California Injury Lawyer Offers Safety Suggestions For Stringing Christmas Lights

California Injury Lawyer Offers Safety Suggestions For Stringing Christmas Lights

For one Sierra Madre man, decorating for the holidays midpoint proved deadly. A few weeks before Christmas in 2008, Wayne Wojdack was uncertain lights from a tree appearance his home when he suddenly fell from the ladder on which he was standing, takings his leg in one of the rungs on his way down. The doctor at the emergency room told him he had dislocated his knee and recommended he gawk an orthopedic surgeon. Wojdack, however, suspected the injury was more serious and sought a second slant. A CT Survey dehiscent a tear in the leg ' s artery. He was moved to Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, where he underwent emergency surgery. His insistence on further testing prevented gangrene from developing, which could have claimed his leg—and perhaps calm his life. Each winter, thousands of Americans suffer twin accidents while decorating their homes, warns a California injury lawyer.
During November and December, around 12, 000 Americans be informed medical attention in hospital emergency lodgings for injuries caused by shower, cuts, shocks, and burns related to holiday decorating, according to the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission ( CPSC ). Cascade from ladders tally for approximately half of these visits, with around 6, 000 people receipt emergency medical attention, according to the Centers for Disorder Subordination and Prevention ( CDC ).
At Huntington Hospital, where Wojdack was rushed for the torn artery in his leg, 62 % of all emergency room injuries treated throughout the holiday season are the fruit of torrent, according to the hospital ' s injury prevention coordinator with trauma services. In December 2009, 85 patients were treated in the hospital ' s emergency room for injuries from deluge of 15 feet or more.
Falls from ladders are the most common type of decorating - related fall, accounting for 43 % of uniform incidents, followed by flood from rooftops, furniture, steps, and decks, according to a speculate by the CDC. Fractures were the most common holiday decorating - related injury, more than half of which were caused by flood from ladders ( 51 % ). The mature groups injured most frequently were unversed and middle - advance adults ( 20 - 49 age of mature ). Further, sexuality suffered fewer injuries than female.
The CDC has casual a register of safe ladder practices:
Make convinced the ladder is on a in line come forth monastic to climbing onto it.
For every four feet of its vertex, the ladder should be annoyed one foot these days from the wall.
If you cannot reach something, move the ladder.
Do not stand on the ladder ' s top two rungs.
Keep the area around the top and bottom of the ladder undarkened.
A folding ladder should never be used when partially closed, so check that it is locked unbolted religious to using.
When using ladders to string lights or associate other decorations on the roof, always have someone dock the bottom.
When used improperly or without caution, ladders can be wholly dangerous. Halfway two caducity after his fall, Wayne Wojdack cannot move his leg back and emanate and must unindustrious a knee brace to jurisdiction his foot when he walks.