Save A Life By Anchoring And Stabilizing Your TV, Furniture, And Appliances

One child dies every two weeks as a result of an appliance, a piece of furniture, or a TV falling on them. In an effort to prevent tip-over related accidents, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is encouraging parents to anchor and stabilize their furniture, appliances and TVs. When children decide to scale one of these items in search of a remote or game, the consequences are often tragic.

Between 2000 and 2011, 349 people were killed as a result of a TV, appliance, or furniture items overturning. Of that number, 84 percent were kids younger than 9 years old. Forty-five percent of accidents occur in the bedroom. It's believed that as families integrate flat screen televisions into their living rooms, the older, much heavier TV is moved into the bedroom. Often times we place our TVs on items, such as dressers, that aren't meant to hold a television. This is when disaster happens.

Even our ultra thin televisions can weigh as much as 50 to 100 pounds, which is no match for a small child. Kids that are involved in these types of accidents often sustain severe head injuries and other injuries resulting from being trapped or crushed by the item falling on them.

To help prevent tip-over tragedies, CPSC recommends the following safety measures in homes where children live or visit:

• Anchor furniture to the wall or the floor.
• Place TVs on sturdy, low bases, or anchor the furniture and the TV on top the base, and push the TV as far back on the furniture as possible.
• Keep remote controls, toys, and other items that might attract children off of TV stands or furniture.
• Keep TV and/or cable cords out of reach of children.
• Make sure freestanding kitchen ranges and stoves are installed with anti-tip brackets.
• Supervise children in rooms where these safety tips have not been followed.

Stay safe and have a happy New Year from Florida Personal Injury Attorney Jeffrey Sexton.

More Than Just A Bruised Ego...

It’s happened to all of us. That moment we wish we could erase from our minds. That painfully embarrassing moment you slipped and fell in front of everyone. Maybe it happened when you were in school and that boy or girl you liked saw it. Maybe it happened in front of a co-worker you can’t stand. Maybe it happened at a wedding.

Whenever or wherever it happened, we feel the same two sensations: embarrassment and pain. Often times, the embarrassment is worse than the pain. We just want to stick our head in the sand or wish ourselves away from the situation altogether. We may not even realize how seriously we may have injured ourselves. We don’t want anyone helping us. Some of us would sprint away with a broken leg just to get away from the humiliation.

The truth of the matter is, a bruised ego is far less serious than a broken leg. Human beings are flawed creatures and we trip from time to time; and as the world’s only bipedal creatures it’s understandable. But sometimes, we fall as a result of someone else’s mistake. Often, we are so mortified we fell, we don’t take inventory of why we fell, especially in public. At home, it’s a little less humiliating when we have an accident and we are more inclined to investigate the ‘why’ since we are much more familiar with our current environment.

If you do happen to slip anywhere, take notice of why. Don’t worry about your bruised ego, as it will eventually heal. Take pictures of the place you slipped and/or tripped. A great many times it could be the result of negligence, which could in turn entitle you to damages as well as preventing it from happening to someone else.

So remember, if you trip, slip, or fall, do your ego the favor of gathering information, getting medical attention, and contacting Florida Personal Injury Attorney Jeffrey Sexton.