Terry Bryant January 23rd, 2008
Did you know that everyone is exposed to asbestos at some time in their life? Low levels of asbestos are present in the air, water, and soil. Most people do not become ill from this type of exposure. However, one can become ill from even brief exposures to asbestos in some situations.
What is asbestos?
The National Cancer Institute states that “Asbestos is the name given to a group of minerals that occur naturally in the environment as bundles of fibers and can be separated into thin, durable threads. These fibers are resistant to heat, fire and chemicals and do not conduct electricity. For these reasons, asbestos has been widely used in many industries.”
The danger with asbestos is that fibers can be released and subsequently trapped in the lungs. Eventually this can cause scarring and inflammation which can lead to breathing difficulties and in some cases – cancer.
Occupations at risk
- Maritime workers
- All trades of construction workers
- Demolition and wrecking crews of all trades
- Custodians
- Plant workers at manufacturing plants
- Railroad workers
- Building engineers
- Electrical workers
- Shipyard workers
- Automobile manufacturing production workers
- Textile mill workers
- Flight industry workers – aerospace and missile production workers, aircraft manufacturing production workers and aircraft mechanics
What is also important to realize is that family members of those who work around asbestos are also at risk.
In many cases it can take from 10 to 40 years or more for symptoms of an asbestos-related condition to appear. That’s one of the reasons why we recommend that you have regular physicals if you work in an occupation where any level of asbestos is present. This will allow your physician to diagnose any potential problems that may be dormant in your body.
You can also protect yourself by following all health and safety regulations as well as OSHA established regulations. OSHA also has an Asbestos Web Page that will provide additional information.
If you or a loved one has had exposure to asbestos and are now battling the effects of this or have concerns as to how ongoing exposure could affect your future, we suggest that you call Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law so that we can help ensure that your legal rights are adequately protected.
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admin January 4th, 2008
January 4, 2008
A Texas bus accident victim has filed a lawsuit against the owner and operator of the bus she was riding when it overturned, according to KPRC Local 2 in Houston. The bus accident injuries she sustained were so severe, her arm had to be amputated.
Terry Bryant will be representing the accident victim, Bernarda Pena and fighting to recover compensation for the woman, a fast food worker who will most likely be unable to return to work. The lawsuit is seeking compensation for her injuries, money to pay for current and future medical treatment, and damages for pain and suffering and physical disfigurement.
The Texas bus accident happened about 4:15 a.m. Wednesday near Victoria, leaving one man dead and 46 others injured. Officials said the driver may have overcorrected after veering off the road and that fatigue may have been a factor in the crash.Â
Read More:
http://www.click2houston.com/news/14976918/detail.html
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Terry Bryant January 2nd, 2008
The Mayo Clinic has some excellent information on child safety in the home as it particularly relates to fires and burns. I’d like to share some of the highlights with you.
One of the first things is to create a consistent system for making sure your smoke alarms are in good working order. Most of us have smoke alarms installed. But too often, the alarms are out of order or the batteries are dead. It’s important to change the batteries twice a year. We often recommend that you get in the habit of doing so in the spring and fall at the beginning and end of daylight savings time.
Household hazards
There are many things in our homes that have potential to cause burns on children.
- Hot water – when children take baths they love to play with the faucets and fill the tub up. A child’s bath water should be no hotter than 100 F so it’s important to monitor them closely, especially if your thermostat is set higher than 120 F.
- Hot spills – never carry a hot beverage or soup when you’re holding a child. Turn the handles of your pots and pans to a position where a child cannot easily grab them. The use of tablecloths can also pose a hazard. If a child pulls on the tablecloth when there are heavy items or hot liquids, he/she could be burned or otherwise seriously injured.
- Irons – make sure that you unplug your iron immediately after use and keep the cords out of children’s reach.
- Food temperature – many of us use the microwave daily and microwaves have a tendency to heat things unevenly. Make sure that you test food from a microwave before giving it to your child so they are not scalded.
- Electrical outlets – we suggest that you purchase plastic plugs for your outlets so that children cannot place metal objects into the outlet which could cause electrical burns.
Prevent home fires
- Cigarettes – residential fires caused by cigarettes are the leading cause of fire-related death. If you do smoke, consider using deep ashtrays and flood cigarette ashes with water before you put them in the trash.
- Supervise young children – children seem to be innately fascinated by fire. Therefore, it is very important that young children be supervised. They can accidentally start fires by attempting to cook or by using a heater or electrical appliance in the wrong way.
- Space heaters – make sure that you keep these heaters at least three feet away from bedding, drapes, furniture or other flammable materials. Never leave a space heater on when you go to sleep or leave the room.
- Candles – never leave a candle burning when you go to sleep or when you leave the room. And be careful where you position a candle. Make sure that it is not directly under something flammable such as drapes. And make sure that your candles are not in places where children or pets can knock them over.
Protecting your children from burns requires thought and planning. At Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law we have seen evidence of the trauma and life-changing damage that can occur from severe burns. We want to make sure that doesn’t happen to you or anyone in your family.
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