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The news of more cuts being made in Florida nursing homes has our nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers in Pompano Beach and elsewhere in South Florida concerned about the impact this will have on elder care in long-term facilities. It is important that elders get the quality care and one-on-one contact they deserve, but the state is making it difficult to ensure they get treatment and rehabilitation. Moving forward, it looks like it will be up to ordinary citizens to police the system and identify problems with abuse and neglect in Coral Springs nursing homes or long-term care facilities throughout the state.

We posted previously on our South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog about state cuts that would ultimately affect the care given to our elders. Recent cuts involved slashing Medicaid dollars and short-staffing facilities by 18 minutes per resident per day.

Our concerns for abuse and neglect continue to grow as Gather News reported that October cuts to Medicaid payments will leave many Florida nursing homes unable to maintain current payroll expenses. Facilities are already short staffed but the Medicare payment to long-term care or rehabilitation facilities will be cut by 11.4 percent and Medicaid will be cut by 6.5 percent. Cuts as substantial as this will force facilities to lay off staff and take away services like housekeeping offered to the residents. Most people who live in these homes can’t take care of themselves, let alone clean their room or wash their sheets.

Amenities and extra comforts given to patients will be few and far between. Things like group therapy or cognitive therapy will be done away with because the staffing is not there. Bed space will be limited at hospitals because they will be forced to keep patients longer since there is no room for them at a long-term care facility, which leaves new patients who are extremely ill with no place to go.

With more demands being made on the few staff that still exists at nursing homes, it is probable that quality care will diminish. It is important to be vigilant about making sure your loved one is not abused or neglected while staying at a nursing home or long-term care facility.

Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Resource Center offers these signs and symptoms to look for:

-Staff fails to prevent malnutrition or dehydration.

-Resident lives in unclean and unsanitary conditions.

-Staff fails to administer proper doses of medications or assist in personal hygiene.

-Resident develops infections or bed sores.

-Witness staff assaulting, pushing, grabbing or shaking a patient or restraining the resident unreasonably.

-Notice signs of sexual assault or battery.

-Awareness of a developed condition or bruising that the staff doesn’t acknowledge or seem concerned about.

-Resident is withdrawn, agitated or exhibiting strange behavior like rocking or biting.

-An inexplicable illness or injury occurs that requires immediate hospitalization.

-Resident is highly sedated with no explanation given to the family.

Family members need to ensure their loved one’s don’t become victims of neglect or violence in the place they should feel the safest.
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As part of National Fire Prevention Week our personal injury lawyers in Coconut Creek, Weston, Hallandale Beach and elsewhere want to remind residents to take fire prevention seriously. A fire can not only cause widespread property damage, but also severe and extremely painful burn injuries. The commemorative week was established as a remembrance of the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 that lasted almost two days, killed more than 250 people, burned more than 2,000 acres, and left 100,000 people homeless.

Recovery from a burn injury in Port St. Lucie or elsewhere can often be lifelong and require extensive medical treatment for scarring or rehabilitation. If you have suffered a burn injury from an act of negligence caused by someone else, contact an accident attorney to help you work through the complexities of the case.

First, it is important to understand the varying degrees of a burn because the higher the degree, the more severe the injury and the more complex it will be to determine proper treatment. According to Advanced Healing Institute, the most common types are first-, second- and third-degree burns. Severity is often determined by the depth of the injury or even the mass of body size that it covers. First-degree burn is when the outermost surface of skin is damaged but is still intact. Second-degree burns are more severe and break into the second layer of skin, or the dermis. The development of a blister is an indicator of a second degree burn. A third-degree burn is slightly more severe, as the burn destroys the first two layers of skin and has a full-thickness. A fourth-degree burn penetrates to deeper levels affecting muscles, bones, tendons and internal organs.

The American Burn Association reports that there are approximately 450,000 burn injuries annually that require medical treatment. On average, there are approximately 3,500 deaths per year as a result of residential fires, car and aircraft crashes or contact with chemicals, hot liquids or electricity. Specialized burn centers average about 200 admissions per year which has grown in recent years. Approximately 42 percent of burn injuries needing to be admitted to a hospital are caused by fires and flames. The majority of fires take place in a residence but 10 percent occur at work.

