70 year-old man Hit By Flying Tire on Expressway...almost dies.

A man standing on the shoulder of the LIE near Exit 61 in Holbrook was critically injured when he attempted to prevent one of two tires that had dislodged from a passing semi-truck from crashing into his car.

The unidentified man, who is about 70 years old, was airlifted to nearby Stony Brook University Hospital after being hit by the tire and hitting his head on the ground.

The motorist had pulled his Jeep off the road to inspect a noise that he heard in his Jeep.

All lanes of the westbound Long Island Expressway were temporarily closed wednesday in Holbrook so the injured victim could be airlifted to a nearby hospital.

If you or someone you know has been seriously injured due to the negligence of another call the experience personal injury lawyers at Buttafuoco & Associates.  1-800-669-4878

How To Prevent Sports Injuries - Injury Statistics for children

SPORTS INJURY STATISTICS FOR CHILDREN:  Almost 75% of all school-related spinal cord injuries occur during sports. And, surprisingly, most sports-related injuries occur during a practice rather than the game. However, a recent Safe Kids survey shows that parents and kids don't take safety during practice as seriously as they do during a game.  Consider the following checklist to help prevent sports-related injuries:

1) wear appropriate safety gear and equipment that fits properly.

2) Teach children to warm up and stretch be
fore playing.

3) Make sure your kids drink adequate liquids prior to, during and following athletic activities.

4) Prepare for an emergency by providing your child's coach with important information: parents' names, addresses, phone numbers, and any medical conditions or allergies affecting the athlete.

5) Before beginning a sport, all children should receive a general health exam and an orthopedic exam.

Surprising Child Safety Hazard - DISHWASHER

Dishwasher Hazards

The Danger: Dishwashers give children easy access to sharp knives and forks. Detergent can irritate your child's skin and eyes and can burn the lining of her mouth and esophagus if swallowed. "It's extremely corrosive and dangerous," warns Parents advisor Ari Brown, MD, author of Baby 411: Clear Answers & Smart Advice for Your Baby's First Year. 

Safe Strategy: Point knives, forks, and other sharp items downward in the utensil basket. Don't fill the dispenser with detergent until you're ready to run the load, and wipe out any that's left over after each cycle. Always replace the cap on the bottle tightly, and store it in a locked cabinet. Keep the dishwasher closed and latched when it's not in use.

Parents...practice safety first.   To help prevent serious injuries it is important to cover all your bases.   Don't stop at just the dishwasher...take the necessary steps to baby proof your entire house.

Medical Staff ignores beeps leading to over 500 deaths in Hospitals

CHICAGO (AP) — Constantly beeping alarms from devices that monitor the vital signs of the critically ill have "desensitized" hospital workers who sometimes ignore the noise, leading to at least two dozen deaths a year on average, a hospital accrediting group said Monday.

And these cases are probably vastly underreported, said the Joint Commission in an alert to hospitals calling attention to the problem.

One apparent problem is that some of these devices beep when there's an emergency, and some beep when they're not working.  That can lead to noise fatigue and the delay in treating a patient can endanger lives, the accreditation commission says.  Hurting the situation is the fact that there is no standardization for what the beeps mean.

The commission's estimate of possible deaths related to the problem is considerably lower than the reports it found in a U.S. Food and drug Administration database. The FDA lists more than 500 deaths potentially linked with hospital alarms between January 2005 and June 2010. But that includes mandatory reports of malfunctions and in some cases the connection to a death is only tenuous.

There likely are far more problems than have been reported, partly because ignoring or misinterpreting an alarm may have set off a chain of events that led to an injury or death, she explained. 

"With the proliferation of technology, alarms, and a lack of standardization," it's more challenging for doctors and nurses to respond adequately, McKee said.

McKee said the alert will help raise awareness and lead to hospital changes that may save lives.

If you or someone you know has wrongfully died due to the negligence of another call the experienced wrongful death lawyers at Buttafuoco & Associates.  1-800-669-4878

HOT WHEELS URBAN SHREDDER RIDE-ON: Recall Alert...could cause serious injury

Urban Shredder
(Sold from October 2012 through February 2013)
MODEL # 8801-05

HOT WHEELS URBAN SHREDDER 24-VOLT BATTERY-POWERED RIDE-ON

This product is being recalled as the Urban Shredder could suddenly accelerate while in use, causing the rider to lose control and fall causing serious injuries.

The recall is limited to Hot Wheels Urban Shredders manufactured on September 15, 2012 and December 1, 2012. Date codes can be found on the bottom of each unit (as indicated above).

Consumers are strongly urged to disconnect the battery and stop using this product right away. Take the Urban Shredder to your nearest Toys”R”Us for a refund or store credit.

If you or someone you know has been seriously injured due to a defect product/toy like the Urban Shredder call the experienced product liability attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates at 1-800-669-4878.

Dog Saves PREGNANT WOMAN and Her Baby

Have you ever wondered if it is safe to have a dog around babies or pregnant woman?  Check out this story...

A North Merrick dog is being heralded for helping to save the life of a pregnant woman and her premature daughter.  The hero is a 1-year-old goldendoodle named Louie.

Janelle Giannetta was annoyed with her dog Louie after he playfully jumped on her and accidentally scratched her face.  Just a few hours later the puppy was out of the doghouse after saving her life.

Giannetta, 26 weeks pregnant with her first child, said she was not feeling well and went upstairs in her North Merrick home to take a nap.  Her husband, Richard Giannetta, 33, stayed downstairs to clean up for a family birthday party later that day.

Shortly after, the dog (who is not known as a barker) began barking incessantly. 

In the upstairs bedroom he found the 75-pound dog standing on the bed barking at his wife. Janelle was having a seizure, her tongue was rolled back and she had a ring of white foam around her mouth.

Richard immediately called 911 and said he had a hard time getting the protective Louie away from his wife.

"I had to lock him in another room," said Richard.

Janelle was rushed to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, where she was quickly diagnosed with eclampsia.  Eclampsia, which affects about 1 in 2,000 pregnant women, is a potentially deadly condition in which the mother develops very high blood pressure, causing seizures and potentially a stroke. Janelle, who had seen her doctor that day, said she had shown no signs of pre-eclampsia, marked by high blood pressure and high protein in the urine.

Dr. Peter Hong, chief of NUMC's high risk pregnancy service, said Janelle's blood pressure was "very, very elevated -- severe enough to cause a stroke."

The only "cure" for the condition is to deliver the baby, he said, so the decision was made to perform a Caesarean section. Charlotte Marie was born around 2:25 a.m. weighing a mere 1 pound 7 ounces.

The baby is in the neonatal intensive care unit, where she is expected to stay until July -- her scheduled due date. 

Both Richard and Janelle were so thankful for the emergency medical technicians and the hospital for their quick action. But Doctor Hong credited Louie.

"In my opinion, the dog is the real hero," Hong said. "If not for the dog's barking, she could have had one seizure after another, after another . . . and she would have gotten care a lot later, and that would have made my job much harder."