AFFF Firefighting Foam: A Hidden Danger

As a personal injury law firm with a concentration in dangerous products, Alonso Krangle is deeply concerned about the health risks associated with Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF), a type of firefighting foam. This foam, used extensively in firefighting operations, particularly in extinguishing flammable liquid fires, has been linked to serious health complications and environmental contamination.

Who is at Risk?

Firefighters (both military and civilian) and support personnel who have come into contact with AFFF are at a heightened risk of developing serious health complications. This is due to the high concentration of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) within the foam. These chemicals are persistent in the environment and in human bodies, leading to potential health risks over time.

What are the Health Risks?

Exposure to PFAS has been linked to a variety of health problems, including several types of cancer (testicular, kidney, prostate, liver, pancreatic, bladder, thyroid), thyroid disease, liver damage, immune system dysfunction, and developmental issues in fetuses and infants. These chemicals can accumulate in the human body over time, and exposure can occur through drinking contaminated water, eating contaminated food, or inhaling contaminated air.

Legal Actions Against AFFF Manufacturers

Victims impacted by AFFF have begun to file lawsuits against the manufacturers of the foam. These lawsuits allege that the manufacturers failed to adequately warn users of the life-threatening risks associated with the product. As a personal injury law firm, we stand ready to assist those who have been harmed by this dangerous product.

Join the Fight

If you or a loved one has been exposed to AFFF and subsequently diagnosed with any of the aforementioned health conditions, you may be eligible to join a class-action lawsuit against the manufacturers of AFFF. Our experienced attorneys are ready to help you navigate the legal process and fight for the compensation you deserve.

Holding Manufacturers Accountable

Manufacturers of AFFF had a responsibility to ensure the safety of their products and to warn users of any potential risks. Unfortunately, they failed to do so. By filing a lawsuit, you can hold these manufacturers accountable for their negligence and potentially prevent others from suffering the same fate.

Contact Us Today

If you believe you have been harmed by exposure to AFFF, please contact us for a free and confidential consultation. We are committed to helping victims of AFFF exposure seek justice and compensation for their injuries.

Winter Driving Tips from NY Personal Injury Lawyers at Alonso Krangle, LLP

Winter is here. A winter storm – even a flurry – can bring snow, ice, and sleet that cover our roads quickly. In places like New York, this will happen frequently. According to the Department of Transportation, over 70 percent of our nation’s roads are in areas that get over five inches of snow annually. Every year, nearly 900 people are killed, and nearly 76,000 people are injured in vehicle crashes that occur while it is snowing or sleeting. Even a small flurry can cause serious accidents as cars lose traction on snowy and icy roads.

While some of us might not be traveling far this winter because of Covid-19 restrictions and precautions, it is still important to remember that accidents can and do occur close to home.

Accidents on Snow Happen on Long Island for Many Reasons

Winter driving accidents often happen on local roads that might be dangerous because of negligent plowing, speeding cars that can’t safely brake at stop signs, or power outages that make it difficult to navigate busy intersections. Others occur because drivers simply lack the proper skills to drive safely on snow. Even staying “local” can require driving on highways, dealing with traffic, and icy roads.

If you or someone you love is injured in a car accident this winter, call our personal injury lawyers at Alonso Krangle, LLP. We fight for the legal rights of accident victims when they suffer injuries because of someone else’s negligence. If you need help, call our New York car accident lawyers at 516-350-5555.

Tips from the NHTSA for Safe Winter Driving

We hope everyone stays safe on the roads this winter. Here are some of the tips provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that might help you and your family remain safe when traveling by car during the cold, snowy winter.

Check Your Car at the Start of Winter

The NHTSA recommends that drivers take some measures before winter sets in to ensure their vehicle is safe and you are prepared to drive. These might include:

• Checking for recalls on your vehicle
• Servicing your car, especially checking:
  • Brakes
  • Tires
  • Lights
  • Wipers
  • Wiper fluid
  • Cooling and heating system
  • Floor mats
• Reading the owner’s manual or refreshing your knowledge of your car’s safety features like antilock brakes or different driving modes.
• Making sure your seatbelts work and that car seats and booster seats are age-appropriate, size appropriate, and installed properly.
• Filling your gas tank

Prepare Your Car with Safety Items Before Heading Out on Snowy Roads

The NHTSA recommends stocking your vehicle with some items that might become useful in the event of a breakdown or accident. Preparedness can mean the difference between surviving or not if you are in a car crash during a storm or frigid temperatures. Consider putting the following items in your car before heading anywhere during the winter months:

• Ice scraper
• Snow shovel
• A broom
• Something abrasive like sand in case your car gets stuck in the snow
• Jumper cables
• A flashlight with extra batteries
• Flares
• Blankets
• Water
• Food
• A fully charged cell phone
• A few days’ supply of essential medications

Ready to Go? Drive Carefully!