According to Web Health Centre, burns are dangerous when excessive amounts of fluid are lost and cause victims to go into shock. The first 48 hours for a burn victim are the most critical because of rapid fluid loss. Many burns can become infected if not treated properly, and severe burns usually leave scarring and cause some restriction in movements.

Minor burn injuries can be treated at home by running cool water over the burn or applying a cold compress to the burned area of the skin. To help prevent loss of fluid or infection, cover the burn loosely with a bandage or non-stick gauze. Burns typically are pretty painful so over-the-counter medication can be administered if the pain persists. It is extremely important to see a physician for severe burns or if an infection develops from a minor burn.
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As cooler months approach, it will soon be time for Floridians to take the chill off by turning on the heat in your home, office or business. Since the heat doesn’t get used often, it’s a good idea to have the wiring and furnace inspected to make sure everything is in working order. Businesses and landlords have an obligation to the safety of renters and patrons to reduce the risk of fire-related accidents in Margate, Pembroke Pines, Coral Springs or elsewhere in Florida.

Port St. Lucie injury lawyers know that fires can cause a tremendous about of damage, not to mention severe or fatal injury if a person can’t escape in time. Fatalities caused by fires or burns are the third most common type of fatal home injury.

The Florida Fire Marshal’s Office reports that the daily average for residential fires in Florida is 209. Most fire accident victims die from toxic gases or smoke inhalation, not severe burns. The most common causes of residential fires are related to kitchen fires, faulty wiring, a smoldering cigarette being carelessly left somewhere, children left unsupervised to play with matches or lighter, and leaving a heating unit unattended. A vast majority of Florida residents killed in fires are ages 40 and over. Failing to install or maintain an operative smoke detector is a common occurrence in more than half of the homes that catch on fire.

A Home Fire Safety checklist can help prevent a fire before it starts or detect any hazards that could lead to a fire. Some items that should be checked periodically include:

-Check for frayed or loose wires or cords on appliances or heating units.

-Make sure outlets have surge protectors and are not overloaded with cords.

-If you notice an unusual smell or see a spark, consult a professional immediately.

-Conduct an annual inspection on the furnace or heating unit.

-Never use a light bulb over the maximum wattage instructed by the light or lamp manufacturer.

-Always keep the fireplace covered with a screen, even after you think the fire has died out. Ashes and embers smolder much longer than you may think, and can cause a rug or carpet to ignite rather quickly.

Most fires can be prevented by placing a smoke detector with operable batteries on each level of the home, office or business. Also having a fire escape route can reduce the amount of smoke inhalation or burn injuries a person can incur if he or she exits the building quickly. Sprinkler systems are a good investment for homeowners, apartment buildings or businesses because they can often detect and expedite putting out a fire before it gets out of hand.

Fire-related accidents can start and spread quickly so being proactive is the best step to take in order to reduce the risk of severe burn injuries or smoke inhalation caused by a fire outbreak. In 2009, approximately 3,200 deaths occurred from accidents involving smoke and flames, which was the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. The National Safety Council, Amerex and First Alert are offering tips to prevent fires from starting in the home or office.
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According to the director of the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), Col. David Brierton, the FHP will be participating in this year’s Operation Safe Driver. This annual campaign will be taking place this year from October 16th through the 22nd. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reports that the event is nationally organized and is being put by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. During this time, law enforcement will be targeting drivers of commercial and passenger vehicles to ensure that the vehicles and the drivers are meeting federal safety standards.

Nearly 90 percent of fatal trucking accidents in West Palm Beach and elsewhere that involve a commercial truck are caused by driver error. During this safe driving campaign, troopers from the FHP will be out combing our roadways in search of dangerous drivers. They’ll be targeting these drivers by performing driver safety inspections on commercial trucks and targeting dangerous driving habits on Florida roadways.

