Fourth of July Precautions

This weekend our nation with celebrate its independence. Millions of Americans will be attending fairs and parades, hosting barbecues and pool parties, or heading to the seashores and lakeshores. In the midst of our celebration, it's important to remember some safety tips.

Every Fourth of July, thousands of Americans suffer serious injuries due to the use or misuse of unsafe or illegal fireworks. In many states, the use of even the simplest "bottle rocket" is illegal. States such as New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Delaware and Arizona have a ban on all consumer fireworks.

New Jersey, a neighbor to both New York and Delaware, has recently revoked its ban on all fireworks. Maine allows fireworks, but limits them to sparklers. Fun for kids, you may think, but they still have the potential to cause burns. Many people allow children to freely play with sparklers, which can result in anything from a light burn to a severe eye injury.

Other states, like South Dakota, South Carolina, and Tennessee allow most or all legal consumer fireworks to be sold and used throughout the year. Pennsylvania falls somewhere in between. Pennsylvania state law only allows fireworks that don't leave the ground to be sold and used by residents. However, residents from out of state and Pennsylvania residents with a permit can buy any consumer fireworks from an outlet. At the New York and New Jersey borders, police set up sting operations every year to prevent fireworks purchased in Pennsylvania from being transported across the border into New York.

The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission recommends taking the following precautions to prevent injuries and keep your Fourth of July happy and healthy.

· Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks.
· Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them.
· Avoid buying fireworks that come in brown paper packaging, as this can often be a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and could pose a danger to consumers.
· Adults should always supervise fireworks activities. Parents often don’t realize that there are many injuries from sparklers to children under five. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees - hot enough to melt some metals.
· Never have any portion of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Move back a safe distance immediately after lighting.
· Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not fully functioned.
· Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
· Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.
· Light one item at a time, then move back quickly.
· Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.
· After fireworks fully complete their functioning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding to prevent a trash fire.

If you state prohibits the use of all or certain fireworks, follow the law. It is not worth injury to yourself, your child, or anyone else to illegally use fireworks. Check your local news source for public fireworks displays. These displays are set up with permits and are regulated by the local law enforcement. The best part is these displays will be the most entertaining and the safest, as they are carried out by professional pyrotechnicians.

For more information about fireworks injuries or other burn injuries, please contact Messa & Associates. Our personal injury attorneys are experienced with all types of burn, fireworks, fire, and explosion cases.

Zicam

FDA Warning: Stop Use of Zicam Nasal Products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has advised consumers to stop use of three intranasal over-the-counter cold remedies containing zinc after receiving more than 130 reports of loss of sense of smell (anosmia) associated with the products.
The products are:
Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel
Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs
Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, Kids Size

Zicam is the brand name of products from Matrixx Initiatives. The company promotes its Zicam Cold Remedy nasal gel by saying that it shortens your cold. Their website says it will "...help you get over your cold three times faster." Matrixx has several other Zicam products for both adults and children that are for flu, allergies, congestion, and sinus problems.

The Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, Kids Size product has already been discontinued. The maker of
Zicam products, Mattrixx Initiatives of Scottsdale, Ariz., has not recalled these products. Loss of sense of smell can affect one’s personal safety and quality of life. Many people reported to FDA that the loss of sense of smell occurred with the first-time use of the product. Please consult a health care professional if you experience any loss of sense of smell or other problems after using intranasal cold remedies containing zinc, including Zicam products. FDA also requests reporting of these problems to the agency’s MedWatch program.

The health of the men and women in uniform and their families, as well as the health of our retirees and their families, is important to the Department of Defense. These products are sold over-the-counter and DoD has no record of who may have purchased or is using these products.

For more information, please contact Messa & Associates at 1.877.MessaLaw.

Some Precautions to take for Motorcycle Season

Messa and Associates knows that for motorcyclists/bikers the hours of fun and the feeling of freedom while on your motorcycle are not found anywhere else. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania and New Jersey motorcyclists are prone to serious injuries any time they are involved in a motor vehicle crash. Motorcycle riders only have their safety gear to protect them from the impact of colliding with a car, a truck, a bus, or a fixed object, such as a wall, a tree, or a concrete barrier. Serious injuries in a motorcycle crash can include severed limbs, crushed bones, internal injuries, spinal cord injuries, and traumatic brain injuries. The effects of an accident that occurs when riding a motorcycle are of the kind that can leave the rider with injuries that can affect them for the rest of their lives.
It is common knowledge among those who regularly ride motorcycles that many drivers on the road are less observant and less respectful of this form of transportation than more conventional automobiles or trucks. Motorcycle riders are quite simply at a much greater risk of serious accident and injury when on the road than those using other means of transportation.
If you or a loved one is injured in a motorcycle accident and the fault is with the driver of another vehicle, you can find a quality of life again. Medical bills for treating a Pennsylvania motorcyclist’s injuries can be very costly, and you may need multiple surgeries and rehabilitation therapy in order to recover. Taking time off from work to heal could lead to lost wages. An experienced motorcycle accident lawyer with a successful track record of dealing with insurance companies and highway law can help. You don’t have to resign yourself to the meager compensation offered by an insurance company that fails to recognize the extent of injuries or the necessary recovery costs.
Joseph L. Messa, Jr., of Messa and Associates, has been a motorcycle enthusiast for years. Unfortunately, a few years ago he was involved in a motorcycle accident resulting in serious injury, and takes these cases very seriously. If you are looking to consult a firm and attorney who understands the unique aspects of motorcycle accidents and the challenges faced by victims and their families, please contact Messa and Associates.
2008 NHTSA Motorcycle Accident Statistics
• 103,000 motorcyclists were injured in the United States.
• There were 5,154 motorcycle deaths.