You should always be careful when driving—alert, attentive, reasonable. During the winter, it is essential that you exercise extra caution to avoid accidents from happening. What does it mean to drive carefully?

Stay alert and avoid distractions.

• Try not to use your phone unless it is an emergency.
• Don’t read or respond to texts.
• Don’t drive while tired.

Avoid risky driving behavior.

• Obey the speed limit.
• Do not drive with any alcohol or drugs in your system.
• Do not text and drive.

Use Caution Around Snow Plows

• Drive behind snowplows when possible
• Be extremely cautious passing snowplows.
• Remember snowplows stop frequently, may drive in more than one lane, and make wide turns.

Call Alonso Krangle, LLP, if You Are Injured in a Car Accident on Snow or Ice This Winter

We hope these tips and suggestions are useful and that you and your family remain safe while navigating the icy and snowy roads this winter. Should you get injured in an accident, call our experienced personal injury lawyers for help.

We provide exceptional legal services and fight for the rights of victims of accidents. Our goal is to ensure you collect the compensation your injuries warrant when someone else’s negligence causes them.

Call our New York car accident lawyers today at 516-350-5555 to schedule a free case evaluation. Find out if you are eligible to collect compensation after being injured in a car accident.

 

Sources:

• https://www.nhtsa.gov/winter-driving-tips
• https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/weather_events/snow_ice.htm

Court Upholds Jury Award of $59 Million in High School Burn Accident Case

When negligence causes accidents that result in injuries, the victims of those injuries often have the right to collect damages. Sometimes victims recover damages from insurance companies. At other times, they file personal injury lawsuits, which either settle or go to trial.

When personal injury cases involve severe injuries, victims can receive significant compensation for things like medical expenses, rehabilitation, and pain and suffering. The amount will vary depending on the injuries, how the injuries occurred, and how much the victim suffered and will continue to suffer. The goal is ensuring that the victims collect compensation that accurately represents the true nature of their injuries and their suffering.

In July 2019, a New York jury awarded Alonso Yanes $59 million after he suffered severe burn injuries in 2014 while in his high school chemistry class. In August 2020, a New York State Supreme Court Justice upheld the verdict, making it one of the largest awards for pain and suffering ever to be affirmed in New York.

Chemistry Explosion Caused 10th Grader to Suffer Third Degree Burns

In 2014, Alonso Yanes was 16 and a sophomore student at Beacon High School. His chemistry teacher Anna Poole attempted to conduct an experiment called “the Rainbow” to demonstrate how salts change color when exposed to methanol.

The result of her attempt was a huge fireball that immediately engulfed Yanes in flames.
Yanes testified that he was “hopelessly burning alive.” One witness testified at the trial that Yanes was burning for at least one full minute.

Yanes suffered third-degree burns over much of his body, leaving him disfigured and facing various health problems. He spent over five months in the hospital after the accident and has had over 120 medical procedures in the years that have followed.

Burn Victim Filed Negligence Lawsuit Against New York City Education Department and Teacher

Yanes filed a lawsuit against Poole and the New York City Department of Education. The defendants argued in their defense that the chemistry experiment gone awry was nothing but a tragic accident and that there was no negligence. However, weeks before this horrible “accident,” the United States Chemical Safety Board issued a video warning of the dangers of this exact experiment.

Yanes prevailed, and in 2019 the jury found the defendants liable for Yanes’ injuries, pain, and suffering. The city felt that Yanes should not receive more than $5 million for his pain and suffering. The jury, however, “granted $29 million for past pain and suffering, including Mr. Yanes’s surgeries, and another $29 million” for future suffering and rehabilitation.

Defendants in Burn Injury Case Asked Court to Reduce the Amount of Damages

The defendants asked the court to reduce the damage award. Judges can do this when they find that an award deviates from what is reasonable under the case’s circumstances.
Justice Alexander Tisch wrote in a 38-page opinion that “the emotional suffering that Mrs. Yanes must endure on a daily basis is tremendous.” Tisch laid out dozens of facts, including Yanes’s own testimony, which indicate the jury award was indeed “based upon a fair interpretation of the evidence.”

Tisch stated, “the jury carried out its duty based upon this Court’s charge on the law that if ‘the plaintiff is entitled to recover from the defendant, it must render a verdict in a sum of money that will justly and fairly compensate the plaintiff for all losses resulting from the injuries and disabilities he sustained’ … including the loss of enjoyment of life.”

Contact Alonso Krangle, LLP if you suffer injuries in an accident. We represent victims of burn injuries, car accidents, slip and fall accidents, and other innocent victims of negligence. Call us at 800-403-6191 or 516-350-5555 today for a free case evaluation.