Our Broward County car accident attorneys understand how dangerous traffic accidents with large vehicles can be. During Operation Safe Driver, members of the FHP will be cracking down on these drivers and will be taking aggressive enforcement action against drivers of commercial trucks, passenger buses and passenger vehicles. Raising awareness of the dangers that these vehicles present has been proven effective in increase roadway safety.

“Activities such as Operation Safe Driver have had a noticeable effect,” said Brierton.

Traffic accidents with large trucks and with commercial vehicles can oftentimes end fatally. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were nearly 3,500 people killed in U.S. roadways in 2009 because of accidents involving these large vehicles. Another 74,000 people were injured in these types of accidents. According to state statistics, there were more than 295,500 large trucks involved in traffic accidents throughout the year.

Of the people who were killed in these types of accidents in 2009:

-More than 75 percent of fatalities occurred to the occupants of the other vehicles.

-Roughly 15 percent occurred to those who were occupants in the truck.

-Approximately 10 percent occurred to those who were nonoccupants.

It’s quite clear that occupants of passenger vehicles are more vulnerable than any other party involved in a car accident with a large truck. The size, weight and force carried by these large vehicles make them deadly. With the proper knowledge and safe driving habits, we can all do our part to help reduce these risks. Remember to be cautious around these large vehicles, stay out of their blind spots and to allow them plenty of room on our roadways. There’s no reason to travel too closely and to flirt with danger. Be alert, be cautious and be aware.
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It doesn’t take long for a tragedy to occur when a young child is left inside a parked vehicle in hot temperatures. Child hyperthermia accidents Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Davie and elsewhere in Florida are a year-around concern which is why some attention is being given by federal authorities recently.

Hollywood car accident lawyers know that two children have died from hyperthermia in a hot vehicle this year in South Florida. According to the Department of Geosciences, 28 children have died in the United States so far this year but the two Florida casualties happened a short few months ago in July. A 22-month old child died in Homestead and a 14 month-old died in Cape Coral from hyperthermia in an unattended vehicle.

The News-Press recently reported that the parents of the Cape Coral are being charged with one count each of causing bodily harm to a child left unattended in a vehicle. The boy was admitted to the hospital the day of the accident with a temperature of 108 degrees and was reported to have blistering on the neck and head. The parents could face up to five years in prison.

A town hall meeting was recently held in Tampa by the Deputy Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to strategize ways to reduce injuries and deaths of children caused by heat stroke in hot cars. A child’s body temperature can increase 3 to 5 times faster than an adult, which puts them at serious risk of brain damage, organ failure, permanent blindness or other severe injuries. If a child is not discovered soon enough in a hot vehicle it can lead to fatality. Members of the community, health professionals, law enforcement officials, and parents all congregated to discuss how parents and caretakers can avoid these preventable deaths.

“It’s critical for parents and caregivers to know that hyperthermia is a problem that sees no social, economic, or racial boundaries — child heat stroke can happen to anyone,” said Deputy Administrator Medford.

Even with a window cracked as much as two inches, a vehicle’s temperature can reach deadly levels inside within ten minutes when the temperature outside is 80 degrees or higher.

Children, ages four and under, are at considerable risk, more so than other age groups, when left alone in an unattended vehicle in the heat. Small children don’t sweat which is a cooling mechanism that adults have and their small bodies absorb more heat than an adult on a hot day.

There are some things that caretakers, babysitters, parents or other family members watching a child can do to prevent these types of preventable deaths. Prevention tips include:

-Teach a child that cars are not a play area and that they should never crawl inside while unsupervised or to hide from someone else.

-Lock the windows and doors when you park the car at home so that children can’t get inside the vehicle on their own. Keep keys out of reach of small children. Never instruct children to take the keys and wait inside the vehicle before you are ready to leave.

-Children tend to fall asleep while riding in the vehicle which allows you to forget that they are in the backseat of the vehicle. Leave a child’s toy in the front seat with you to remind you that they are in the vehicle.

