The cribs were made in China and sold at Walmart, Amazon.com and various baby and children’s stores nationwide from January 2005 through February 2010 for about $60.

Clips attaching the top “tent” can come loose or snap off, causing children to become stuck between the tent and the playard. If you have this crib in your home, you should stop using it immediately. The CPSC has received reports of at least one incident of fatal strangulation. Contact Tots in Mind via their website or by calling (800) 626-0339 for a replacement crib product. The CPSC is also interested in receiving incident or injury reports on this product here.

Keep in mind that if you have this crib and no longer use it, you should still get the replacement clips. It is illegal to attempt to resell any product that has been recalled.

If you or a loved one has been affected by an accident caused by a defective product, whether or not a recall has been issued, you are probably dealing with a lot more than just hospital bills. Hiring an attorney should be a very informed decision. Consider requesting your free copy of our special report on insurance coverage, Caught In the Act, to ensure you are doing everything you can to protect your rights.

According to Albert Rollins, VDOT’s interstate maintenance manager for Northern Virginia, consistent temperatures in the mid-to-high-90s put road surfaces at a high risk for buckling. “Pavement expands in the heat, and cannot contract if it does not cool down enough overnight,” he said. “It continues to expand, and that’s when we see damage.”

VDOT crews have already been called in to repair some roads around Northern Virginia. Motorists can report potholes, buckling pavement and other road problems through the VDOT website or by calling 703-383-VDOT.

Drivers should be prepared for lane closures if crews need to repave roads. Crews will be on special alert this weekend as temperatures are expected to surpass 100 degrees.

If your car is damaged by road buckling or a pothole, VDOT may be able to reimburse you for the damage.

The cribs’ drop-sides can detach, creating a space where a young child could become entrapped or fall out of the crib.

ANY Pottery Barn Kids drop-side crib is included in this recall, regardless of the model number.

Be sure to check the Pottery Barn website for an inclusive list of their drop-side models as all are included.

If you have one of these cribs on hand, even if you aren’t using it, be sure to contact PB’s recall hotline at (877) 804-3487 for free fixed-gate conversion kit. Remember to check that garage pile—it’s illegal to resell (or attempt even attempt to) a recalled product, whether you were aware of the recall or not.

If your child has suffered a serious injury as a result of a defective product, not only must you deal with exhausting medical procedures, but you must also consider the long-term effect these injuries have on you and the rest of your family. Please contact the Parrish Law Firm for a free initial consultation to discuss the options you may have.

Preliminary findings show that the throttles were wide open, and brakes weren’t engaged at the time of crash, insiders told the Wall Street Journal. This suggests that some drivers who said their cars surged out of control were actually pressing the accelerator, though their intent was to hit the brakes.

photo via Getty Images

Official findings haven’t yet been released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The agency received more than 3,000 complaints of sudden acceleration over the past decade. However, because data recorders can lose their information if disconnected from the car’s battery, the agency is focusing only on recent accidents.

Of 75 fatal crashes, the NHTSA has only been able to verify that ONE was caused by a problem in the vehicle. The NHTSA is expected to officially release study findings once a broader report is completed in conjunction with NASA.

“In spite of our investigations, we have not actually been able yet to find a defect” in electronic throttle-control systems, NHTSA’s associate enforcement administrator Daniel Smith told a panel. “We’re bound and determined that if it exists, we’re going to find it. But as yet, we haven’t found it.”

The sinkhole is still growing. Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Chief Frank Fernandez expressed shock at the speed the sinkhole appeared and spread. When emergency personnel arrived at approximately 6:09 a.m., the car was still sitting in the parking lot. When firefighters responded a few minutes later, the car was completely submerged.

If this had happened in a more residential neighborhood, homeowners would frantically be calling their insurance companies. However, the complex was located next to the University of Florida campus, and the building’s 12 units were rentals. Now the families are struggling to find new homes and account for their possessions themselves.

While having renters insurance wouldn’t take care of everything, most policies would, at the very least, cover possessions lost.

