Did you know that one in six Americans get sick from foodborne illnesses? In reality, these numbers are most likely even higher, but people prefer not to report these cases to their doctor. With food contamination resulting in 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 dying deaths, though, it’s necessary to be aware of what you are eating and hygiene habits.

According to a recent CNN article, here are five common sense ways to avoid food poisoning:

Don’t leave your food out
Be wary of raw poultry
Learn the perils of minced meats
Don’t forget to wash your fruit
Reheat your leftovers properly

You don’t want to regret your delicious meal. Keep these five tips in mind the next time you’re cooking!

Read the full article here.

When it comes to defective product liability claims, most claims fall under three categories. When filing a claim, it’s vital to understand each of these to ensure a valid process. This will also help determine the presence of your case.

According to a recent article by NOLO, these three categories of product liability are:

1. Defective manufactured products

2. Defectively designed products

3. Failure to provide adequate warnings or instructions

When looking back on your accident, be sure you are able to provide that the product was defective and resulted in your injury. For help, you may want to consider hiring a lawyer who specializes in product liability.

Read the full article here.

Prior to the establishment of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 1970, workers had little protection to keep them safe while on the job. OSHA works to maintain regulations that aim to keep the workplace as safe as possible.

The Purpose of OSHA

OSHA strives to keep workers safe by maintaining a strict set of rules and regulations about workplace safety. While citations are issued in the event of a violation of these regulations, OSHA makes avoiding citations through the education of managers, supervisors and employees a priority.

Successfully Introducing OSHA Regulations

Employers can help keep the workplace safe by making employees aware of how to safely conduct business. Posting relevant information about health and safety in the workplace in highly-visible areas is an ideal way to convey information to anyone who may be on the job site.

Any questions about safety standards should be directed to an OSHA official. Questions may be asked by contacting OSHA directly or waiting for a safety inspection of the premises by an OSHA official.

Employers must regularly review their workplace safety standards to be sure to comply with any changes in regulation or in the operations of the business.

Educating Employees About OSHA

OSHA requirements cannot service as a means of prevention in a workplace if the employees on the job are not aware of these regulations. Even if managers and supervisors ensure that requirements are adhered to on their level, employees who are unaware of OSHA regulations may violate these standards throughout the course of a work day. While employers should educate their employees about OSHA requirements that apply to them, it is also the responsibility of the employees to be proactive about maintaining a safe work environment.

Click here and start reviewing OSHA requirements to keep the workplace safe.

Anyone injured in a workplace accident needs to consult a personal injury attorney to discuss their rights. Brown Chiari attorneys in Buffalo can help victims of workplace accidents understand how negligence on the part of another individual entitles the victim to compensation for their medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. One sign of negligence that is instrumental in many personal injury cases represented by a lawyer in Buffalo is a failure to follow OSHA standards.

Medical malpractice can be devastating to victims and family members and can leave patients with a significant, permanent decrease in quality of life. Many victims and their loved ones fail to report malpractice because they believe that there is nothing that can be done about the damage that has been suffered. Not only does failing to report medical malpractice prevent a victim from receiving the compensation they need to pay for added medical expenses, loss of income and pain and suffering, but letting malpractice go unreported allows negligent medical practitioners to continue working with patients.

The list below provides an overview of the signs of malpractice so that individuals know when it is appropriate to seek the assistance of a lawyer in Buffalo.

Medical professionals who are negligent typically ignore questions that patients ask about their health. One of the most important roles of a medical professional is to provide information to patients so that patients are able to feel comfortable and involved in the care they receive.
If the treatment options that have been provided by a medical professional are not working for a patient, the doctor may not be providing adequate care. While it is possible that treatment will not work because of a serious medical condition, doctors should keep patients informed and suggest other options if there is no apparent improvement in the health of a patient.
Patients have the right to request a second opinion or ask for diagnostic tests to verify the conclusion of a medical professional. The denial of a patient’s request for certain treatment options or tests may indicate medical negligence. Although a doctor has the ability to advise a patient against certain treatment options or diagnostic tests that they may deem unnecessary, opinions about treatment and care should be discussed thoroughly with patients.

Consult attorneys in Buffalo, NY at Brown Chiari to discuss your rights if you or a loved one is a victim of malpractice. Ignoring the issue means suffering the consequences of loss of income, overwhelming medical bills and an overall decrease in quality of life. Attorneys in Buffalo are able to inform victims of their rights and provide advice regarding the best course of action to take.