-If you are highly stressed or distracted by upcoming events in your schedule, make arrangements for someone else to drop off or pick up your child. Stress and distractions can cause forgetfulness or lack of intuitiveness which can lead to leaving a child alone in a hot vehicle unsupervised.
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Your child now has a new, fun and exciting way to learn valuable safety tips to help prevent child injury in Margate. Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) teamed up with the popular animated series Chuggington and released a new video series. Throughout this series, children will be able to learn safe habits to practice around vehicles, whether they’re riding in a car, playing near parked cars, riding on buses, walking near traffic or bicycling near roadways. The new show will be targeting children ages 2 to 7, and will have online tips, a kid-focused safety pledge, and activities for parents to use with children.

“This exciting partnership with Chuggington will help us bring our traffic safety message to young children and parents alike,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Our Cooper City child injury attorneys understand that car accidents are the number one cause of deaths for children in the United States. More than 1,300 children under the age of 15 died in 2009 because of motor-vehicle accidents. Another 179,000 young children were injured in these accidents. There were more than 260 children in this age group who died in traffic-related pedestrian accidents. Approximately 115,000 young ones also were injured in pedestrian-related accidents during the same year. We encourage all parents to recruit the participation of their children to help them to learn lifelong safety habits that can potentially save their life one day.

Chuggington’s new video series will teach kids safety tips for school bus riders, pedestrians, car seat usage and bicycling. Throughout the videos, Chuggington and his friends will earn safety badges for performing safe behavior in dangerous situations. The characters will be taking the ‘Think Safe, Ride Safe, Be Safe!’ safety pledge. Your child is encouraged to take the pledge as well and to earn his or her very own Chuggington Traffic Safety badge.

This series was released just in time for National Child Passenger Safety Week. This week-long campaign was used to raise awareness in parents about the importance of properly buckling in children during every car ride. The NHTSA estimates that approximately 70 percent of all child car seats are improperly installed on U.S. roadways.

The latest child car seat recommendations:

-Younger than 1-years-old: These children should always ride in a rear-facing car seat in the back seat of a vehicle.

-Age 1- to 3-years-old: Children should be kept in rear-facing car seats for as long as possible. Once they’ve reached the height and weight limits for their car seat, you may move them to a forward-facing car seat with a harness.

-Ages 4- to 7-years-old: Keep them in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until they’ve reached the seat’s height and weight limits. Then a child should be moved to a booster seat that’s located in the back seat of a vehicle.

-Ages 8- to 12-years-old: Children should be kept in a booster seat until they can properly fit in a seat with an adult seat belt. he lap portion of adult seat belt should fit snugly across the upper thighs, and the shoulder portion of the belt should lie snugly across the shoulder and chest.
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The AAA’s National Senior Driver Expo Tour is still going strong. It has already made stops in more than a dozen cities to raise awareness about senior citizen car accidents in Jupiter. The Expo will be making its way down the east coast of the U.S. later this fall. Aging drivers have always been a concern for AAA, so the Senior Driver Expos is a key part in raising awareness about the dangers that elderly drivers face.

“Like similar community health-fairs, the expos give attendees a hands-on opportunity to try out easy-to-use tools that can keep drivers safer,” said Jake Nelson, AAA director of traffic safety research and analysis.

Our Greenacres car accident attorneys understand how beneficial these events can be. Unfortunately, elderly drivers may not always be able to determine when they’re no longer able to safely navigate our roadways. The AAA Expo includes products and seminars to help senior citizens assess their driving abilities, and to find ways to reduce their risks of traffic accidents by improving their driving skills.

The expo will include the following:

-AAASeniors.com: AAA has provided this website to seniors as a place to access online resources, expert advice, science-based tools and various programs that can be used to help them to identify and discuss many of the issues that are associated with senior driving risks.

-AAA Roadwise Review: This is a computer-based screening tool that lets seniors measure their driving skills that have been scientifically linked to accident risk among senior drivers.

-CarFit: This program is community-based and offers elderly individuals the opportunity to assess their vehicles to see how well they fit their needs to help ensure maximum safety and comfort.

-Smart Features for Mature Drivers: This is a guide that helps elderly individuals to identify features in their vehicle that can help them with mental, physical and visual challenges that many of them face.

Elderly drivers are urged to test out the DriveSharp Calculator. This is an online program that allows seniors to measure their Useful Point of View, which can help to determine just how great their risks are for an accident on our roadways.