Be careful though. If you are storing items in someone else’s home, or have an accident on their property, their insurance may not completely cover your injuries. If you are involved in an accident you feel could reasonably have been prevented by the actions of someone else, you may want to speak with an experienced attorney to go over all of your options. Contact The Parrish Law Firm for a free initial consultation.

Unfortunately, doctors nationwide have had to administer millions of vaccines since then. The inoculation for rabies may have come a long way technologically, but it can still be very painful and expensive.

Bites from strange animals are the most common reason for people to require the vaccine. It’s very important to report ANY bites received from a strange animal and to seek medical attention immediately. If the animal is with another person, be sure to get that person’s contact information (here’s why).

No matter how well you supervise your children at the park or how sturdy your neighbor’s fence is, you may not be able to prevent dog bites all the time. So how do you deal with it when it happens?

Aside from reporting the bite, seeking medical attention, and getting the animal owner’s contact information, there may be other steps you want to take. For truly serious bites, you may want to consult an experienced attorney to try and negotiate some sort of settlement before speaking to an insurance adjuster. Even if you don’t think you have a case, you can always request a copy of my free book, An Insider’s Guide to Dog Bite Claims in Virginia.

Dog bite claims in Virginia can be tricky, because so much will depend on where the bite happened. Virginia as a whole is a “one-bite” state, which means that the dog’s owner may be protected from liability, unless they have known dangerous propensity of the dog, meaning they know the dog has bitten someone before, etc.
BUTthat’s just for Virginia as a whole. You could still show that the dog owner was negligent in allowing the dog to bite.

For example, many counties and municipalities have “leash laws,” meaning that dog owners must keep their animals on a leash, and can be considered negligent if they aren’t doing so. Leash laws will differ by city, so you will want to check with your local law enforcement.

Dog bites can be a tricky area of the law to deal with. If you or a loved one is experiencing the aftermath and added medical expense of a dog bite, contact The Parrish Law Firm for a free initial consultation before you speak with an insurance adjustor.

Typically, the best way to protect your family and guests (and give those EMTs a break on the holiday) is to attend a public fireworks display. Check here for a listing of local pyrotechnic shows.

If you do choose to put on your own display, make sure you a) check out your municipality’s rules regarding fireworks ( they may not be allowed within your city limits) and b) observe the following safety rules.

Kids shouldn’t play with fireworks.
When is the last time you were talking to parents of your kids’ friends and someone said “And then we gave the kids some weapons-grade explosives, and MAN did they have a BLAST.”
Exactly. And if you choose to give them sparklers, make sure they are well-supervised. Sparklers can reach temperatures of 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hot enough to melt gold. From the Consumer Product Safety Commission, a Fireworks Safety Quiz.

Buy legal fireworks
“Legal” in this sense means that they have a label with the manufacturer’s name and ignition instructions. Illegal fireworks account for a fair amount of fireworks injuries. On this note, don’t try to make your own fireworks.

Keep water and sand nearby
It’s like keeping a fire extinguisher near the kitchen. You will also want to soak all used fireworks in a bucket of water before throwing them in the trash can.

Point fireworks away from homes
…and brush, leaves, and anything else that’s flammable.

Think about your pets
You’ll want to keep track of any outdoor pets to make sure they don’t get in the way of any fireworks, but consider the indoor creatures as well. Animals have very sensitive ears, and can become scared and even attack if they perceive themselves to be in danger. Any animal bites legally need to be reported, and can affect your home insurance rates just as a fireworks mishap could, so be sure you keep the animals away.

Know the first aid basics
There should be a first aid kit in every home anyway, but it’s worth repeating. If someone is injured by a firework, immediately go to a doctor or the hospital.

If it’s an eye injury caused by a firework, don’t allow the victim to touch or rub it, as this could cause more damage. Cut out the bottom of a paper cup, place it around the eye to protect it from further irritation, and seek medical attention.

If the firework burns someone, remove any fabric (clothing, etc) from the affected area and run cool (NOT COLD) water over it. Get to the doctor.

