Texting and Walking Is More Hazardous Than You Think
Every single day you walk, and for most of the time you may believe you are acting safely while walking. But do you text & walk? Think about this for a minute…how many times a day do you walk and keep your head down to use your phone? According to a recent article in Readers Digest it has stated that researchers have found that, over a decade’s time, texting and walking has caused more than 11,100 injuries. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, pedestrian deaths numbered 5,376—and were the only group of road users whose fatality numbers increased. To read the article in full: https://www.rd.com/culture/texting-and-walking-injuries/ It is a known fact that people who use their phones when walking or driving have slower reaction times and pay less attention to their surroundings, leading to be more at risk of an injury. Here are the injury facts: 52% of cell phone distracted walking injuries happen at home 68% of those injured are women 54% are age 40 or younger Nearly 80% of the injuries were due to a fall Despite the dangers of texting while walking, pedestrians continue to ignore the warnings and a recent study found that nearly one-third of all pedestrians performed some sort of distracting activity while crossing the street, including listening to music (11.2%); texting (7.3%); and using a handheld phone (6.2%). Unwilling to give up your right to text and walk? The decision may soon be taken out of your hands & it may cost you: It’s Now Illegal To Text While Crossing The Street In Honolulu In 2012, Fort Lee, a municipality in New Jersey, banned texting while walking. Violations come with an $85 ticket. A ban on pedestrians looking at mobile phones or texting while crossing the street will take effect in Hawaii’s largest city in late October. Fines will start at $15 and go as high as $99 for multiple violations. London, England found a slightly more polite way to handle it—by padding lampposts. Legislators in Arkansas, Illinois, and New York State have been trying to pass laws banning the use of mobile devices while walking. Stamford, Connecticut, may be the next city to fine you for texting and walking; they may include talking on the phone or listening to music with headphones while crossing the street. Cell phones are a big part of everyday life for most people. When motorists and pedestrians get distracted by their phones, however, serious accidents can happen. If you have been hurt by a distracted driver, or you have been injured in a pedestrian accident, you could be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Contact Siler & Ingber on 1-877-718-6079 to speak to one of our experienced attorneys for a free case evaluation.
Avoid Taking Selfies with the Eclipse in the Background
Many people will think it’s safe to take a selfie with the eclipse in the background because they aren’t looking directly at the sun. According to Columbia University Medical Center, experts give warning to possibly damaging risks related to viewing the eclipse via your cellphone. What you may not realize is that the screen of your phone reflects the ultraviolet rays emitted during an eclipse directly toward your eye. For full details of their report, click here. Remember to protect your eyes at all times when viewing today’s solar eclipse.
Siler & Ingber in Queens for Myrtle Avenue Street Fair
Our team had an amazing day at the Myrtle Avenue Street Fair in Queens. We enjoyed handing out giveaways and promo items as well as meeting & greeting the community. We want to thank everyone who attended the fair and visited our booth. We would like to congratulate the lucky winner of our All-Terrain bicycle! Marielle and her family entered our free prize draw. This week they came to our office to meet our team and collect her prize. Congratulations again and we hope you enjoy your new bicycle and safety helmet!
Preventing Dry Drowning Tragedies
THE REALITY ABOUT DRY DROWNING TRAGEDIES According to a recent news report on WNCT, every summer there are stories in the headlines about parents finding their children dead days after they go swimming; and we see the term surfacing across the web. Drowning doesn’t always happen immediately, it could happen hours or even days after submersion. Last month, a four-year-old boy from Texas sadly lost his life this way. Several days after swimming, he passed away because, unbeknownst to his family, water had entered his lungs. According to reports he had not been feeling well but it seemed like he was battling a common stomach bug. It was not until he stopped breathing that his family realized something was terribly wrong. By that point it was too late. So what exactly is dry drowning? And how can it be prevented? Dry drowning can occur hours after a person is on dry land when water was accidentally inhaled. Although they occur less frequently than accidental drowning, this type of drowning is just as fatal, experts say. Dry drowning usually happens to a child when a wave suddenly washes over them, or when they’re dunked under the water’s surface unexpectedly. If your child was submerged or accidentally ingested water, the experts at Texas A&M University suggest looking for the following signs: Fast or difficulty breathing Vomiting Lethargy Exhaustion, lack of energy and frequent urge to sleep Lack of desire to eat or drink Prevention from all of these signs is key. It only takes a few seconds for children to drown. For this reason, it’s crucial that parents or designated adults keep an eye on children at all times. Make sure your children know how to swim and aren’t just dependent on flotation devices. Families with backyard pools should make sure their fence or self-latching gate is in working order, to code and compliant drain covers to prevent children from becoming trapped below water by the suction.
