Spinach Recalled in 39 States, Including Georgia, for Possible E Coli Contamination

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Possible Enterohemorraghic E. Coli (EHEC) contamination of baby spinach caused a recall of spinach sold by Taylor Farms Retail, Inc.  This is a strain of E Coli that can cause severe infection with associated abdominal cramps and diarrhea.  The spinach is sold in 5 oz. and 16 oz.trays under the following names:

  • Central Market Organics
  • Full Circle Organics
  • Marketside Organics
  • Simple Truth Organics
  • Taylor Farms Organic

The spinach has a “best by” date of February 24, according to the article in the Huffington Post by Hunter Stuart.  This is a helpful reminder that just because produce is labelled “Organic” doesn’t mean we don’t have to thoroughly wash it before consuming it.

My family and I do buy organic whenever possible and we will continue to do so, with proper precautions, as with all produce.

Fatalities in Auto Wrecks: Bibb County, Houston County, and statewide in Georgia

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The Macon Telegraph reported this weekend that there were 1,191 fatalities in traffic wrecks statewide in Georgia, 17 in Houston County, and 18 in Bibb County.  While the numbers are down from 2002, this is still far too many lives being lost in traffic collisions.   Amy Leigh Womack reports in this article that most of the wrecks were caused by impaired driving, driver error or excessive speed.

To minimize your risk, apply common sense.  Our lives are full of distractions – cell phones, fast food lunches in the car, application of make-up, etc. are all distractions that can cause wrecks in a vehicle.  So, when you are in a vehicle just focus on driving, and think about the lives and injuries you can prevent just by being a considerate driver and avoiding the common distractions that can cause loss of life or terrible injuries.  And of course, it should go without saying – don’t drink and drive, don’t drive while impaired or excessively tired, and don’t text and drive!

Auto Wreck With Multiple Fatalities and Injuries between Dublin and Macon on I-16

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A multiple vehicle wreck on Wednesday, February 5, 2013 on I-16 between Macon and Dublin claimed 4 lives and caused 9 injuries.   Macon Telegraph reporters Amy Leigh Womack, Liz Fabian and Joe Kovac Jr. reported on this wreck in the Telegraph.  It appears that fog and smoke were involved and that a permit had been issued by the Georgia Forestry Commission for the burning;  according to the article, smoke from the burning of 75 acres of underbrush in Montrose combined with fog to create very limited visibility on I-16 around 8 am near the Bleckley-Laurens County line , when the wrecks started.  The chain reaction came to include 27 vehicles.

This is not the first time a highway wreck has involved smoke on the highway.  Legal issues arising out of these types of wrecks can be quite complicated, and state agencies may claim that they are immune from lawsuits in these circumstances.  For example, in Georgia Forestry Commission v. Canady (280 Ga. 825, 2006), the Georgia Forestry Commission claimed immunity associated with a controlled burn that caused smoke on the highway.  In that opinion, the Georgia Supreme Court set some general limits to the breadth of the immunity granted to state government agencies involved with police and fire protection.   While the opinion goes on at some length in discussing other states’ approaches to immunity from lawsuits for government agencies, the gist of the opinion is that government agencies are immune from suit for the policy decisions they make – both the making of those policy decisions and the implementation of those policy decisions.  But they do not appear to be immune for acts that are not involved with basic policy decisions.  So, for example, Mr. Canady could argue that the decision to not notify other law enforcement agencies of the burning was not a policy-making type of decision but a simpler decision having nothing to do with making or implementing a policy.  I would expect that similar legal issues will be involved in this complicated and tragic multi-vehicle wreck.

Avoiding Injuires from Auto Accidents and Other Safety Tips

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I hope one of your resolutions is to make 2013 safer than 2012.  Consumer Reports has come up with a list of 10 valuable safety tips that I hope you will take  minute to read.  Some of the tips are expected, like the advice to wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle and the recommendation to wear a seat belt.

But a couple of the other tips were less obvious.  For example, CR suggest that you stop at all stop signs and red lights.  This is (or should be) obvious also.  But what many of you may not know is that 676 people were killed in 2009 because drivers did not stop at red lights.   That number was very surprising to me.   That’s just a staggering number of deaths from a very specific, and preventable, careless act.

Also, yielding to pedestrians and bicycles takes on even more importance when you consider that 12 percent of motor vehicle deaths involve pedestrians and 2 percent involve bicycles.  Folks on bikes and pedestrians are vulnerable and we should all be extra careful driving around them.

Please read these valuable safety tips and let’s make 2013 the safest year yet.

 

 

Dangerous Toys

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Thanksgiving and Christmas are my favorite times of the year.  Even grouchy defense lawyers and stingy insurance adjusters have a hard time dampening my spirits this time of year (though they can get close sometimes).

One thing that does concern me, though, is dangerous toys.  We’re inundated with marketing to children of all sorts of toys, and some of them are dangerous and can cause serious harm.  My hope is that we all have a safe and happy holiday with our families and friends.  So I wanted to share with you a link to a list of the Top Ten Dangerous Toys that was compiled by WATCH – World Against Toys Causing Harm, Inc. – called “10 Worst Toys” and found at their website.

Huffington Post also has a recent article on Dangerous Toys at their website that is worth checking out.  The reason for dangerous toys being listed runs the spectrum – some are choking hazards and others are dangerous projectiles marketed to very young children.  I was surprised by some of the dangers posed by toys that I would never suspect were potentially dangerous.

Please take a moment to review these websites before you make your purchasing decisions this season.