Mary's Blog I Love You

When you’re in a car accident , all too often the damage isn’t limited to your vehicle. The sudden jolt can send shock waves throughout your body. Even a small fender bender packs more than enough punch to seriously impact your body. Your neck and lower back are especially vulnerable from the sudden jerking motion that comes with the sudden stop of a two-ton vehicle. Why Your Spine Is so Vulnerable During an Accident Your spinal cord , which runs from the end of the brain stem to the lower back, is an incredibly complicated structure. It’s also just as delicate. Stretching about 18-inches in length, the spine is divided into four areas, each of which controls the nerve endings of certain parts of your body. Each of the four areas of your spine is responsible for controlling various parts of the body. The cervical region controls the neck area, protects the brain stem and allows for the movement of your head. The thoracic region controls the upper torso and protects crucial orga...

When you have trouble with your car, it’s only natural to trust the expertise of a mechanic or auto repair shop to fix things.  What happens, though, if you later get into a car accident and suspect work done on your car was negligent and caused the accident?  Because determining liability in a car accident can be tricky, it pays to be aware of your rights to get the justice and compensation you deserve. While small claims court handles most claims for car repair issues, you could bring a claim for much more damages if you suffer an injury because of the negligence. These cases should be taken seriously, especially if the accident caused severe injuries or the wrongful death of someone involved. Do I Have the Right to Sue For Negligence? Just about anyone – including individuals, businesses, and organizations – can be held liable if their failure to provide a certain level of care leads directly to someone else’s injuries. This includes mechanics and auto repair s...

New York City is battling the coronavirus pandemic and all of its unexpected consequences, such as street-racers speeding down empty highways. Since the city issued stay-at-home orders to flatten the curve of the virus’s spread, the roads have been much emptier than usual. For some New Yorkers, this presented the opportunity to use long stretches of highway as a racetrack, according to an article from Patch . Specifically, residents in Tribeca complain of about 30 cars and motorcycles racing up and down a mile-long stretch of the West Side Highway. Residents near the roadway say they hear loud revving engines at all hours of the day and late into the night. Impact of Coronavirus on Driving Safety These street-racers pose a danger to nearby pedestrians and other drivers on the road. Between 2013 and 2016, there were over 44,000 pedestrian accidents in New York City. Because Mayor Bill de Blasio instructed residents to stay home, there are likely more pedestrians out than usual. Sinc...

Before your doctor can legally treat you, your permission – or consent – is required. In times of an emergency, though, implied consent based upon your actions rather than actual communication could be used to give treatment.  If things go wrong and you want to file a personal injury claim based upon medical malpractice afterward, things can get a bit hairy – especially when it comes to implied consent.  How Do I Give Express Consent For Treatment?  In most cases, you give expressed consent by signing forms and other papers.  However, before you sign those papers, your doctor must tell you: An overall explanation of the condition  A description of the treatment or procedure What results you should experience from having the treatment, as well as possible results from not having it Any possible risks or complications from having the treatment Alternative forms of treatment that could work. The doctor also has the responsibility to make sure you unde...

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc in all five boroughs of New York City, some commentators have suggested that a declaration of martial law may help to stop the spread of the virus. But what exactly is martial law? And how would it affect a city like New York? What is Martial Law? The ability to declare martial law is a power that is vested in the Governor of New York State. According to MIL § 6 of the Consolidated Laws of New York: “The Governor shall have power, in case of invasion, disaster, insurrection, riot, breach of the peace, or imminent danger thereof, to order into the active service of the state for such period, to such extent and in such manner as he may deem necessary all or any part of the organized militia. Such power shall include the power to order the organized militia or any part thereof to function under the operational control of the United States army, navy or air force commander in charge of the defense of any area within the state which is i...

Five New York construction workers were hospitalized on March 21 after their flatbed truck was rear-ended by a commercial box truck on the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, according to The Legal Herald . The accident happened at about 8 a.m. when the construction workers parked their flatbed truck on the side of the roadway and were preparing to begin their work. Two of the construction workers were standing on the flatbed when it was struck by the other vehicle, causing them to be thrown into the street. They were both taken to Elmhurst Hospital, one in critical condition and the other in serious condition. The three other construction workers on the scene were treated at Elmhurst Hospital with minor injuries. The 25-year-old driver of the commercial box truck, which is owned by Schleppers Moving and Storage, remained on the scene of the accident, and no charges have been pressed as of yet. But the injured workers are more than entitled to file a claim against the moving company to win com...

Do you need to disinfect your groceries to protect yourself from the coronavirus? Can the virus be found on the surface of an inanimate object (also called fomites, from the Latin word for tinder) like the packaging of food at the grocery store? And, if the virus can be found there, can it make you sick? Here’s everything we currently know about COVID-19 and Groceries. (And we will give you a hint, the risk is not as high as you think.) When we touched on COVID-19 and food safety , we examined what could happen if it was IN our food. Now, we are looking at it from a different point of view as it stands for groceries to come into our homes. We’ll be looking into some of the research that touches on the main questions in this article. First, we’ll look at whether genetic material from the virus has been found on fomites. Then, we’ll examine whether the active form of the virus has been found on those surfaces. Last, we’ll look at what that means for COVID-19 and groceries, and what you...