Everyone ages differently. It’s important to keep an eye on your elderly loved ones to make sure that they’re not in a position to harm themselves on our roadways because of deteriorating senses. It’s important to stress that handing over their keys doesn’t mean that they’re handing over their independence. There are many ways that elderly residents can get around and enjoy life safely without risking their lives in the driver’s seat of a motor vehicle.
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The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ recently released crash statistics report for 2010 shows a slight decrease in some categories. Although some of the statistics have improved slightly, our Fort Pierce injury lawyers want to emphasize to motorists that it is no time to become complacent about safe driving behaviors because we live in one of the most dangerous states in the country.

Last year, we averaged almost 650 traffic crashes daily in Port St. Lucie, Coral Springs, Hollywood and throughout Florida. This is far too many considering the number of deaths, serious injuries and property damage that result. Many accidents occur because of a drunk or distracted driver, someone who is speeding, or a driver who is driving aggressively. These kinds of behaviors are a danger and often result in a South Florida car accident involving even the safest of drivers. If you are involved in an accident, it is important that you get in touch with an experienced car accident attorney as soon as practical to assist with the complexities of possibly being compensated for any injuries.

The 2010 crash statistics report showed a decrease in crashes by a mere 4.6 percent when compared to 2009. The reported number of deaths went from 2,563 in 2009 to 2,444 in 2010.That’s far better than 2005, when there were 3,533 reported deaths. In fact, in the five years following 2005 there has been a gradual decline in traffic fatalities reported each year with a 30.8 percent improvement through 2010. The number of deaths per 100 million miles traveled was 1.25, which was at an all-time low since recording first began in Florida.

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A recent fatal motorcycle crash involving two brothers on separate bikes has us mindful how speed can increase the dangers of being involved in a motorcycle accident in Coral Springs, Tamarac, Weston and elsewhere in Florida.

Wink News Now reports two brothers were each riding motorcycles on Sea Mist Drive when one tried to pass the other and caused a collision between the two motorcycles. Upon impact, one man was thrown into some bushes and sustained serious injuries. He remained in critical condition. The other brother was thrown to the road and suffered a fatal injury. He was pronounced dead at Englewood Community Hospital. The accident report indicates that witnesses suspect the two motorcycles were traveling at almost 100 mph. A third motorcycle was allegedly involved in the accident as well. The rider reportedly left the scene after removing his bike from the bushes and stating he was unharmed. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the accident.

Lake Worth motorcycle accident attorneys know that motorcycles can be extremely dangerous, especially when traveling at high rates of speed. The faster the rate of speed, the more difficult it is to stop or react to a dangerous situation. Plus, motorcyclists aren’t protected by an outer shell like motorists in vehicles, so ejections, roll-overs and loss of control usually result in serious injury or fatality.

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After reviewing the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ (FLHSMV)2010 traffic accident report that was recently released, our injury lawyers in Margate, Miramar, Sunrise and elsewhere in South Florida want to alert pedestrians and bicyclists to use more caution on Florida roadways. Pedestrians and bicyclists often have a big bull’s-eye target on their back so to speak because they are difficult to see and slow to react when a motorist is headed right at them.

We posted recently on our Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog and our South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog about two different pedestrians who were killed earlier this month. The first victim lost his life in a pedestrian accident in Miami while he was waiting at a bus stop. The other victim was killed early on a Sunday morning by a hit-and-run driver. It turned out there were few details to go on to catch the driver.

These senseless acts along with many others are why the FLHSMV crash statistics are so disturbing. There were 499 pedestrian deaths in 2010 compared to 482 in 2009, an increase of almost 4 percent from year to year. Sadly, 10 deaths were children under 5 and another 15 for children between the ages of 5 to 14. The age group most at risk of a fatal pedestrian accident in 2009 and 2010 was for 45 to 54 year olds. There were 97 pedestrian deaths in this age group in 2010, 76 percent of which were males. Almost 7,300 pedestrians were injured in traffic crashes in 2010, which was less than 2009. Again, 45 to 54 year olds were most at risk of injury.

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