Personal Injury
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.
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.
Loveland Boating Accident Claims the Lives of Two Fishermen
Two fishing buffs who headed out onto a Loveland pond for some late-night fishing recently lost their lives in a fatal CO boating accident, according to a recent article from My Windsor Now.
The two men, ages 68 and 37, were related as father- and son-in-law. They went fishing that evening along with a 12-year-old boy, who was grandson and son to the two men, respectively. At some point during the course of their evening, their boat overturned, sending all three fishers into the water. Rescue workers later recovered the bodies of the two adults from the pond, where they had drowned. The boy managed to make it to an island, where he was found by rescue workers and taken to a local hospital for treatment.