a Bounce house in U.S.

According to a new study inflatable bouncers (Bounce houses, castles, moonwalks, etc) are injuring U.S. children at "alarming" rates.

Just a few short months after pediatricians sounded the alarm on trampoline injuries, a study from the November 26th issue of Pediatrics outlines the number of injuries from bouncy castles and similar party fare has climbed 15-fold over the past 17 years.  These injury traps have been responsible for more than 5 injuries per every 100,000 American children. (child injury statistics)

"The medical and public health community has yet to provide recommendations on the safe use of inflatable bouncers," study author Dr. Gary A. Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital, who is also a professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.   "The growing epidemic of inflatable bouncer injuries make it clear that it is time to do so."

After analyzing records between 1990 and 2010 from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, Smith and colleagues identified almost 65,000 injuries tied to inflatable bouncers.

The rate increase was more rapid in recent years, with the annual injury rate doubling between 2008 and 2010, with 31 children treated daily in a U.S. emergency room for an injury caused by a bouncer. That's one child every 46 minutes nationally.

Falls accounted for 43 percent of injuries, followed by stunts and collisions. Forty-four percent of the injuries occurred at a recreational setting and 38 percent occurring at home. More than 27 percents of injuries were fractures, with another 27 percent reported as strains or sprains; nearly 33 percent occurred to the lower extremities, while nearly 30 percent occurred to the upper ones. About one in five injuries occurred to the head and neck, which could lead to potentially serious problems like concussion.  About three percent of all injuries required hospitalization, mostly for broken bones. The majority of patients were male (about 55 percent) and average age was about 7-1/2 years old.

"It is time for us to take action to prevent these injuries," said Smith. "Ensuring that parents are aware of the potential risks, improving surveillance of the injuries, developing national safety guidelines and improving bouncer design are the first steps."

Smith's study recommends keeping kids under 6 out of the bouncy houses and castles, allowing only one child in the bouncer at a time, and having parental supervision at all times. If more than one child will be on the bouncer at the same time, make sure they are about the same age and size.

"Because children are the end users and because companies typically do not provide the supervision on rented inflatable bouncers, the burden of safety falls ultimately on the parents' shoulders," Dr. Tigran Avoian, an orthopedic surgeon at Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital who was not involved in the research.  He said bouncers can be fun and safe when used properly. "Parents should be familiar with the risks and dangers and should receive proper supervision instruction."

If your or someone you know was injured on an inflatable bouncer call the experienced injury lawyers at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878

Driver accused of hitting motorcyclist, leaving scene

A Garden City man was arrested for allegedly driving off after hitting and seriously injuring a motorcyclist.

James Gallagher, 69, was trying to make a left turn east onto Old Country Road from Linden Street in his 2001 Nissan Pathfinder when he hit a motorcyclist who was traveling east in the right lane of Old Country Road.  Gallagher kept driving although the motorcyclist, 29, had been injured.

The motorcyclist who had internal injuries and a partial amputation of his right foot was taken to a hospital, where he was listed in critical but stable condition.

If you or someone you know has been seriously injured in a car or motorcycle accident call the experienced injury lawyers at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-Now-Hurt

Limo kills passenger in NYC

After exiting a limo a passenger in Brooklyn was killed when it rolled backward, according to police. 

Viktor Avaveyev, 53, was pinned between the limo and another vehicle during the accident at Kings Highway and Bedford Avenue on Sunday night in the Midwood neighborhood. 

Avaveyev was taken to Kings County Hospital where he was pronounced dead.  Yan Krainert, 50, of Brooklyn was taken into custody and charged Monday with vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and DWI, according to police.  

If you or someone you know has been seriously injured in a car accident call the experienced injury attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878.

Salmonella-linked Peanut Butter Plant forced to shut down

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has shut down Sunland Inc. peanut butter plant in New Mexico whose products, under many brand names, were subject to a wide recall in recent months because of salmonella contamination.  The items were sold by Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Safeway and others.



The company's peanut butter products have been "linked to an outbreak of Salmonella Bredeney that has sickened 41 people in 20 states," the FDA said.

The initial voluntary recall began after salmonella was detected in a lot of Trader Joe’s Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter, which had an SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) number 97111, according to the FDA.

Sunland is the nation's largest processor of organic peanut butter products, the AP said.

The FDA order – which suspends the registration of the plant in Portales, NM, and prohibits it from distributing food for sale – marks the first time the agency has invoked its new authority to suspend the registration of a food production facility, the FDA said.  The FDA said the widespread illnesses "coupled with Sunland’s history of violations led FDA to make the decision to suspend the company’s registration."

