Colorado Springs Personal Injury Blog
Protect Kids and Adults from Injury in Colorado Springs This Halloween
Kids and adults alike often love Halloween for the chance to dress up, attend parties, and collect candy from friends and neighbors. However, the dark weather, decorations, and costumes that are the staples of this holiday can all pose injury risks. You can help protect yourself and those you love from injury this Halloween by keeping in mind a few simple safety tips, courtesy of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
- Costumes: Make sure costumes and shoes fit well and don’t pose a tripping hazard. Decorating costumes and candy bags with reflective tape can also make trick-or-treaters easier for drivers to see in the dark, which may help prevent a pedestrian accident. To improve a trick-or-treater’s ability to see, give him or her a flashlight, and opt for make-up instead of a mask.
Officials Hope Westminster, Colorado Traffic Signal Reduces Accident Rates
A new traffic signal will soon be installed on 112th Street in Westminster in front of the entrances to Front Range Community College. Officials hope that the signal will reduce the number of accidents that take place in the vicinity of the community college each year.
Studies have shown that 17 traffic accidents have taken place in front of the community college in the past three years, a higher rate than average for the Westminster area. All of the accidents involved a driver attempting to turn onto 112th Street from the college’s driveway and getting hit by oncoming traffic. Most of the vehicles that were hit in the accidents were trying to turn left at the time, according to researchers.
Installing the traffic signal is a joint project involving the Westminster City Council, Front Range Community College, and the Colorado Department of Transportation. The signal is being funded through a grant from the Department of Transportation and matching funds from the community college. Officials plan to begin installation in September 2013 and finish by November 2013.
Study Links Video Game Play to Reckless Driving Among Teens
Playing certain types of video games may increase the chances that a teen driver will take careless or reckless chances on the road, according to a recent study.
The study followed 5,000 U.S. teens over four years. The teens were interviewed each year, asking questions about their video game play and their driving habits. The first interview revealed that 50 percent of the teens regularly played “mature”-rated video games. One of the most popularly-played games was Grand Theft Auto III, in which reckless driving wins points.
Texting and Driving May Have Deadly Consequences
Sending or receiving text messages while driving a car may seem simple, but it is an activity that can have deadly consequences for you and for others on the road. A documentary produced by telecommunications giant AT&T showcases the dangers of texting and driving through the stories of four people whose lives were changed forever by a distracted driving accident.
On average, a text message distracts a driver’s attention from the road for just under five seconds, according to a 2009 University of Virginia study. At 55 miles per hour, a vehicle travels the length of a football field in five seconds – plenty of space for an accident to occur, especially when a driver is not watching the road carefully.
Natural Gas Well Explosion Kills and Injures Colorado Workers
One Colorado natural gas worker is dead and three more are injured after a natural gas well explosion in Platteville, Colorado, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune.
The fatal CO work accident involved a gas well operated by Encana Corporation, a Canadian energy firm. The workers had just finished drilling the horizontal well and were installing equipment to put the well into production, allowing workers to draw natural gas from it.
According to investigators, the injuries were caused by a sudden release of high pressure in the well, probably resulting from a faulty or defective piece of equipment installed at the scene. The company is investigating the accident to determine the details in the hopes of preventing similar accidents in the future No explosion or fire occurred.
Colorado Car Accident Deaths Impose Hefty Costs
When a car accident kills a loved one, a family’s world is turned upside-down in an instant. Grieving and healing require time and energy, and it can seem like there is no room in your life for anything else. Unfortunately, the financial burdens caused by fatal car accidents are also real and must also be dealt with after a crash.
Colorado residents lose about $623 million due to deadly car accidents each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About $5 million is spent on medical costs, and about $618 million is lost when an injured or deceased person can no longer work and earn wages or other income.
To Protect Yourself in a Colorado Rollover, Understand How Rollover Accidents Work
A rollover accident is one in which a vehicle rolls onto its side and/or roof. In high-speed or particularly severe rollover accidents, a vehicle may even turn over several times before coming to rest. Rollover accidents have a higher fatality rate than other types of crashes, but understanding how a rollover works can help you protect yourself and others in the vehicle, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
About 10,000 people are killed in rollover accidents each year, and thousands more are injured. Although nearly any vehicle may roll in the right circumstances, taller and narrower vehicles are more likely to roll over. In addition, a vehicle that is loaded with cargo over or behind its rear axle is more likely to roll over.
Understanding Colorado Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the most serious types of injuries, along with traumatic brain injury (TBI). According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (SCISC), about 12,000 people suffer a first-time spinal cord injury in the United States each year. About 265,000 U.S. residents currently live with spinal cord injuries.
Spinal cord injuries are typically classified into one of two categories: complete and incomplete. A “complete” injury severs the spinal cord, ending all communication between the brain and any body area below the point where the cord was severed. Complete spinal cord injuries typically result in paralysis of one or more limbs and/or loss of function in one or more major organs.
An “incomplete” spinal cord injury damages the spinal cord, but does not completely sever it. A person with an incomplete injury may experience total or partial paralysis, motor function problems, and impaired functioning of organs below the injury site. In both complete and incomplete injuries, damage to the body and loss of functions may be permanent.
In Excessive Colorado Heat, Keep a Close Eye on the Kids
Any excessive heat source can cause injuries. Hot working environments, heat from fires or other heating sources, and especially the hot summer sun can all create a risk of heat exhaustion, heatstroke, burns, and other heat-related injuries and illnesses. Although any person or pet can be hurt by the heat, children are at a special risk for heat harm.
Kids’ developing bodies are still working on effective ways to manage internal temperature. When heat rises, a child’s body may not be able to cool itself as effectively as an adult’s body can. Children also have a much higher ratio of body surface to mass and are generally smaller, meaning their bodies absorb heat more effectively.
Colorado Couple Suffers Injury in Vehicle Accident, Fire
A Colorado couple was injured in a car accident that set their vehicle on fire, but they survived thanks to their seat belts, according to a recent article in the New York Daily News. The pair was commended by the Avon Police Department for their decision to wear seat belts on that fateful day.
The accident occurred as the couple, a 24-year-old and a 26-year-old, was riding in their car near Interstate 70. As they passed under the freeway, a semi truck that had lost control on the road above smashed through the guardrail and fell over the side of the overpass, landing on the couple’s car. The pair was able to pull themselves free of the wreckage and move to safety, although the woman had a severe leg injury that left her temporarily unable to walk. Although both are still processing psychological trauma from the accident, they remain optimistic.