Lundy Law Blog

Personal Injury Lawyers

Archive for December, 2009

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30
Dec

Airport Food Safety a Concern

A recent headline in USA Today warns travelers about food safety violations at airport restaurants.
Some of the violations are:
1.   Tuna salad and turkey sandwiches are stored at dangerously warm temperatures.
2.   Raw meat contaminated.
3.   Rat droppings.
4.   Kitchens lack soap for workers to wash hands.

These are national chains located in airports including Dallas, Detroit, Atlanta, JFK, Los Angeles, Miami and Seattle. None of the restaurants mentioned in the article were in Philadelphia’s Airport. Answer: pack a snack of your own.

Popularity: 41% [?]

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30
Dec

Toyota seen as concealing potential vehicle problems.

In a 2400-word story, the Los Angeles Times (12/23, Bensinger, Vartabedian) reported, “A peerless reputation for quality and safety has helped Toyota become the world’s largest automaker. But even as its sales have soared, the company has delayed recalls, kept a tight lid on disclosure of potential problems and attempted to blame human error in cases where owners claimed vehicle defects.” The Times relates several incidents illustrating that point, commenting, “The automaker’s handling of safety issues has come under scrutiny in recent months because of incidents of sudden acceleration in Toyota and Lexus vehicles, which The Times has reported were involved in accidents causing 19 fatalities since 2001, more deaths from that problem than all other automakers combined.”

Popularity: 31% [?]

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26
Dec

Researchers Discover Toxin in Christmas Ornaments

This is not meant to panic, but worth reading if you plan on using Christmas ornaments this season.

Salt Lake City (12/9, Yeates) reported, researchers with Hill Air Force Base and Utah State University “literally stumbled upon” plastic Christmas ornaments which emit “a vapor containing what is called 1,2-dichloroethane (DCA).” The chemical compound “is a quick and easy way to harden plastics” but it is “prohibited in the United States for the direct manufacturing of consumer goods,” having been labeled a possible carcinogen. The “gingerbread men and other Christmas ornaments” were manufactured in China. “The mystery unfolded last year as HAFB and USU environmental teams tried to figure out why homes that had already been cleaned up from another chemical…were still spiking portable sensors.” Although “the readings were high inside storage boxes where air doesn’t circulate and diffuse the vapors,” the Toxic Substances and Disease Registry “has taken a keen interest” in the findings and “is now looking at other states reporting similar mystery readings.” Read on.

Popularity: 32% [?]

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26
Dec

Ask Marvin Lundy…About Winter Driving

I would like to wish everyone a Happy Holiday and a Happy and Healthy New Year on behalf of myself and all of my staff here at LundyLaw. To make sure you and yours are safe, you’ll want to read these helpful driving tips. These are good rules of thumb to follow, wherever you live.

Before you drive:

  • Give plenty of time to get to where you’re going during the winter.
  • Keep the gas tank full.
  • Keep the vehicle in proper working condition. Make sure the engine is tuned and the battery, belts, hoses and radiator are checked. Examine tires to make sure they have adequate tread, and keep tires properly inflated.
  • Periodically check windshield washing fluid level and only use fluids containing an anti-freeze solvent. Keep an extra container of windshield fluid in the trunk.
  • Clear snow and ice from windows, mirrors, hood, headlights, taillights and trunk before driving.
  • Keep an ice scraper/snow brush, deicer, small snow shovel, warning devices (flares or triangles), bag of salt or sand, flashlight, battery cables, tire chains, paper towels and a blanket in each vehicle during the winter.

When you drive:

  • Excessive speed is the second most common cause of deadly auto accidents. Drive at a reduced speed and drive defensively.
  • Always wear a seatbelt.
  • Watch out for wet leaves – riding over them can cause you to skid.
  • Always turn on headlights during inclement weather.
  • Maintain at least twice the normal following distance when driving on snow or ice. Rear-end collisions account for most winter crashes.
  • Maintain a distance of at least six car lengths behind a snow plow.
  • Do not pass a snow plow because the plow blades are wider than the truck.
  • Use extra care when driving on a bridge or elevated ramp during the winter because they freeze sooner than roads built on the ground.
  • Car pool or use mass transit whenever possible during the winter. Fewer cars on the road makes travel safer during a snow storm and expedites snow plowing operations.

Oh, and a special word about drinking and driving.

You’re more likely to run into (excuse the pun) intoxicated drivers during the holidays than at other times of the year. In fact, New Years is the single deadliest holiday of the year, so take extra care.

If you drink, the legal limit for intoxication is a blood alcohol content between .08 and .10, although the limits vary from state to state. If you’re under 21 you may not drive with a BAC of higher than .02. Again, this varies by location. However, if your driving is demonstrably impaired, there is NO MINIMUM.  If it’s one drink, it’s one drink. So, in short, don’t drink and drive. It’s not worth it.

Also, remember not to talk or text while you drive. Please. Drivers are four times more likely to be involved in an accident when they use a cell phone or text while driving. So, when someone calls you to wish you a Happy New Year, let it go. You can call them back when you get home.

Lundy Law would rather see you safe and sound.

Popularity: 31% [?]

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26
Dec

Harley-Davidson Recalling Over 100K Motorcycles

If you purchased a Harley between June 6, 2008 and November 19, 2009, you’ll want to read this.
The Milwaukee Business Journal (12/10) reported, “Harley-Davidson Inc. is recalling 111,569 motorcycles manufactured from June 6, 2008, through Nov. 19, 2009, because of a threat of gasoline leaking in the event of a frontal collision. The recall affects some 2009 and 2010 touring bikes, including CVO Touring and Trike products, according to information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.” The federal agency “said the motorcycles’ front fuel tank mounts may distort as a result of a front-end crash, creating the potential for fuel to leak and ignite after a crash.”

Popularity: 38% [?]

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