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Los Angeles Road Slides into Ocean

Severe rain in the southern part of  California has caused a huge portion of a road to collapse into the ocean, leaving a huge hole in the side of a cliff.

 

Over the weekend, a 900ft section of highway south of Los Angeles eroded and slid  into the Pacific Ocean.

 

The section of Paseo Del Mar in the San Pedro area has been edging seawards for months but this is the first time a sizeable chunk has broken away completely.

Creases began to show in the road a few months ago and the scenic route was closed for safety.  The scenic area has seen years of home building and many blame the construction work for de-stabilizing the cliff face.

Engineer Gary Moore said in an interview with the LA Times: “This entire coast along here is a cliff, so nature has created a new cliff.”

The mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa described the once scenic route as a  “significant landslide” and urged people to stay away from the affected stretch of road.

“The landslide area remains unstable and presents a life-threatening hazard.”

Thankfully, there are no reports of injuries or property damage in the immediate area.

 

By: Pete Strom, South Carolina Accident Attorney

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Toddler Swallows Battery, Undergoes 18 Surgeries

According to the CBS affiliate in Arizona KPHO-TV, a toddler who swallowed a tiny battery has undergone several  surgeries as doctors battle to save his life.

The- two-year-old swallowed a lithium battery from a remote control and has now undergone 18 surgeries in the past year at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in Arizona.

His mother Karla Rauch said no one saw her son swallow the battery and the first symptoms he had were similar to a cold.

She said in an interview with KPHO-TV: “Batteries start burning in the esophagus within two hours and it was in him we think about three days.”

The acid from the battery burned two holes through the toddler’s esophagus, requiring surgery to remove four inches from it.

Unfortunately, the two-year-old has has spent more than 19 weeks of his young life in the pediatric ICU.  He has also suffered several cases of collapsed lung and had close to 200 X-rays.

Lithium batteries extremely dangerous because they don’t have as much casing as an AA battery.

According to the National Capital Poison Center, each year more than 3,500 people swallow miniature disc or button batteries across the U.S.

The Rauch family set up a charity to raise awareness about the tiny batteries which are used in everyday objects like clocks, cameras and calculators.  The charity is called Emmett’s Fight and informs people about the dangers of button battery ingestion.

By: Pete Strom, South Carolina Accident Lawyer

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Traffic Camera Fate Delayed

Accident News

BEAUFORT, S.C. (WLTX-TV) – A state commission that was supposed to examine the use of traffic cameras in the state was supposed to have issued its report this week.  However that has not been done because the panel never met.

The Beaufort Gazette reports the panel was established as part of a law passed over the summer banning use of cameras to issue speeding tickets.

Gov. Nikki Haley’s office says there was a glitch in the law that left out who was to be on the commission, which is why the panel never met. Chairman Glenn McCall said he is ready to proceed once the members are determined.

Ridgeland became the first municipality in South Carolina to use cameras to catch speeders when it stationed them on Interstate 95 in 2010.

The town has since ended the program.

The ban on the use of traffic cameras was established after the town of Ridgefield attempted to use the cameras to catch out-of-state speeders traveling down seven miles of Interstate 95.  AAA Carolinas also endorsed the cameras because of South Carolina’s poor history with traffic safety.

However, Ridgeland was told its plan was illegal based on a 2006 general attorney ruling and 2009 law that effectively disallowed photo enforcement.  After the ban in late June, the town abandoned their efforts to install traffic cameras.

According to theInsurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), a little of half of the States, 52%, use cameras to enforce speeding and/or red light laws.

IIHS says they support the cameras because of the dangers brought about by having a police car stop another vehicle in dense or high-speed areas and the impossibility and potential neglect of having police provide complete around-the-clock surveillance.

By: Pete Strom, South Carolina Accident Attorney

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Connor Shaw Suffers Concussion, Questionable for Florida Game

WLTX-TV is reporting that Steve Spurrier confirmed that USC quarterback Connor Shaw and linebacker Devonte Holloman both sustained a concussion in Saturday’s game against Arkansas.   As a precaution, Shaw and Holloman will not participate in practice and will be further evaluated this week. A decision as to whether they will be allowed to play in Saturday’s game against Florida will not be made until  Wednesday or Thursday.

concussion

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that is caused by a blow or jolt to the head or body, a fall, or another injury that jars or shakes the brain inside the skull.  Common symptoms of a concussion include:

  • loss of consciousness,
  • confusion/disorientation,
  • headache, and
  • nausea or vomiting.

Because many of the symptoms of “mild” to “moderate” traumatic brain injury go unnoticed, a severe injury may not be detected.

Even a mild TBI – classified as loss of consciousness or confusion/disorientation lasting less than 30 minutes – can have long-standing after effects. While MRI and CAT scans are often normal, the patient may experience headache, difficulty thinking, memory problems, attention deficits, mood swings and frustration, among other symptoms, for weeks or even months after the injury.

Repeated mild TBI occurring over months or years can cause cumulative neurological and cognitive deficits. If repeated over a short period of time (hours, days or weeks), they can be catastrophic, even fatal.

Click here to read more about traumatic brain injuries.

The Gamecocks will take on the Florida Gators at Williams-Brice Stadium at 12:00 p.m. on CBS.  Our best wishes go out for a speedy recovery.

By: Pete Strom, South Carolina Personal Injury Lawyer

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Child Dies in SC Day Care

Richland County, SC- Wltx-TV is reporting that Columbia police is still investigating the death of a child at a day care center.

Family members told the news station that the 15-month-old girl passed away Thursday afternoon.

The coroner’s office says they are still performing tests to find out if the death will be ruled accidental, natural, or criminal. Until investigators release the cause of death, the name of the child care facility will not be released.

Authorities say a cause of death could be determined Friday after an autopsy is performed.

By: Pete Strom, South Carolina Criminal Defense Lawyer

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ADT Recalls Carbon Monoxide Detectors

South Carolina Accident Attorneys

Approximately 20,000 CO 1224T Carbon Monoxide (CO) detectors are being voluntarily recalled by Sensor System, of St. Charles, Ill., and ADT Security Services Inc. of Boca Raton, Fla., in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission.  In order to check your detector and determine whether you are affected by the recall, you should check the model number which is listed behind the front cover.

Hazard: The CPSC says when the CO detectors reach the end of their useful life, they should send a signal to make a sound in the home alarm panel indicating to the homeowner that it is time to replace them and also send signal to ADT’s alarm monitoring center.

However, some of the detectors were not wired properly to the ADT alarm system.  This can result in the sound not going off in the home alarm panel.  It can also mean the detector will not send a signal to the ADT alarm monitoring center at the end of its useful life.  Not replacing a CO detector at the end its useful life poses a severe CO poisoning hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Thankfully, no injuries and incidents have been reported.

Sold at: The defective detectors were installed by ADT between October 2008 and December 2010 as part of a  home security system.

Manufactured in: They were made in China and Mexico

Remedy: If you have a CO detector affected by the recall, you should call ADT immediately for a free inspection of the recalled detectors and, if necessary, a free repair. The CPSC says consumers should not try to disable the recalled detectors. ADT says they have contacted all customers.

Consumer Contact: For more information, call ADT toll-free at (800) 238-2727 between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the company’s website at www.us.adt.com

By: South Carolina Accident Attorney Pete Strom