Fireworks are meant to be fun, and are a traditional part of American celebrations. Enjoy the holiday safely!

When traffic backed up due to another crash on the road ahead, Singh was caught not paying attention, and rear-ended the Honda ahead of him. The car, driven by a pair of brothers in their early twenties from Houston, Texas, was pushed underneath another tractor-trailer by the force of the impact, and all three vehicles caught fire.

On Wednesday June 23, Singh was plead guilty to two counts of reckless driving and was sentenced to 2 years behind bars, a $5,000 fine, and 1-year license revocation (as part of a plea deal, charges were reduced from involuntary manslaughter).

Our thoughts are with the family of the victims at this time. While the criminal part of the proceedings may be over for Singh, the impact is far from over for the family of Stone and William Weeks, crash victims.

Since the crash happened in Virginia, it would be possible for the Weeks family to seek damages for the loss of these young men. Wrongful Death cases can be very complicated, due to the emotional height and uniqueness of each situation. The best thing to do if you think you have a case is consult with an experienced attorney to determine your best course of action.

This is a voluntary recall following new rules issued by the CPSC in May 2010. The rule, effective December 21, 2010, states that walkers will be required to either have features, like a gripping mechanism, to stop the walker at the top of stairs, or be too wide to fit through a standard doorway. These walkers do neither.

The CPSC has not received any reports of injury or incident due to these walkers.

The walkers were sold in stores between January 2007 and December 2009. They are marked with item numbers WK110 or WK112 on the side of packaging.

If you have one of these walkers, please contact either Suntech or the Consumer Product Safety Commission for a full refund.

Suntech’s Recall Hotline: (888) 268-8139
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772

This is the latest in the recent wave of children’s product recalls. Please note that even though there have been no reported injuries and this is a preemptive recall, it is now illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product. If you’ve got this sitting around unused somewhere, you should remove it from your garage sale pile and call Suntech for a refund instead.

Keep checking this blog and the CPSC website for updates on product recalls. If you or a family member have been injured due to a product defect, whether or not a recall has been issued, know what your options are. Contact the Parrish Law Firm for a free initial consultation to help determine whether or not you have a case.

The study compared teen accident rates between Virginia Beach and Chesapeake counties, two adjacent Virginia counties with differing school start times.

Robert Vorona, a sleep doctor at the school, compiled data on drivers between 16 and 18 in the two counties. In Virginia Beach, high schools start at 7:20 a.m., and in Chesapeake, 8:40 a.m.

While the time difference was seemingly minimal, the crash data was drastically different.

Among students who started school very early in Virginia Beach, there were 65.4 car crashes for every 1,000 teen drivers. In Chesapeake County, there were just 46.2 crashes per 1,000 teen drivers.

That’s a 40% higher crash rate where school starts a little over an hour earlier.

While the study didn’t take into account the times of the car crashes, this is not the first time school start times have been linked to crash rate.

A 2008 study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine showed a 16% decrease in accidents when a Kentucky school pushed start times back.

Falling asleep at the wheel is obviously dangerous, but for a new driver, merely being tired can have just as poor an effect on their driving.

To anyone who has ever lived with a teenager, this need for sleep isn’t news. The average teen needs 9.25 hours of sleep and typically can’t fall asleep until 11, so it’s no wonder that later start times help.

While several lobbyist groups pressure schools to adopt earlier start times, there are a few things you can do to ensure that your teens are getting enough sleep.

Try turning off cell phones, computers, etc an hour or two before your teen needs to go to sleep so they can start winding down.

Avoid too many caffeinated beverages—and avoid caffeine entirely after 4 p.m.

Consider going over your teen’s daily schedule with them. When alarms start to go off at 6 a.m., and extracurriculars run until 6 or 7 p.m., it can be hard to find time to juggle homework and a social life. Learning time management strategies from a young age ensures they can make time for sleep well into their adult life as well.

If your teen still didn’t get the necessary amount of sleep, don’t let them bike or drive to school. They may hate it, but at least they won’t be a hazard to themselves or others on the road.