 

Source:

• https://www.law.com/newyorklawjournal/2020/08/12/jurys-60m-verdict-in-agonizing-high-school-student-burn-case-upheld/
• https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/01/nyregion/alonzo-yanes-burned-school-chemistry.html
• https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/04/nyregion/school-experiment-that-burned-boy-was-focus-of-federal-warning.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article

At Alonso Krangle, LLP, We Want Your Children To Be Safe During The Winter

The winter season is upon us, and with it might come spending time with family, presents for the kids, and festive decorations inside and outside the house. We want the holidays to be special and the winter to be fun. For many, it is a season we look forward to all year long.

At Alonso Krangle, LLP, our personal injury lawyers want your winter to be filled with joy. For this reason, we want to remind you that safety is an important factor in the memories you will be making this year.

The unfortunate truth is that some of the most cherished aspects of the winter can cause injuries to children. Annually, thousands of children get treatment in emergency rooms for injuries that are related to defective or dangerous toys, broken or defective holiday decorations, fires, sports injuries, and burns. While these injuries can occur at any time during the year, the danger can increase during the winter months.

We want you and your families to be safe this season.

Here are some tips to help ensure your winter activities are happy and healthy.

• Consider the age and developmental skills of children when choosing toys for them to play with. If you engage in family games and activities, don’t forget that everyone might not be the same age. Plan accordingly.
• Be especially aware of toys and gifts with small pieces like buttons, batteries, or other little parts. Even if toys are age-appropriate, consider any small children in the home who can possibly choke on little pieces.
• Do not leave children alone in any room with lit candles, matches, lighters, space heaters, fireplaces, or any open flame.
• Avoid overloading outlets. With so many activities taking place indoors, use power strips with built-in circuit breakers. Keep electrical cords and hanging cords out of the way to avoid trip and fall accidents and asphyxiation/hanging injuries. Use outlet safety covers.
• Do not leave children unattended with glasses or open bottles of alcohol. Clean up drinks quickly. Even small amounts of alcohol can severely harm a small child.
• Make sure your holiday decorations are put away and are out of reach of young children. The Mayo Clinic reminds parents that “Any object small enough to fit through a toilet paper tube can obstruct the airway of a child.” Keep this in mind at all times.
• Keep poisonous plants out of reach from children and pets. Don’t keep mistletoe, poinsettias, and holly berries around after the holidays.
• Make sure your children are dressed for the weather if you are going out to play. Cover your kids’ hands, feet, and head. If you are going sledding, ice-skating, snowboarding, or skiing, make sure everyone wears proper safety gear like helmets.
• Never leave children unattended in the kitchen.

At Alonso Krangle, LLP, it is our sincere hope that you and your children remain safe and injury-free this holiday season and always. But, as we all know, accidents can happen.

If you or someone you love is injured this holiday season, call our experienced New York personal injury lawyers at Alonso Krangle, LLP. You can reach our child injury lawyers at 516-350-5555 or 800-403-6191.

 

Sources:

• https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/12-tips-for-keeping-children-safe-during-the-holidays
• https://www.safekids.org/holidays

Claiming Damages from Food Poisoning : Hello Fresh Recall Leads to Lawsuits

The US’s food supply is considered one of the safest in the world – but 1 in every 6 Americans get sick from foodborne illnesses every year. While most restaurants and fast-food chains adhere to food safety guidelines, there are still some instances when something happens, and contaminated food gets sent to or eaten by a customer.

Just recently, HelloFresh, a meal-kit delivery business, recalled their meal kits because they were possibly contaminated with Salmonella. They were distributed from May 8, 2020, to July 31, 2020, within the entire country.

The onions were believed to be the cause of the Newport Salmonella outbreak, which has caused 869 illnesses and 116 hospitalizations across the US.

HelloFresh has since cut ties with its supplier, Thomson International, Inc., but the CDC maintains that if you have any foods made with the recalled onions, do not eat them, and throw them away.

The company also says that “In the event that the onions have been consumed, please note that thoroughly cooking the product to 165ºF/74ºC, as instructed on the recipe, will kill the salmonella bacteria.”

Even with the possibility of killing the bacteria in high temperatures, food poisoning is still a possibility. Injuries arising from food poisoning can get serious and can cause huge medical bills. When this happens, people usually ask for help from lawyers to file food poisoning lawsuits.

Is Food Poisoning Common?

Food poisoning might be more common than you think. Remember, roughly 16% of all Americans get sick due to food every year. No matter how careful we try to be when preparing our food, something bad may happen. There is always a chance of getting sick because of someone’s carelessness. Like the HelloFresh onion recall, there can also be instances when someone else’s negligence can cause personal injury because of food poisoning.