Sunland had ceased operations at the plant and intended to restart Tuesday, in hopes of resuming sales of peanut butter products by the end of this year.  Sunland officials said they were surprised by the federal order, are cooperating with the FDA and hope to be back in operation soon, the AP reported.


FDA inspections at the plant in September and October found salmonella in "28 environmental samples (from surfaces in production or manufacturing areas) and in 13 nut butter product samples and one product sample of raw peanuts," the agency said.

The FDA also cited Sunland's own testing results showing salmonella in 11 product lots of nut butter between June 2009 and September 2012.

If you or someone you know become seriously ill or suffered injured due to a defective product or negligence of another call the experienced product liability attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878.

Boat fire in Babylon (fire island avenue) leaves teenager injured

A Thanksgiving fire that began on a boat near the Babylon Village Docks on Thursday has left one man injured and property damaged.  The incident occurred at the Babylon Docks near Fire Island Avenue at Cedar Lane.  Official say several boats are on fire in Babylon.  An unidentified 17-year-old man was burned and was airlifted to the hospital.  He suffered first and second degree burns to his face and arms.

A Suffolk County police officer responding to the fire call was injured in an unrelated crash. According to reports, the officer’s patrol vehicle was struck by an SUV, which was traveling southbound at Robbins Avenue. The driver’s side door of SCPD Unit 116.

If you or someone you know was injured by a boating accident or fire call the experienced boating accident lawyers at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878

Ulster County teen killed in two-car crash in Newburgh

NEWBURGH - A Plattekill teenager was killed in a horrifying two-car accident Monday night on Route 32 in the Town of Newburgh.  The teen has been identified as 15-year-old Alana Tadry. 

Newburgh town police say Tadry was ejected and killed instantly around 7 p.m. when the Audi she was riding in split in half after colliding with another car about a half mile north of Mill Street. The two sections of the Audi wound up about 175 feet from each other. 

Chief Michael Clancy said Tadry was riding in the backseat and that back section of the car wound up in the woods not far from the accident scene. Her body was thrown about 25 feet in the woods. 

Clancy said the Audi's driver, Edward Lier, 20, of Wallkill was heading southbound and attempted to pass cars on a straight section of the two-lane road. As he was cutting back, he was struck by a northbound Chevy Malibu driven by John Dyer, 49, of the town of Newburgh. Dyer was taken to St. Luke's Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. 

Christopher Giamnarino, 19, a passenger in the Audi, was flown to Westchester Medical Center with serious injuries requiring surgery. Lier and Nicole Galgan, 18, of Newburgh, a front seat passenger in the Audi, were taken to St. Francis Hospital with serious injuries. 

If you or someone you know has been seriously injured in a car accident call the experienced auto accident attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878.

Car with dad and kids crashes into building

vehicles driven into houses and buildings

It was a harrowing ride for a father and his two young children when their out-of-control car crashed into a building in Hauppauge on Tuesday morning after being rear-ended by another vehicle, police said.

The man and the two children, ages 1 and 4, were not injured in the crash, which saw the car careen through a window and into an office, Suffolk County police said.

At least 28 people injured in 3 crashes near and in Lincoln Tunnel

At least 28 people were seriously injured in three multiple vehicle crashes near or in the Lincoln Tunnel. 


A 7:15 a.m. accident on Rt. 495, outside the entrance to the tunnel, involving two buses left at least 22 people injured, according to Port Authority officials.

A 9:15 crash involving a tractor trailer and an NJ Transit bus a couple miles west, near the New Jersey Turnpike/Route 3 split, left at least one person injured.

Then at about noon, five people were injured in a crash involving eight vehicles -- three cars and five trucks -- in the north tube of the Lincoln Tunnel.

If you or someone you know was injured in a car, bus or truck accident call the experienced motor vehicle injury lawyers at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878.

Eastbound lanes of LIE close after car accident

Two people were critically injured Thursday in a two-car rush-hour crash near Exit 40 on the Long Island Expressway, Nassau County Police said.

A 34-year-old man with four others in his Nissan Pathfinder was eastbound on the LIE (New York) when the driver lost control and struck the center median about 8:40 a.m. Thursday. The vehicle spun across the left and center lanes and collided with a Ford Explorer driven by a 30-year-old woman, detectives said.

Three of the four passengers and the Pathfinder's driver were transported to area hospitals; the fourth passenger refused medical attention at the scene.

The driver and one of the passengers are listed in critical condition, police said.

