Spinal cord injuries are of the most severe and catastrophic injuries that a person can sustain, and the severity of consequences depends on the location of the injury. If you or someone you know has sustained an injury to the spinal cord, it is important to first seek medical attention. Additionally, if an injured person cannot move his or her head or extremities immediately following an accident, do not attempt to move him or her; call an ambulance immediately. A doctor can determine the extent of the injury.

According to a spinal cord injury foundation, the initial level of an injury may not remain consistent. In fact, an injury may intensify or become more severe as time passes. Therefore, if a doctor fails to recognize this potential, he could be held liable for negligence. A diagnosis of a spinal cord injury is extremely important, as time is of the essence.

Once a patient begins treatment, he or she is much more likely to fully recover. A typical physical examination to determine whether or not a spinal cord injury has been sustained will include muscular strengths tests and testing to see if a patient still has sensation in his or her arms and legs. Most patients who believe they have sustained a spinal cord injury should be immobilized by a cervical collar or on a backboard for the vast majority of this testing.

Medicine.net advises that after a patient is diagnosed with a spinal cord injury, he or she will likely be put on a regimen of steroids. This is usually intended to help decrease the amount of damage to the spinal cord, as steroids can help to reduce the swelling and inflammation of tissue and muscle around the site of injury. Steroids are usually only beneficial if they are started within eight hours of injury. If a doctor fails to administer steroids in a timely fashion, he or she could be liable for malpractice as well.

Spinal cord injuries are very serious, and if not treated correctly can lead to vast complications or paralysis. If you or someone you know has sustained a spinal cord injury and suspect that medical professionals did not do all they could to mitigate severe effects, you could be eligible for compensation. Contact an experienced Westport medical malpractice attorney today.

Imagine taking your toddler for a walk in a baby stroller. You open the stroller, securely fasten the safety belt, and then off the two of you go. However, your child suddenly begins screaming and you realize that your child’s finger has been caught in the stroller’s hinge and his or her fingertip has been chopped off. According to a recall notice issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), this is what happened to at least 11 different children.

Six children suffered full amputation of fingertips, four children suffered partial amputation of fingertips, and one child suffered a serious laceration. The product’s defect is in the hinge, which may not lock fully into place when opening up the stroller. Not only can a child’s fingers become caught in the open hinge, but the stroller may also begin to close with the baby still in it.

The recall involves 11 different models of strollers manufactured by Graco and Century. Moreover, the recall itself involves almost 5 million units sold in the United States, 202,000 sold in Canada, and 10,300 units sold in Mexico.

The strollers were manufactured between 2000 and 2014. All are single-occupant style and include the following models: Aspen, Breeze, Capri, Cirrus, Glider, Kite, LiteRider, Sierra, Solara, Sterling and TravelMate. Graco, however, is offering a hinge repair kit.

This is the second major recall that Graco has had to issue for baby products in less than a year. In February, the company was forced to recall over 4 million car seats after receiving numerous complaints of the safety buckles becoming locked up, and parents unable to remove their babies from the seats. Many parents were forced to actually cut the harnesses in order to get their child out of the seat, thus creating a very dangerous situation in the event of an accident in which a vehicle fire occurred.

If your child suffered a fingertip amputation caused by a Graco Stroller, contact an experienced Westport personal injury attorney to discuss your case and any legal recourse to which you may be entitled.

The minivan has become the quintessential family vehicle. Pull into any school during morning drop-off or afternoon pickup, and you will typically see a convoy of minivans lined up for this daily family routine. However, a new study has revealed that minivans, instead of keeping a family protected in a car accident, may actually be a deathtrap.

Minivan Safety Testing

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently conducted testing on four of the most popular models of minivans. According to their findings, these tests revealed many of the “worst outcomes” for the types of test crashes the researchers conducted.

The four minivans modeled tested were Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan (which is a twin to Chrylser’s model), Nissan Quest, and Toyota Sienna. Researchers wanted to determine how safe these vehicles are in small overlap front crashes. Overlap tests simulate what happens if a vehicle is hit in the front corner of the vehicle comes into contact with an object—such as another vehicle, utility pole or a tree.

According to the recent IIHS tests, three of the four minivans tested have critical flaws when it comes to protection from overlap crashes. Only the Toyota Sienna received an acceptable rating, although the IIHS report classified its structural performance as “subpar.”

Minivan Test Crash Results

When the Nissan Quest’s test crash occurred, the force of the impact pushed the lower hinge pillar in over two feet. The parking brake was moved over a foot-and-a-half towards the crash dummy in the driver’s seat, which trapped the dummy’s right foot between the toe pan and the brake pedal. The foot was wedged so deeply that the entire seat needed to be cut out and then technicians utilized a crowbar to free the foot. The dummy’s left leg was trapped between the instrumental panel and the seat. Additionally, when the airbag deployed, it smashed right into the dummy’s face. When testers measured the actual forces of the impact, especially along the length of the dummy’s left leg, there were areas where the force actually exceeded the amount the sensors could measure.

The Town & Country did no better in testing. The vehicle’s lower hinge pillar was pushed in 15 inches. The parking brake pedal gouged the dummy’s left leg and a steel brace from the under instrument panel tore the skin of the left knee of the dummy. The steering column and the door sill crushed towards the driver. Incredibly, when the vehicle’s front airbag deployed, it hit the crash dummy’s head, knocking it off and into the instrument panel. The side airbag offered little protection from the impact.

These tests crashes were performed at only 40 mph. Imagine if one of these crashes occurred with a family in the vehicle?

Contact a Compassionate Connecticut Wrongful Death Attorney

A vehicle collapsing on victims during an accident is unacceptable and a significant product defect these manufacturers need to address. If you have lost a family member in an accident caused by a defective motor vehicle, contact an experienced Westport wrongful death attorney to find out what legal action you may be able to take against the manufacturer.