Prescription drugs can vastly improve the quality of life of individuals dealing with illness, but there are risks that should be taken into consideration before a person begins taking any medication.

Information about drugs that are currently available to patients can be found at the MedWatch website of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Website visitors can simply enter the name of a drug into the search bar to discover whether there have been any warnings or reports related to the drug. Searching a prescription drug also provides information about noted drug interactions that could result in a serious adverse reaction in a patient.

Although the FDA reports that 97% of the drugs approved since the mid-1990s are safe and still available to patients, approximately 3% of the drugs that were approved during this time period had the potential to cause harm to patients.

Patients are reminded to stay proactive about their medical care. Instead of assuming prescription drugs are as safe and effective as television and magazine ads make them appear to be, people should do research to discover whether there are any alerts or reports related to these drugs. Individuals are advised to discuss risks with their doctor prior to putting pressure on a medical professional to prescribe a certain medication.

Anyone who has taken a drug and suffered an adverse reaction that has significantly impacted their quality of life should contact an attorney in Buffalo. Lawyers in Buffalo, NY can discuss legal options with a person who has been negatively affected by a prescription drug. Although patients may believe that they do not need to take legal action, a lawyer in Buffalo can explain that compensation obtained as a result of a lawsuit can be used to cover medical expenses and loss of wages that occur when a patient experiences illness or injury because of a prescription drug.

There was a time when parents could send their children to school with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without a second thought. The lunch choice was easy to prepare, relatively healthy and tasty enough for kids to eat without protest. Due to a marked increase in the instance of peanut allergies in American children, more schools are starting to ban peanut products from lunch boxes.

The question about whether peanuts should be banned from schools tends to revolve around how much responsibility the school has in protecting children with special allergies. Some parents and school officials maintain that it is the responsibility of the parents of a child with peanut allergies to teach the child to be proactive about avoiding exposure to the allergen.

Those opposed to a ban on peanut products from schools argue that other allergens are not targeted in the same way that peanuts have been in recent history. One might argue that the only way to limit exposure to allergens is to ban all potentially harmful products from the classroom. This would mean extreme actions such as children of families with pets being banned from classrooms in which children with allergic reactions to animal dander are present.

Parents opposed to peanut bans have also argued that peanut butter sandwiches tend to be a low-cost, nutritious lunch that they can afford to give their children. Some people have even gone so far as to suggest that peanut bans adversely affect low income families.

Those in favor of peanut bans tend to believe that the severity of peanut allergies and the potentially life-threatening nature of the medical issue warrants a ban during school hours.

There are families that approach the subject with a more neutral mindset. While these families agree that peanut allergies are dangerous, they believe that individuals with such allergies should be responsible for avoiding allergens. Some people with peanut allergies even identify with this belief.

What’s your perspective on banning peanut butter in schools?

Parents of children who have experienced adverse reactions due to exposure to peanuts during school hours can contact Brown Chiari lawyers in Buffalo, New York to discuss any legal recourse that may be available. We can connect you with an attorney in Buffalo, NY who specializes in personal injury cases.

As a result of recent studies, scientists are warning about a potential link between zinc-based denture creams and serious health risks. Zinc is a relatively common metal found naturally in our environment and is not hazardous to humans under normal circumstances. Prolonged exposure, however, can produce zinc toxicity and is accompanied by a host of complications. Symptoms include abnormal blood conditions and potentially serious neurological issues including weakness, problems with coordination and numb or tingling extremities. Personal injury lawyers in New York may be able to help clients who have suffered from zinc toxicity.

Most manufacturers of zinc-based denture creams have recently removed zinc as an ingredient. This action is certainly a response to the potential hazards presented by these products and is based on recommendations made by the Food and Drug Administration. Ongoing research is currently evaluating the link between zinc-based denture creams and neurological disorders. An injury lawyer in New York can assist you with research and will prepare evidence of the risks associated with zinc-based denture creams in order to support your case.

The authors of the study “What Every Dentist Should Know about Zinc,” warn dental professionals about recommending zinc-based products in an effort to head off possible future litigation. Lawsuits have been filed against manufacturers of this product based on the allegation that consumers were not properly warned about the adverse side effects of this product and several companies have reportedly reached settlements. New York injury lawyers are currently representing consumers of these products. Users of zinc-based denture creams experiencing negative side effects may benefit from legal counsel and should seek the advice of a qualified representative.