St. Paul Personal Injury Law Blog | Paige Donnelly Ltd.

Summer is a very fun time of year filled with many activities.  However this active time is also a time to be aware of potential risks. To keep your family safe, here are a few safety tips to keep in mind.

On playgrounds make sure ground surfaces have at least 9 inches of energy absorbent material (ex: pea gravel, shredded rubber etc.) Be cautious of   screws and bolts. Check periodically for loose nuts and bolts and broken, rusty, or sharp parts as these can cut and cause serious injury to a child sliding or climbing.

Never attach ropes, jump ropes, clotheslines, or pet leashes to playground equipment as they can become a strangulation hazard for children. Be very careful with cargo nets as well, as they can also be a cause of strangulation.

Check for wood and deer ticks after being outdoors.  Be on the look out for rashes or a bulls-eye shape around tick bites. If found report to a doctor immediately as these can be signs of tick born illness.

An adult should always be present when children are in or near the water.  Do not let children sit on or put their fingers or other body parts on or over vents or water jets as this can lead to serious injury. Wear life preservers while in any boat.

Use helmets when using bikes, rollerblades, scooters etc.  Serious injuries can be avoided or minimized with this simple tip.

Keep children away from grills and bonfires.  Keep matches and kerosene out of reach of children.

ALL fireworks, including sparklers, should be kept out of the hands of children. Sparklers burn at a temperature of over 1,000 degrees.  There are an average of 7,000 injuries from fireworks a year, and over 50% of sparkler injuries occur to children under the age of 14.

Have fun this summer and keep yourself and your loved ones safe.

The constitutional and civil rights of injured people are constantly under attack by insurance companies and by those who side with big corporations against the individual.  Those threats to your rights often go unnoticed, unless you, your friends or a family member are injured and then have to make a legal claim against the person or company who caused the harm.

The special laws that protect injured people are changed, or an effort is made to change them, every year in Minnesota and in other states.  Many of those changes are sought only by powerful insurance and business interests, not the people.  The changes are presented as money-saving improvements to the law, but what they really are is unfair to injured people.

Often the proposed changes to a law are restrictive and work against the rights of injured people.  Instead, they benefit powerful moneyed interests only.  The intended purpose and impact of the changes are really to limit the cost to insurers and businesses when they are forced to pay for harm caused to the public.  When applied to real-world cases, the effect is a loss of citizen’s rights to receive fair compensation for harm they have suffered.

These efforts to deny people their rights in court are vividly shown in a new documentary, entitled “Hot Coffee.”  That film was made by a first-time filmmaker and attorney. It is presently available for viewing by HBO subscribers.  I would expect it to be released for rental and shown on other networks in the future.

“Hot Coffee” covers four kinds of ‘tort reforms’ that have been enacted as laws in some States.  As the film explains clearly, these ‘reforms’ are not benefiting injured people at all.  “Hot Coffee” shows the viewer that these reforms are passed into law because of extensive and expensive, deceptive and misleading campaigns by insurance companies and other business groups.

The title of the movie comes from the case we have all probably heard about where an elderly lady spilled her McDonald’s coffee on herself and a jury gave her “millions” of dollars.  The movie maker shows that the lady was, in truth, very seriously injured and that her case was the focus of an active campaign of false information designed to mislead the public about her claim.  I believe the audience will be surprised by the truth, and they will be offended by the smear campaign.

The other three segments illustrate, first, the unfairness of laws that set a maximum compensation for the injured, regardless of the degree of harm suffered; second, the money and political influence used by insurance and business interests to influence the election of judges in some states; and third, how some corporations secretly trick their employees and customers into unknowingly entering into contracts that prohibit the employees and customers from taking the company to court if it harms the employee or customer.  How these things are accomplished is fully exposed in “Hot Coffee”.

If you want to know the whole story so you can be an informed citizen and be armed to defend the attack on your rights, I encourage you to see this film and share it with your friends and families.

When the Minnesota Legislature is considering a vote on changes to the laws which protect you, like those in “Hot Coffee”, the Paige Donnelly Law Firm posts comments and information about the proposed changes on our Facebook page and on our website.  I encourage you to read those posts and call or write your State Senator and Representative with your opinion.  What you think matters to them.

The attorneys at the Paige Donnelly Law Firm will investigate the laws and use those laws and jurisdictions that will be most helpful to your situation.  Our goal is always to seek justice for the injured.  By opposing these harmful “reforms”, we as citizens preserve the right we have be treated fairly and protected equally by the law.