An initiative that began on Staten Island last year is now a policy in New York City. As of April 6, 2020, motor vehicle accidents that only result in property damage do not need to be reported to the police department. Officials hope the timing of the policy expansion limits contact during the pandemic to help keep people safe. Process for Reporting Non-Injury Vehicle Collisions in New York City According to the NYPD , drivers no longer need to call 911 to report car accidents that result in property damage only. However, individuals who feel threatened or cannot move their vehicle may still call 911 for assistance. If any of the following situations apply, the drivers must remain at the accident scene and report the crash to the police immediately: A person is killed or injured; A domestic animal is killed or injured; or, A parked car or other property is damaged and the party cannot locate the owner. Otherwise, drivers are required to exchange information with the other dr...

The New York Police Department recently announced a new “no report” car crash policy, meaning that police officers will not respond to minor car accidents, according to an article from StreetsBlog . This policy is now being implemented city-wide after successfully testing it in Staten Island last March. Though they had planned to eventually apply the policy city-wide, NYPD is rolling it out now due to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. The virus, which has already infected nearly 150,000 and killed over 6,000 New Yorkers, has put an unprecedented strain on New York City’s first responders and healthcare providers. The new NYPD policy aims to free up some police manpower to respond to COVID-19 related calls instead of minor traffic accidents. The NYPD is optimistic about the policy because, during the Staten Island pilot testing, response times were reduced by 9%. The policy states that police officers will not respond to car accidents resulting in minor damage to the car o...

A major subject of interest here at Make Food Safe is the theory and practice of testing. Because food safety hinges on microbes that are too small to see, tests of various kinds are crucial if you’re trying to track and respond to outbreaks of foodborne illness. Now, there’s another tiny agent of infectious disease that’s on everyone’s minds: the coronavirus COVID-19, which as of this writing has sickened more than 1,300,000 people and killed more than 70,000 worldwide. An important factor in the outbreak has been the race to develop, manufacture, and deploy tests for the coronavirus in order to identify asymptomatic carriers and verify illness in those who have fallen ill. Food testing has been doing this the whole time! COVID-19 testing for the win! COVID-19 testing and food safety testing use a lot of the same technology and face some of the same bottlenecks. This article will expound on the tech and look at some of the logistical challenges faced by both. PCR   Polymerase ...

Unless you have been avoiding the news or living under a rock (I guess you wouldn’t have to social distance then), you have heard about the Coronavirus or COVID-19. Nothing is quite as scary as hearing about a virus that is spreading across the world at a rampant pace. Before your pulse quickens and you start to sweat, I am not here to make matters worse. On the contrary, I am here to release a little stress you may have; I know I had it. Let’s talk about the topic that many of us are worried about: COVID-19 Food Safety. Is our food safe? In this time we have together, I wanted to share a little about what we are dealing with concerning this virus, some easy and safe tips to keep the virus at bay, and speak to the food safety aspect of the Coronavirus. I think at the end you will see (after you further your own understanding with a lot of research) you will see that even though things are tense; we can be more relaxed when it comes to the food we eat. Breathe! COVID-19 Food Safety is...

The FDA released some great news: there is now an approved medication to fight peanut allergies1 Yes, you read that correct; there is now hope for those with peanut allergies to not keep away from them like the plague. Of course this new medication is in its infancy, but according to a recent news release , there may be light at the end of the tunnel. Here’s everything we know about the new approved peanut allergy drug. For those of you with peanut allergies, this must be very exciting news. I personally have never felt the fear of not knowing if something you eat at a restaurant could contain something that could kill you, but to say it is always at the forefront of your mind would be an understatement I’m sure. For those of us that have never had to deal with peanut allergies, let’s take a bit of time and look at what this dangerous allergy is all about, look at this new drug approved by the FDA, and also look at what to look for in case you see someone having an allergic reaction....

Tattoos are a form of permanent art and body modification. To get a tattoo, an artist inserts ink into the dermis layer of skin using a needle. Tattoos can be of any image and can include multiple colors. Recently, permanent make-up has also become more popular. This is where a tattoo artist uses ink and a needle to create permanent make-up looks like eye-liner, lip liner, or eyebrow filling. Tattoos are common. In 2015, a survey found that about 3 out of 10 Americans had at least one tattoo . While tattoo artists are regulated by states, it is not a perfect system. Things can and do go wrong. If you are thinking about getting a tattoo, you need to make sure you do your due diligence on the tattoo artist you want to use and the risks of getting a tattoo. Types of Tattoo Infections Infections from getting a tattoo are more common than you think. They can be minor infections that go away on their own or they can become major health issues that need medical intervention. Some common ty...

With the majority of the country on lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus, many Americans have lost their jobs and are looking for other ways to make an income. Because restaurants can only offer to-go options right now, food delivery services such as Favor and Uber Eats are booming. Many are taking on these jobs to make some extra cash, but might not know that they need to upgrade their insurance plan to accommodate commercial business if they are driving their own car. Since food delivery is technically a business use of your vehicle, not personal use, insurance companies might require you to purchase a commercial auto insurance policy. The insurance company will charge more for this policy because they believe you are more likely to get into an accident as a delivery driver or taxi driver, probably because you will likely be on the road much more often than for personal use. If you plan on taking a job as a food delivery person, you will need to notify your insurance comp...