Some examples of situations where food poisoning might be possible are grocery stores selling spoiled food, manufacturers distributing contaminated food that is not up to health standards, caterers who may negligently serve spoiled salads, and purchasing food after recalls.

When food mishandling occurs, someone probably did not follow health standards on food safety. Negligence in preparing and manufacturing food can cause serious injuries to another person – especially if ingested by a customer, client of hundreds of innocent victims across the country.

What Can You Do If You Get Sick Because of Consuming Bad Food in New York?

Negligence of another in preparing food can cause injury to you. This is why the food industry sets high standards for food safety. The general public will be at risk if mishandling occurs and causes a food poisoning outbreak.

If you get sick after consuming food, always make sure you keep records. Document as much as you can. What can you do?

• Collect food receipts from food stalls or restaurants that you have eaten at
• Check if you have taken photos of your food before consuming it
• If you have been to a wedding or an event, get the caterer’s name and contact information
• Make a list of everything you ate or drank during the 24 hours before feeling food poisoning symptoms
• If you had food or meal kits delivered, keep a copy of the receipts
• Document your symptoms, if possible
• If you have been brought to a hospital, obtain a copy of your medical records
• Keep a record of all your medicine

Having documents to back up your claims of possible food poisoning can help if you decide to file a legal action. Once you can, remember to back up these documents digitally, so you always have copies if physical receipts get lost.

Contacting Our Lawyers Helping Victims of Food Poisoning

If you need help claiming damages from huge corporations or companies that might have been negligent in manufacturing or preparing your food, call our dedicated lawyers.

Our lawyers have the experience to help you claim monetary damages if someone has injured you because of their negligence in preparing food. We are dedicated to protecting the rights of personal injury victims due to food poisoning and believe in protecting the health and safety of our clients.

Our food poisoning and personal injury lawyers at Alonso Krangle, LLP, can help you collect damages if you suffered injuries due to food poisoning negligence. Call us today at 800-403-6191 to schedule a free consultation and find out how our New York food poisoning lawyers can help you obtain the damages you deserve.

 

Sources:

• https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-poisoning
• https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-newport-red-onions-july-2020
• https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/newport-07-20/index.html
• https://www.hellofresh.com/about/food-safety-update#:~:text=HelloFresh%20has%20been%20informed%20by,8%20through%20July%2031%2C%202020

Don’t Let a House Fire Ruin Your Holidays

With the holiday season upon us, we get to experience many joys that we look forward to all year long. Sitting by the fireplace, hanging stockings from the mantle, putting up lights, and other decorations are common activities during the winter months when the days get short, and the air becomes chilly.

It is important that during this season of joy, we remember to be safe. Fire is of particular concern during the winter holidays. Happy family gatherings can become dangerous in a split second if we do not pay attention to certain risks and ensure the safety of our loved ones and property.

What Are Some Common Causes of House Fires During the Holidays?

Some of the most common items involved in fires around holiday time are the following:

• Christmas Trees
• Electrical Lighting
• Holiday Decorations
• Candles
• Cooking Holiday Meals
• Fireworks

It is typical for more than one of these factors to contribute to a house fire and the injuries or deaths that follow. For example, the National Fire Prevention Association reported that of all fires that began with a Christmas tree, approximately 25% of them started because a heat source, like a candle, was too close to the tree. The same is true for approximately 45% of fires involving holiday decorations. About 20% of cooking fires, which peak annually on Thanksgiving, followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve, involve some type of holiday decoration too close to the stove.

What Can You do to Keep Your House Free From Fire this Holiday Season?

Based on the statistics, you must maintain a safe distance between candles and other heat sources and anything that can catch fire, such as a tree, decorations, furniture, and curtains.

The Red Cross offers these tips for fire safety during the holidays:

• Use electric or battery-operated candles
• Use a fireplace screen and keep all materials several feet away from the fireplace
• Never leave embers or candles burning when you leave the house or go to bed
• Always leave at least 3 feet between a fire source (candle, fireplace) and anything that can catch fire
• If you use a real Christmas tree, be sure to keep it watered
• Use a power strip for your lights
• Throw away frayed or worn out light strings
• In the kitchen, practice safety by keeping towels, grocery bags, and children away from the stove and oven

Contact Us if You Suffer Injuries in a Fire

It is our sincere hope that you and your loved ones will enjoy a safe, healthy holiday season. Accidents happen, however, and if there is a fire, you may be able to hold someone liable for your injuries.

Call our personal injury lawyers at Alonso Krangle, LLP at 800-403-6191, for a free evaluation of your fire injury claim.

 

Sources:

• https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/fire/holiday-fire-safety.html
• https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Seasonal-fire-causes/Winter-holidays/Holiday-fires-by-the-numbers