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New research suggests parents should leave their children in rear-facing car seats until they have outgrown them.

While it’s unclear when Florida will update its own recommendations, parents and caregivers should start using the new guidelines as soon as possible. USA Today reports the new car-seat guidelines for rear-facing seats are designed to save lives. Safety advocates now say children should use the seats until they reach the height and weight limit suggested by the manufacturer. Newer, stronger seats are allowing parents to use them for larger children.

Previous guidelines suggest use of rear-facing car seats until a child reached the age of 2.carseat-218x300

“Fortunately, car seat manufacturers have created seats that allow children to remain rear-facing until they weigh 40 pounds or more, which means most children can remain rear-facing past their second birthday,” said Dr. Benjamin Hoffman, lead author of the policy statement and chair of the AAP Council on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention. “It’s best to keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. This is still the safest way for children to ride.”
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Two construction workers were killed last week in a Florida scaffolding accident after their scaffold collapsed at a JW Marriott Hotel in Orange County.scaffolding-accident-300x199

Four workers were on the scaffolding when it collapsed at the site on Chelonia Parkway near Disney in Bonnet Creek. Two workers fell while another held on and the other worker was able to climb to safety, according to a report in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Officials say workers were pouring concrete when the accident happened at the resort hotel, which is under construction.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will investigate the incident.

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From all of us at Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, we wish you a safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend with friends and family.

However, we remind you that will mean putting particular emphasis on safe driving as Labor Day weekend is typically the second most-dangerous weekend of the year on Florida roads, according to the Sun-Sentinel. car accident

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Any focus on back-to-school safety would be incomplete without addressing the biggest risk on the road: Teen drivers.car accident attorney

We’ve recently address school bus accidents and bicyclist and pedestrian safety as students return to class throughout Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties. But it is our teen drivers who face the highest risks of being involved in a serious or fatal traffic collision.

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As we reported recently on our Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, school bus accidents are a common risk as the school year begins each year.pedestrian accident

Our experienced pedestrian accident lawyers in Cape Coral and Fort Myers also continue to see an increase in the number of serious and fatal injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists each autumn. The start of the school year, early darkness with the end of Daylight Savings Time, and the start of winter tourist season all contribute to the outsized risk of pedestrian and bicycle accidents in Southwest Florida.

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A serious bus accident in Lehigh Acres is a reminder of the road risks as a new school year begins in Southwest Florida.school bus

NBC 2 reported a bus collided with a passenger vehicle, shoving it partway beneath another school bus. Pictures show the impact of the collision. The accident occurred near Lee and Leonard boulevards in Lehigh Acres. The vehicle driver was reportedly uninjured. Three students on the Dunbar High School buses were evaluated for possible injuries. Such collisions can be far more serious. At the end of last school year, a motorist was killed in an accident with a Lee County school bus.

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Economic recovery has brought record-low unemployment throughout Southwest Florida. But hospitality, service and construction trades have seen increased work accident risks.

NBC 2 reports a 58-year-old man was killed when a crane truck backed into him as we was loading boxes onto a forklift. The accident happened in a North Fort Myers parking lot along Tamiami Trail. The Naples Daily News reports a Bonita Springs construction accident claimed the life of a man working on a concrete wall. We reported recently on our Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, a fatal Fort Myer roofing accident and a Naples elevator accident that claimed the lives of two construction workers. construction injury

Factors in determining sources of economic recovery following a serious or fatal work accident, include whether an employee was an employee or independent contractor,  and whether an at-fault party or other third party (other than victim’s employer) was wholly or partially liable.

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A recent series of accidents on the water is a reminder of the risks of boating accidents in Southwest Florida.

NBC reported a woman was rescued by beach workers after a boating accident. The 29-year-old woman was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital, where she spent weeks in the hospital recovering. Her leg hit the propeller of a rented pontoon boat near Matanzas Pass Bridge, according to media reports.  Two nearby Fort Myers Beach workers pulled her from the water and applied emergency aid until the Coast Guard arrived. In other news, FOX 4 reports a boat captain was medically evacuated from a parasailing boat after suffering from heat exhaustion near Fort Myers Beach.boating safety

These incidents illustrate the diverse risks faced by people on the water off the coast of Southwest Florida.

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The recent deaths of two riders in separate Fort Myers motorcycle accidents is a reminder of the risks as we head into the height of Southwest Florida riding season.

The Fort Myers News-Press reported a rider was killed last Saturday morning when his 2007 Kawasaki crashed on U.S. 41 in North Fort Myers. Wink News replivetoride-300x225orts a Monday night crash killed a rider after he failed to negotiate a curve on Metro Parkway. Florida Highway Patrol is investigating both accidents, which appear at this point to have involved lone riders.

Autumn is a critical period for both riders and drivers. Many motorcycle events are planned throughout South Florida, and cooling northern temperatures will continue to push more riders into the Sunshine State through Thanksgiving weekend.

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We recently reported the importance of medical records when it comes to determining damages in your personal injury lawsuit. Negotiating hospital bills and satisfying hospital liens is another area where an experienced personal injury law firm can make a significant impact on a client’s case. hospitalbills-300x225

Medical bills often comprise a substantial portion of a personal injury award. In many cases, hospitals, doctors or medical facilities will place a lien on any pending damage settlement or jury award, to make sure the reported cost of care is recovered and not otherwise diverted before medical bills are settled.  Continue reading →