The driver of the Explorer was also transported to local hospital on Long Island for non-life-threatening injuries. No charges have been filed in the accident, which closed the LIE's eastbound lanes during the morning rush hour for a while and impacted traffic near Exit 40, the ramp for Jericho Turnpike at Syosset, throughout Thursday.

If you or someone you know was injured in a car accident call the experienced car accident lawyers of Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878.

Person struck, killed by Long Island Railroad train in Queens

Service on the Long Island Rail Road Babylon Branch was temporarily suspended in both directions Monday evening after a pedestrian was struck and killed on the tracks in Massapequa, according to a Nassau County Police spokesperson.

The LIRR has temporarily resumed limited eastbound service and says customers should expect delays of up to one hour.

The investigation is ongoing.

 

Another person was struck and killed by a Long Island Railroad train in Queens late Thursday night, fire officials said. 

 

The unidentified person was struck by the train around 11:30 p.m. at the Queens Village LIRR station near Jamaica Ave. and Springfield Blvd., officials said.

 

The person died at the scene, officials said. 

 

Five pedestrians were reportedly be struck by an LIRR train since Friday. The conditions and identities of the other three have yet to be confirmed.

If you or someone you know was injured by a train call the experienced train injury lawyers at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878

Bus Accident Near Lincoln Tunnel Injures 20

Two buses collided near the Lincoln Tunnel Monday morning, injuring about 20 people — at least two seriously — and snarling traffic for New Jersey commuters entering Manhattan.

Around 7:15 a.m., a New Jersey Transit bus and a Martz Trailways bus collided in an express bus lane approaching the Lincoln Tunnel on the New Jersey side, said Ron Marsico, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

About two hours later, also on the New Jersey side, a bus and a truck were involved in another accident, causing at least one serious injury, Mr. Marsico said.

The accidents arrived on a day when some travelers in the state appeared poised for an easier commute, after nearly two weeks of stifling gridlock since Hurricane Sandy.

If you or someone you know was injured in a bus accident call the experienced bus accident attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878

How to Drive in the Snow and Ice - Driving Safety Tips

The best advice for driving in bad winter weather is not to drive at all, if you can avoid it.  Snow, sleet, ice and rain have caused millions of car accidents around the country resulting in serious injuries and even death to passengers, drivers and innocent pedestrians. 

Don't go out until the snow plows and sanding trucks have had a chance to do their work, and allow yourself extra time to reach your destination.

If you must drive in snowy conditions, make sure your car is prepared, and that you know how to handle road conditions.  There's a higher rate of car accident injuries at the beginning of a snow season...practice caution.

It's helpful to practice winter driving techniques in a snowy, open parking lot, so you're familiar with how your car handles. Consult your owner's manual for tips specific to your vehicle.

Driving safely on icy roads (help avoid car accident injuries)

1. Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.
2. Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.
3. Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.
4. Keep your lights and windshield clean.
5. Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.
6. Don't use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.
7. Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.
8. Don't pass snow plows and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you're likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.
9. Don't assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.

If your rear wheels skid...

1. Take your foot off the accelerator.
2. Steer in the direction you want the front wheels to go. If your rear wheels are sliding left, steer left. If they're sliding right, steer right.
3. If your rear wheels start sliding the other way as you recover, ease the steering wheel toward that side. You might have to steer left and right a few times to get your vehicle completely under control.
4. If you have standard brakes, pump them gently.
5. If you have anti-lock brakes (ABS), do not pump the brakes. Apply steady pressure to the brakes. You will feel the brakes pulse — this is normal.

If your front wheels skid...

1. Take your foot off the gas and shift to neutral, but don't try to steer immediately.
2. As the wheels skid sideways, they will slow the vehicle and traction will return. As it does, steer in the direction you want to go. Then put the transmission in "drive" or release the clutch, and accelerate gently.

If you get stuck...

1. Do not spin your wheels. This will only dig you in deeper.
2. Turn your wheels from side to side a few times to push snow out of the way.
3. Use a light touch on the gas, to ease your car out.
4. Use a shovel to clear snow away from the wheels and the underside of the car.
5. Pour sand, kitty litter, gravel or salt in the path of the wheels, to help get traction.
6. Try rocking the vehicle. (Check your owner's manual first — it can damage the transmission on some vehicles.) Shift from forward to reverse, and back again. Each time you're in gear, give a light touch on the gas until the vehicle gets going.

If you or someone you know has been seriously injured in an accident caused by inclement weather call the experienced Personal Injury Lawyers at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878