San Diego Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

Do you have photoelectric fire detectors or ionization smoke alarms in your home? In case of a home fire, one may save you and the other may not. According to a 1994 study at Texas A&M, it was determined there is a 4% probability of a photoelectric detector failing to detect a smoldering fire, while there is a 56% probability of failure by an ionization detector in the same fire condition.

This doesn't seem possible, does it? After all, you would think that having a new battery in your smoke detector and testing it to ensure that it is in proper working order, that you and your family should be safe, right? Possibly not! There is compelling research-based
evidence which demonstrates that ionization-type detectors are ineffective in smoldering type fires, which are the most common cause of fatalities in home fires. In fact, tests have shown that ionization type smoke alarms aren't triggered and therefore don't sound - even after the level of carbon monoxide and smoke reaches deadly concentrations. Numerous documented residential fire deaths have occurred with installed ionization type detectors. Had there been a properly installed photoelectric detector in those situations, an alarm would have sounded to warn the occupants.

One of the reasons for the difference in the performance of these two fire detectors is in the way they're activated.

Ionization Detectors

The ionization smoke detectors use an ionization chamber and a source of ionizing radiation to detect smoke. This smoke detector is more commonly used because it is inexpensive.

Photoelectric Detectors

Photoelectric smoke alarms contain a light source and a light-sensitive electric cell. Smoke entering the detector deflects light onto the light-sensitive electric cell, triggering the alarm. These alarms are more sensitive to large particles given off during smoldering fires, such as an electrical fire - the kind of fire that usually occur at night when people are sleeping.

For many years, authorities have urged homeowners to install smoke alarms without consideration to the type of potential fire ignition or the quality of smoke detection. This was based on the urgency to equip all homes with smoke detection with what was readily available on the market.

It's no surprise, then, that more than 90% of homes in the United States only have the ionization detection technology, leaving those occupants vulnerable to the most common and deadly type of fire.

To ensure your family gets the early warning they need to survive the toxic gases of a smoldering fire, install photoelectric smoke alarms immediately in and outside sleeping areas. They cost a bit more than the ionization detector, but are now readily available at local home improvement and hardware stores.

Don't forget to test your smoke alarms monthly and change alkaline batteries at least once per year, or as instructed. Using a familiar date (such as your birthday or when you change your clocks) is helpful in remembering to do this.

Along with properly installing and maintaining new and existing smoke alarms, develop and practice an escape plan that includes two ways out of every room, so that everyone in the home knows what to do if the smoke alarms sounds. Home occupants who practice an escape plan reduce their time to escape in every type of fire.

For more information about this important issue, watch the series "Stop The Children Burning" on youtube.com.

Sources: The Safety Report, www.live-safe.org.

Continue reading "Choosing The Proper Smoke Alarm Can Save Your Life ~" »

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission & Rocking Horse Depot (of Buckeye, Arizona) recently announced a voluntary recall of rocking horses. Consumers should stop using the recalled product immediately.

Recalled Product: Rocking HorsesUnits Sold: Approximately 1,200

Hazard: The reins on the rocking horse bridle are long and may form a loop around a child's head and neck, posing a strangulation hazard.

Description: This recall involves Rocking Horse Depot's small, medium and large rocking horses with bridles. The rocking horse has a hardwood frame and is covered with synthetic hide. Each rocking horse has fluffy mane and tail, and a leather Rocking Horse Depot emblem on the right side of the saddle.Retailer: RockingHorseDepot.com (sold from November 2006 through December 2009 for between $105 and $185).

Remedy: Consumers should immediately remove or cut the reins off in order to eliminate the hazard. Consumers may also contact Rocking Horse Depot for instructions on how to remove the reins.

Consumer Contact: For more information, please contact Rocking Horse Depot collect at (623) 302-6313 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. MT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's website at www.rockinghorsedepot.com.

CPSC is interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please visit its website: https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx.

Continue reading "Nationwide Safety Recall Of Rocking Horses ~" »

IKEA, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and Health Canada recently announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled product.

Name of Recalled Product: RUND clear glass mugs
Units Distributed: About 13,000 (an additional 115,000 were sold outside the U.S., including 3,000 in Canada)

Distributor: IKEA Home Furnishings of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania

Hazard: The inner walls of the double-walled glasses may break during use, which poses a laceration hazard to consumers.

Description Of Mug: This recall involves the RUND clear glass mug sold in sizes 4cl, 21cl, and 40cl. The mug is handmade of double-walled glass. "Hand Made Quality" is printed on a small transparent sticker on one side of the mug. Article numbers and supplier numbers listed below are located on the package. All sizes were sold in two-packs. Article and supplier numbers included in the recall are:

Mug Size Article Number Supplier Number
4cl 301-551-37 16790
21cl 301-496-79
40cl 501-496-78

The mugs were sold exclusively at IKEA stores in the United States between October 2009 and March 2010 at a cost of approximately $5 to $10.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact IKEA toll-free: (888) 966-4532 or visit the firm's website at www.ikea-usa.com.

Continue reading "Glass Mug Recall Due To Laceration Hazard ~" »

SignOn San Diego reports that this past Saturday morning at approximately 2:00 a.m., an Emerald cab driver -- 52-year-old Sam Hassan Daly -- plowed into a crowd of people who were exiting the popular Gaslamp District nightclub "Stingaree," injuring 23 people - six critically.

Investigators are looking into whether the 48-year-old cab driver may have fallen asleep as he drove south on Sixth Avenue at about 15 mph, veered across a sidewalk, and struck pedestrians on the corner of Island Avenue in front of the Stingaree nightclub. Witnesses told police officers that the driver "seemed to be out of it" and just "drifted" off the street.

Some people suffered broken bones; others with scrapes and bruises were treated at the scene by paramedics. Twelve ambulances transported the injured victims to UCSD Medical Center, Scripps Mercy Hospital, Sharp Memorial Hospital, Alvarado Hospital, Scripps La Jolla Hospital, Coronado Hospital, Paradise Valley Hospital, and Scripps Chula Vista Hospital.

Anywhere from 10 to 100 people became involved in a melee after the crash, with some reports that witnesses pounded on the cab and pulled the driver out when he tried to back his cab away from the building.

Personal Injury Liability

The victims should seek legal representation from a competent San Diego personal injury lawyer familiar with the issues at hand, and who has many years of experience handling automobile injury cases.