A Quick Warning About Trampolines
THINK TWICE BEFORE YOUR CHILD JUMPS! Jumping on a trampoline may seem like innocent fun but doctors and medical experts disagree as they warn about the dangers associated with this popular summertime activity. Last year among kids under 18, there were 103,512 ER visits due to trampoline accidents. To make things worse, trampoline injuries tend to be more severe than injuries caused by other notably dangerous activities.Trampolining ranked 2nd only after downhill skiing. These injuries too often include those to the spine, head and neck and can potentially lead to permanent neurological damage. And most occur not because kids fly off, but because another child lands on them. If you do have a trampoline, allow only one person on it at a time. As more people get on, the risk of injury increases. Be sure to always have safety nets and pads surrounding the trampoline, and regularly check the equipment for tears, detachments and deterioration. Make sure the trampoline is positioned on a flat surface or solid ground and is set a safe distance from trees and other hazards. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says children under the age of six should be prohibited from using trampolines as their bones are still growing. Jumping to progressively higher heights and landing puts a lot of stress on developing bones. Not only is it important to use caution on your backyard trampolines but the same safety rules should be followed at trampoline parks. Recently, a mother of three year old son Colton shared his story to warn other parents of the dangers of trampoline parks. The mother explained Colton “fell and broke his femur, the strongest bone in his body, while innocently jumping alongside his dad and I” at an indoor trampoline park in Tampa. This injury left the young boy constrained in an almost a full-body cast. The mother said on Facebook that she shared her son’s story to help save other children from “experiencing the trauma and heartbreak associated with trampoline injuries.” If you or someone you care about has been injured, contact Siler & Ingber, personal injury attorneys, for a free, confidential legal consultation to learn more about your options.
Long Island’s LIRR Schedule Changes
LIRR’S SCHEDULE CHANGES…WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW! This Monday, July 10th, begins the Long Island Rail Road’s “Summer of Hell”. As many as 10,000 LIRR weekday rush hour commuters will be affected due to Amtrak’s construction schedule for Penn Station. To account for these 10,000 seats, the LIRR will run additional trains during peak rush hour times in addition to the extra trains. Although many people are dreading these next few weeks, there is a light at the end of the tunnel! As all of these construction hours will eventually reduce congestion and fix many issues at Penn station. LIRR is launching bus and ferry services as alternative options for commuting into Manhattan, as well as increasing rush hour capacity by modifying train schedules and lengthening trains. Multiple trains will be affected by these modifications for the time being. According to the MTA here is a complete list of the LIRR summer changes listed in alphabetical order: Babylon Branch Morning Rush Hour Schedule Changes An extra westbound early-morning train will depart from Freeport at 5:43 AM and arrive at Penn Station at 6:24 AM. 5:56 AM train from Babylon, due at Penn at 6:59 AM, will be rerouted to Atlantic Terminal (arriving 6:59 AM). 6:57 AM express from Freeport, due at Penn at 7:40 AM, will be rerouted to Atlantic Terminal (arriving 7:39 AM). 6:56 AM express from Wantagh, due at Penn at 7:43 AM, will end its run at 7:23 AM at Jamaica, where customers can catch trains bound for Penn at 7:28 AM and 7:31 AM. 7:29 AM express from Freeport, due at Penn at 8:13 AM, will be rerouted to Atlantic Terminal (arriving 8:08 AM). 