October 30, 2007
Posted by: Attorney Edgar Snyder
I know that this is the time of year to try and spook your family, friends, and neighbors with a good-natured trick. But there’s one way to scare the people in your life that I can guarantee you don’t want to try this Halloween: getting hurt in a drunk driving accident.
Did you know that the Halloween weekend claims more lives every year from drinking and driving than New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day combined?
Driving drunk on Halloween not only threatens the safety of everyone on the road – it also threatens the safety of children who are out trick-or-treating. While there is never a good time to be drunk behind the wheel, children darting across the street as they go door to door only increases the risk of someone being injured by a drunk driver.
Parents, in particular, need to be aware during Halloween. Check out these Halloween safety tips about costumes, trick-or-treating, candy, driving, and more. There’s never a bad time of the year to play it safe, especially during the spookiest holiday of them all.
October 09, 2007
Posted by: Attorney Edgar Snyder
Check your freezer. The Topps Meat Company and Sam’s Club have recalled enough ground beef to make a hamburger for everyone in America. A frightening amount of these frozen beef products may be tainted with E. coli, a dangerous form of food poisoning.
The frozen meat from Topps accounts for the second largest beef recall in United States history. No one has died from the Topps E. coli contamination yet, but many have become ill. Just after the Topps recall was announced, Sam’s Club pulled nearly 850,000 lbs of American Chef’s Selection Angus Beef Patties processed by Cargill. Four Minnesota children have already become sick from this meat.
Where do the recalls end? The government has announced that they’ve revamped their meat recall procedures, but not soon enough. E. coli poisoning is far more serious than a simple case of diarrhea – many of the victims must receive hospital treatment. Severe E. coli infections in the young and old can even lead to death.
I hope for the sake of everyone in this country that the companies who supply our stores with tainted food begin to take responsibility for their actions and ensure the safety of their products.
October 03, 2007
Posted by: Attorney Edgar Snyder
One of my passions is getting out the "Don’t Drink and Drive" message. I also am big on preventing underage drinking. Kids experiment with alcohol and drugs so young. That's why my law firm teamed up with Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh to sponsor Road Radio USA. It's a multi-media assembly that combines music, lights and education in a format that actually reaches teens in Western Pennsylvania. It's an experience you never forget.
Here's a sampling of the comments we've received from middle-school students…
"Going into the auditorium, I thought it was going to be another one of those boring shows the school made us watch… but it wasn’t! To see someone like that with a remarkable story as that one really touched my heart."
"To be honest with you, I was getting ready to go to a party with beer and drink all night. But after I heard what you guys have to say, that changed my life and also you saved my life. I thank you so much for that."
"It inspired me to not even start drinking."
"You definitely made me think about making choices and how it can affect my whole life. It’s hard to imagine one wrong decision and your whole life could be taken away."
Here are a couple of excerpts from letters sent by school principals…
"The message dealing with the dangers and issues of underage drinking was presented in an energetic manner in which students could easily relate…several students and adults told me that they were brought to tears. I felt that this was an extremely effective assembly that delivered an important message in a powerful manner." – Hollidaysburg Area Junior High School
"I observed almost all of the 330 students awestruck with Jim and the awesome program on alcohol prevention and its consequences. My faculty, staff, and students were talking all day about the program in the halls, faculty lounge, and cafeteria." – Rostraver Middle School
The way I see it, if Road Radio prevents just one young person from drinking alcohol, it's all worth it. There's no doubt in my mind that Jimbo, the show's creator and host, will save lives.
Want your students to benefit from Road Radio USA? Parents, teachers, students, school administrators and community leaders interested in this program should contact lrosen@edgarsnyder.com.
October 02, 2007
Posted by: Attorney Edgar Snyder
The past few months have been scary for parents. Every time you turn on the TV, there’s another recall of children’s products that could cause serious injuries. Even worse, some children have died.
It’s terrible when those companies that we entrust with the safety of our kids cam violate that trust and produce dangerous toys, jewelry, cribs, and more. Even hand-me-downs from your closest family members might not be safe, as some of these recalls span many years.
Not only do these recalls affect parents, they affect care givers. Daycare centers now have to check their cribs, play yards, and other items to make sure that they are truly safe. Groups like Toys for Tots have to go through every donation to make sure it isn’t covered in lead paint or made with dangerous magnets that could puncture a child’s intestines if swallowed.
Only days ago, over 600,000 more toys were recalled for excessive amounts of lead. Mattel has recently accepted the blame for the magnet design flaw that caused at least one death and many other injuries. Structural flaws in cribs designed by the Reading, Pennsylvania company, Simplicity Inc., have been linked to at least three infant deaths. And now many Kolcraft play yards could pose serious dangers as well.
If you have a young child or infant, I ask you to please check all their toys, jewelry, cribs, play yards, and other products to make sure they are safe. A child’s life is precious and preventing their injury or death is a responsibility we can’t ignore.
Add Comment
Free Legal Evaluation