Kansas City, Missouri Personal Injury Blog

Many children were excited to receive and play with new toys this holiday season. Parents may assume that any toys bought off store shelves in the U.S. are safe for their children. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Between 1990 and 2010, more than 400 children died as a result of toy-related injuries.

In order to make parents aware of the potential for injury from children's toys U.S. PIRG, a consumer advocacy group, releases an annual report titled "Trouble in Toyland". The group's reports have identified toys that pose a variety of dangers including choking, strangulation and laceration hazards, as well as dangers from toxic chemicals.

There has recently been a string of serious motorcycle accidents in Missouri. One occurred late last month on Highway 71 south of Joplin. A man slid sideways causing him to collide with the median and run off the highway. He suffered fatal injuries after being thrown from his motorcycle.

Earlier this month a woman died in Morgan County after she failed to negotiate a turn, causing her bike to overturn. And just last week, a man suffered serious injuries after a motorcycle accident in Harrison County. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported he was driving at too fast to properly negotiate a curve.

This series of Missouri motorcycle accidents highlights the importance of motorcycle riders taking proper safety precautions.

Tips for Motorcycle Riders

First, follow the law. It is important to obey all speed limits, drive inside the designated lanes and use appropriate turn signals.

Second, be smart. Take a riding course, wear correct safety equipment or protective gear, know your skill level and adhere to it while driving, and take refresher courses when available.

Third, be seen. Make sure you don't ride in other vehicle's blind spots or follow too close where other vehicles can't see you behind them. Always wear clothing that is easily seen, such as brightly colored clothing during the daytime and reflective clothing or strips at night-time.

Fourth, know your bike. Even if you have taken a course or are an experienced rider, you should read the manual for your particular bike and know all of your bike's features and how to use them. Not all motorcycles are the same, and familiarizing yourself with the manual will help you effectively use all of your bike's features.

Fifth, check your bike before you ride. Check your bike every time you go out on it, especially the tires, lights, and brakes. It not only makes you safer, but may protect you from others on the road. Other drivers rely on things such as your turn signal and your brake lights when making their own driving decisions, which may ultimately help them avoid crashing into you.

Of course, the burden should not be entirely on motorcycle riders, other motorists on the road should also make a conscious effort to watch for motorcycles around them.

Source: Motorcycle Safety Foundation, You and Your Motorcycle: Riding Tips!!

Last year DePuy Orthopaedics, a division of Johnson & Johnson, issued a recall of two hip replacement devices: the ASR XL Acetabular System and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System. The voluntary recall was due to a flaw in the design that allowed the leeching of cobalt and chromium into patients' bodies as well as the high percentage of patients who required a second surgery after their initial procedure.

Many experts blame the need for such a recall on the way these defective hip implants and other similar medical devices have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Using a review process called the 510(k), these products are approved in as little as ten months due to their similarity to products already on the market. This streamlined process, used for the vast majority of medical devices, allows them to enter the market place years faster than they would if they were subjected to a traditional review process.

Last month, an elderly couple was killed in Lincoln County, Missouri when the all terrain vehicle (ATV) they were riding collided with an automobile. The man and woman, both in their 80s, owned a farm near the crash site. The tragedy brings public attention to the issue of ATV accidents and safety.

Dangers of ATVs

Nationally, there were 616 ATV-related fatalities in 2008, and more than 135,000 estimated ATV-related injuries treated in emergency rooms, according to ATVSafety.gov. Injuries to children involving ATV accidents have increased 150 percent from 1997 to 2006. Research from the University of Utah's Department of Neurosurgery reveals that trauma to the head and spine from ATV accidents costs roughly $3.24 billion annually and is on the rise.