***

Attorney Paige Donnelly appeared live today on KARE 11′s Showcase Minnesota.  He talked about some of the common mistakes that are made when someone is injured as the result of an automobile collision, as well as some of the things we need to remember at the scene of a collision.  You can see his segment in it’s entirety here:

http://www.showcaseminnesota.com/show/client_article.aspx?storyid=880154

For a copy of Paige’s brochure, please call us directly at 651-222-2797, or 1-800-488-8395.  Or click on our Free Case Consultation link at the right to send us an e-mail requesting a copy.

On Saturday, September 25, 2010, the Paige Donnelly Law Firm sponsored a number of attorneys and staff members, along with their family members and friends, for participation in the Brain Injury Association of Minnesota’s Ninth Annual Walk for Thought. 

The event celebrates the accomplishments of individuals living with the effects of brain injury, their families and loved ones, while raising brain injury awareness and raising funds for the Association.  This year the Brain Injury Association teamed up with former Minnesota Viking’s player Randall McDaniel, and former Minnesota Twins player Al Newmann, to help enhance awareness of sports safety and concussion awareness.

In spite of a dreary, drissley start, participants walked and ran a 5k course around Como Lake and through Como Park.  The Paige Donnelly team started near the back of the crowd, but to a member, they were some of the very first to cross the finish line at the end, surpassing most of the walkers, runners and other participants in the Walk.   Each brought back endearing memories of their experiences throughout the event. 

We are very proud of our volunteers!

On Monday, September 27, 2010, Attorney Michael Helgesen appeared live on Showcase Minnesota, to discuss bicycle safety for adults and children.  You can watch the entire segment here:

http://www.showcaseminnesota.com/show/client_article.aspx?storyid=874324

Watch for Sheila Donnelly-Coyne when she appears on KARE 11 television’s Showcase Minnesota, live from the Minnesota State Fair. The show will air Thursday morning, August 26, 2010, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Sheila will be discussing safety tips for parents and teens to keep in mind as they prepare to go back to school this fall.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) Office of Traffic Safety is launching a print and radio public service announcement campaign to educate motorists about the state’s two-year-old texting-while-driving law. The campaign supports a current campaign to address distracted driving, which is anchored by a one-day enhanced enforcement of distracted driving laws occurring tomorrow, Thursday, August 5. Around 100 law enforcement agencies are participating in the effort

For more information, see the DOT’s Announcement at:

http://www.dps.state.mn.us/comm/press/newPRSystem/viewPR.asp?PR_Num=1057

On Saturday, July 31, 2010, members of the Paige Donnelly Lawfirm, with many family and friends, participated in the 2010 No Name Deli Express 5K Your Way – Walk, Run, Roll or Stroll. The event was open to participants of all ages and all abilities, including wheelchairs, adapted cycles, runners, walkers and strollers.

The Paige Donnelly team met up at Honeywell and rode the bus together to The Courage Center, where they checked in and the walk began. Their route meandered through the beautiful walking/biking trails along scenic Theodore Wirth Parkway, ending in downtown Minneapolis at the new Twins baseball stadium, Target Field. In spite of the warm, humid, hazy, overcast weather, everyone completed the walk and were greeted at Target Field by fun games, face painting, balloons, great food, live music and entertainment. Several of our members were also able to take photos of and received autographs from many of the Minnesota Twins players, including Michael Cuddyer, Jason Repko, Jon Rauch, Brian Duensing, Ron Mahay, Kevin Slowey and several others.

Proceeds from this event went directly to supporting The Courage Center, who provide a wide range of services that improve independence and quality of life for people of all ages and abilities.

 This weekend, watch for the attorneys and staff from The Paige Donnelly Lawfirm as they participate in the No Name Deli Express 5K Your Way ~ Run, Walk, Roll, or Stroll event. Proceeds from this event benefit The Courage Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The event begins very early in the morning on Saturday, July 31st, at The Courage Center in Minneapolis. Participants will wind their way through Downtown Minneapolis, ending at the new Twins Stadium where there will be a number of activities and they will be able to meet members of The Minnesota Twins. You will find Paige Donnelly Lawfirm employees walking and volunteering at the event this year.

Courage Center is a Minnesota-based rehabilitation and resource center that advances the lives of children and adults experiencing barriers to health and independence. They specialize in treating brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke, chronic pain, autism, and disabilities experienced since birth. Founded in 1928, Courage Center is a nonprofit organization offering advanced technologies and innovation provided in part through the efforts of thousands of volunteers and donors.  For more information about The Courage Center, please feel free to link to them at:  http://www.couragecenter.org/

The attorneys and staff from The Paige Donnelly Lawfirm are proud and honored to be able to participate in this event, supporting this most worthy organization helping those who need it the most.