Halloween safety tips

Thomas the Tank Engine

It's that time of year again! Many of you will probably be trick-or-treating with loved ones over the next few days.

The most comprehensive list of Halloween safety tips is here. It includes tips on costume safety, food safety, protecting your children, pet safety, instructions for motorists, and general holiday safety tips.

Here are some more tips from the CDC:

• Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.
• Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.
• Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.
• Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat.
• Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you. Always WALK and don't run from house to house.
• Always test make-up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent possible skin and eye irritation.
• Look both ways before crossing the street. Use established crosswalks wherever possible.
• Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing decorative contact lenses.
• Only walk on sidewalks whenever possible, or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.
• Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls.
• Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats made by strangers.
• Enter homes only if you're with a trusted adult.
• Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.Provide healthier treats for trick-or-treaters such as low-calorie treats and drinks. For party guests, offer a variety of fruits, vegetables, and cheeses.
• Use party games and trick-or-treat time as an opportunity for kids to get their daily dose of 60 minutes of physical activity.
• Be sure walking areas and stairs are well-lit and free of obstacles that could result in falls.
• Keep candle-lit jack-o'lanterns and luminaries away from doorsteps, walkways, landings, and curtains. Place them on sturdy tables, keep them out of the reach of pets and small children, and never leave them unattended.
• Remind drivers to watch out for trick-or-treaters and to drive safely.

Happy Halloween from the Chaney Law Firm!

Do No Harm

The first rule of medical ethics is to "do no harm" to the patient. Yet, upwards of 98,000 patients a year die in America from preventable medical errors, a number that appears to be on the rise. A recent Newsweek article examined how to reverse this trend. Successful hospital administrators have identified the problem as a pervasive cultural one of ignorance and arrogance, one that can be solved by (1) teaching doctors basic patient safety; (2) encouraging teamwork between doctors, pharmacists, and nurses; and (3) having zero tolerance for disrespectful, abusive behavior by doctors towards pharmacists, nurses, and technicians. Implementation can be as simple as giving doctors a checklist to follow for routine medical procedures and refusing to reimburse hospitals for preventable complications. Hospitals that have tried this approach have seen a reduction in the number of preventable complications and medical malpractice claims. Apparently, only by shifting from a doctor-centric culture to a patient-centric one will preventable errors become a thing of the past.

Health insurers refusing to insure children

According to a recent report of the LA Times, several major health insurers have elected to discontinue insuring children instead of complying with a federal mandate to cover children with preexisting conditions. "Insurers need to decide if they are in the business of providing care or denying coverage," according to one consumer advocate. It looks like they've already made their decision, and it doesn't favor sick children or anyone else who desparately needs timely benefits. For an industry that's supposed to give its customers the benefit of the doubt, this represents a step in the wrong direction.

Insurers stashing record surpluses, still hiking rates

By regulation in all 50 states, insurance companies must keep a certain amount of surplus funds (instead of distributing profits to stockholders). A recent report analyzing plans covering 1 in 3 Americans showed that in many states, insurers are keeping far more surplus funds than required by law, yet are still raising rates by as much as 18%. In many instances, the insurers could be using the surplus funds to minimize rate increases but are not doing so.

The report, from the Consumers Union (the publisher of Consumer Reports), urges state lawmakers and regulators to change insurance laws to either (1) set a maximum surplus amount or (2) permit regulators to take surplus amounts into account when approving or rejecting proposed rate increases.

At a time when most Americans are struggling to pay medical and other bills, insurers are substantially raising rates even though they already have tons of our money in the bank. Should companies who are supposed to be financing our health care be adding to our stress levels by jacking up our bills?

Nathan licensed to practice in nearby rocket docket

I’m now licensed to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (the “District”), which is known for having one of the fastest patent dockets in the country. This venue is also considered to be one of the more pro-patentee locations around, which means that many patent owners choose to bring suit in the District. With this license, I’m now just an hour away from one of America’s favorite patent litigation forums.

One of the reasons the District handles a large patent docket so efficiently are the Local Patent Rules. These Patent Rules set forth a timeline for specific tasks, unique to patent litigation, that must be performed before a patent case can be tried to a jury. Having tried patent cases without the benefit of a schedule that requires an opposing party to act, I know I’ll be asking other courts to adopt these rules in future patent cases not situated in the District.