7:10 AM train from Babylon, normally due at Penn at 8:20 AM, will not operate. To accommodate customers, the LIRR will add stops to two trains. The 6:21 AM from Speonk, due Penn at 8:23 AM, will depart three minutes earlier and make added stops at Massapequa Park, Massapequa and Seaford very close to the schedule of the cancelled train. The 7:44 AM from Merrick, due at Penn Station at 8:31 AM, will originate at Babylon and stop at Lindenhurst, Copiague and Amityville. 8:10 AM express from Freeport, normally due at Penn at 8:50 AM, will be rerouted to Atlantic Terminal (arriving 8:47 AM). 8:25 AM train from Freeport, due at Penn Station at 9:08 AM, will be rerouted to Hunterspoint Avenue (arriving 9:04 AM). Morning Rush Hour Trains With Added Cars Train #17: The 5:41AM train from Babylon due Penn at 6:44AM will have 2 extra cars Train #25: The 6:12AM train from Babylon due Penn at 7:14AM will have 2 extra cars Train #31: The 6:42AM train from Babylon due Penn at 7:49AM will have 4 extra cars Train #1013: The 7:11AM train from Massapequa Park due Penn at 8:08AM will have 2 extra cars Train #1017: The 7:44AM train from Merrick due Penn at 8:31AM will have 4 extra cars Train #45: The 7:45AM train from Babylon due Penn at8:56AM will have 2 extra cars Train #51: The 8:35AM train from Babylon due Penn at 9:37AM will have 2 extra cars Evening Rush Hour Schedule Changes 3:31 PM train from Penn is an extra train that will run express to Rockville Centre, then make all local stops to Babylon. 4:57 PM train from Penn stopping at Merrick and all stops to Wantagh is cancelled. Customers can take the 5:03 PM train from Penn, with added stops at Merrick, Bellmore and Wantagh. 5:19 PM train from Penn stopping at Merrick and all stops to Wantagh is cancelled. Customers can take the 5:24 PM train from Penn, with added stops at Merrick, Bellmore and Wantagh. 5:40 PM train from Penn stopping at Merrick and all stops to Seaford is cancelled. Customers can take the 5:47 PM train from Penn, with added stops at Merrick, Bellmore, Wantagh and Seaford. 6:05 PM train from Penn stopping at Merrick and all stops to Wantagh is cancelled. Customers can take the 6:10 PM train from Penn, with added stops at Merrick, Bellmore and Wantagh. An extra evening rush hour train will be provided from Hunterspoint Avenue at 7:02 PM, stopping at Jamaica, then Rockville Centre, Baldwin and Freeport, arriving at 7:42 PM. Evening Rush Hour Trains With Added Cars Train #1050: The 3:34PM train from Penn due Wantagh at 4:27PM will have 2 extra cars Train #1154: The 5:24PM train from Penn due Freeport at 6:10PM will have 2 extra cars Train #1158: The 6:10PM train from Penn due Freeport at 6:54PM will have 4 extra cars Train #168: The 6:46PM train from Penn due Babylon at 8:01PM will have 2 extra cars Train #182: The 9:08PM train from Penn due Babylon at 10:25PM will have 2 extra cars Far Rockaway Branch Morning Rush Hour Schedule Changes 8:10 AM train from Far Rockaway, due at Penn at 9:05 AM, will end its run at Jamaica at 8:41 AM, where customers can catch Penn-bound trains at 8:49 AM and 8:52 AM. Evening Rush Hour Schedule Changes 4:43 PM train from Penn, due at Far Rockaway at 5:40 PM, will instead originate at Atlantic Terminal at 4:48 PM. 5:32 PM train from Penn, due at Far Rockaway at 6:24 PM, will instead originate at Jamaica at 5:52 PM. 6:02 PM train from Penn, due at Far Rockaway at 6:58 PM, will instead originate at Jamaica at 6:22 PM. 5:53 PM westbound Off-Peak train from Far Rockaway, normally due into Penn Station at 6:47 PM, will be rerouted to Atlantic Terminal. Extra Off-Peak train departing Penn Station at 8:25 PM and arriving Far Rockaway at 9:19 PM. Hempstead Branch Morning Rush Hour Schedule Changes/ Added Cars The westbound 3:59 AM train from Hempstead, due Jamaica at 4:28 AM, will not operate. Customers will be accommodated by bus. An extra early-morning train will be provided, departing Hempstead at 5:33 AM and arriving at Atlantic Terminal at 6:23 AM. 6:38 AM train from Hempstead, due at Penn at 7:34 AM, will
