Posted on 2nd February 2010 by admin in Uncategorized
concussion, coral spring personal injury attorney, florida head injury lawyer, skull fractures
Head injuries are among the most common of personal injuries and can range from the every day bump to the life-threatening and fatal. Head injuries can occur almost anywhere though some places or activities carry more risk than others.
High risk areas and activities for head injuries include:
Construction sites or anywhere there is a risk of falling from a height
Contact sports
Diving into water
Car crashes
Cycling
Children’ playgrounds
Falling objects can occur from anywhere including the home and office.
Many things can be done to reduce the risk factors involved. Wearing appropriate safety headgear is essential for cycling, construction sites and many contact sports. Never dive into any water where you are unsure of the depth or whether any hidden objects may be lying underwater. While falls from playgrounds and trees are common in youngsters try to ensure any playground they use has a safety based material underneath. Don’t overload shelving or try to reach top shelves without on your tip toes.
There are three main types of head injury that can occur.
- Skull fractures.
- Intracranial bleeding – where fluid bleeds from and into the cranial cavity this often causes pressure on the brain.
- Closed head injuries – concussion.
Many people become frightened when they see bleeding from the head as it is often profuse. This is simply because the blood vessels are close to the surface. Goose eggs occur for the same reason and are usually not an indication of severe injury.
It is usually best not to immediately try to clean severe bleeding from the head though as this can prevent clotting. If you suspect a skull fracture don’t apply direct pressure to try stop bleeding.
Seeing an object protruding from the head can be particularly frightening. Never try to remove any object embedded in the head. Get straight to the hospital or call an ambulance.
Concussion occurs when the brain is shaken, or strikes the skull. It can cause long term damage. Concussion is sometimes one of the hardest head injuries to tell and sometimes goes unnoticed, particularly in car crash situations. This kind of head injury can accompany whiplash too so it pays to get checked out by a doctor especially if you think you may need to make a personal injury claim.
Any injury to the head should always be watched closely for 24 hours. If a person becomes confused, has difficulty walking or speaking and is difficult to rouse from sleep seek medical attention immediately. Bleeding or fluid coming from the nose or mouth is a sign of major head injury and should be treated as an emergency. If an infant has suffered a blow to the head take them to a doctor anyway, the signs of injury are harder for the average person to read.
As said, some damage caused by head injuries may not show up for some time following the actual accident. Intracranial bleeding and concussions are particularly so. If you live alone, either seek medical attention or find a friend to stay with the first 24 hour period so you can be watched. Many injuries are not severe but it is better to be safe than sorry.
Additional Resources: Dealing With Personal Injury Claims in Coral Springs, Florida, Visit The Weinstein Law Firm.
Posted on 2nd February 2010 by admin in Uncategorized
burn prevention, florida burn injury attorney, tallahassee personal injury lawyer
Burns can be one of the most painful types of personal injury. The best way to deal with them of course is to prevent them happening in the first place. Basic safety precautions in the home and workplace can do a lot to reduce the risk of burns occurring.
Kitchens and bathrooms are the most burn prone areas of the home. Reduce risk by:
- Turning your hot water temperature down. The recommended level especially if you have children is 120_F (49_C). At this level it would take 10 minutes to burn a child’s hand.
- Always test the temperature of bath or shower water with your hand before getting in, particularly for children.
- Always keep pot handles facing inwards. Not only can children grab hold of them and pull them down, but adults can catch their clothes on them, jumping cats and dogs may not see them and knock them over too.
- Never leave anything cooking unattended.
- Use pot mitts when handling hot plates and food. Often things don’t feel too hot when you first touch, but by the time you get that dish to the table it will be burning.
- If removing plastic wrap or any kind of lid, be cautious of steam burns. Always remove a lid or any covering away from yourself.
Barbeques are another major area of burn risk. Help prevent risk by:
- Keeping your BBQ clean. Old drippings and food bits can catch fire easily.
- Never leave a barbeque unattended, especially if children are around.
- If you are using gas, make sure the cylinder is checked regularly and turned off after use.
- Never ever use accelerants such as gasoline or turpentine to try to start a barbeque. You not only run the risk of burns but of a major fire.
- Use good long handled tools to handle cooking food and oven mitts for moving dishes.
Just as gas barbeques should be checked regularly, so should any heaters you have in your home. If you have an open fire or use heaters always be sure to keep a guard around them. This is absolutely essential if you have children in the home.
If you or another person should catch on fire the flame needs to be smothered. Stop, drop and roll. Roll on the ground; roll in a blanket if available.
Treating burns
When burns do occur they need to be treated quickly.
Any burn from whatever cause needs immediate treatment. Ten minutes under running cold water. If running water is not available then any cold water will do. Ten minutes is the best time for two reasons. Firstly burning will be continuing under the skin and it can take that full ten minutes to reach and stop further damage. If you leave the water running longer than ten minutes it can start to destroy the skin and underlying tissue.
For any burn that covers a skin surface larger than the circle made by putting your thumb and first finger together should be seen by a doctor. For extensive burns call an ambulance immediately!
Legal Resource: Tallahassee Florida Personal Injury Attorneys at Searcy, Denney, Scarola, Barnhart & Shipley. Will Help You With Your Claim.
