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Santa Barbara Officials Offer Stern Warning Before Labor Day Weekend
Local law enforcement officials gathered outside the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department recently to warn the public about the dangers of drinking and driving.
With the Labor Day weekend just around the corner, the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is in full swing. The Labor Day weekend has been designated as one of the four most dangerous driving times of the year based on collision and traffic numbers. NHTSA has given local law enforcement agencies a $130,000 grant to step up patrols, conduct warrant sweeps, and set up drunk driving checkpoints.
Proposed Law to Regulate Out-Of-State Compounding Pharmacies in California Introduced
A bill introduced in the California State Legislature is proposing that pharmacies that sell sterile compounded drugs in the state must meet stricter standards. This proposed legislation comes in the wake of a nationwide fungal meningitis outbreak in 2012 caused by tainted epidural steroid injections manufactured by a Massachusetts-based compounding pharmacy. Some 14,000 patients received injections of the drug, 700 became ill and 63 died.
In reaction to that and several other high-profile incidents concerning compounding pharmacies, the California State Board of Pharmacy threw its weight behind Senate Bill 294, which was introduced by State Sen. Bill Emmerson (R-Redlands). The bill would tighten oversight of compounding pharmacies to “ensure patient safety.” It passed the Senate in May and will now go before the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
Tool Company Settles Lawsuit with Dozens of Jesusita Fire Victims
According to the U.S Fire Administration, more and more people are settling in areas that are susceptible to wildfires. Therefore, it is essential that they practice wildfire safety. If you live in one of these areas, remember to follow these safety guidelines:
- Being informed about local fire laws.
- Creating a 30- to 100-foot safety zone around a home.
- Reporting hazardous conditions that can cause a wildfire.
- Selecting exterior home materials and plants that are fire resistant.
- Ensuring that fire vehicles can get to a residence.
- Planning escape routes by car and by foot should a wildfire become a threat.
Please check out the U.S. Fire Administration website for further tips on protecting your family and your home before and during wildfires.
Frozen Organic Berries Sold At Costco and Harris Teeter Linked to Hepatitis A Outbreak
The Law Office of Renée J. Nordstrand reported in an earlier blog that at least 155 people had fallen ill with hepatitis A infections after consuming frozen mixed berries purchased from Costco and Teeter Harris stores in several states. Sixty-seven people required hospitalization. Many more people had to undergo vaccinations in an attempt to stave off infection.
Townsend Organic Farms of Oregon packaged and distributed the frozen berry mix, which went under the name Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend at Costco and Harris Teeter Organic Antioxidant Berry Blend at Harris Teeter stores.
Understanding the Dangers of Drunk Drivers
A recent drunk driving-caused five-vehicle pileup on Highway 101 near El Sueno Road that sent four people to the hospital highlights the serious dangers brought to the roads of California by drunk drivers every year.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an average of 30 people die in car crashes caused by drunk driving every day in the United States. Despite continued crackdowns by police through patrols and DUI checkpoints, drunk driving remains a grave danger on the road.
Woman Killed in Head-On Crash on Highway 101 Near Goleta
An Orange County woman is dead after a flatbed truck crossed the median on Highway 101 near Goleta and crashed head-on into her pickup truck. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is still investigating why the accident happened.
Noozhawk.com reports that the 2008 International Durastar flatbed truck was traveling north on Highway 101 and was hauling agricultural containers for Greenheart Farms when the accident occurred. The driver of the flatbed truck claimed that the brakes on the truck locked up, which caused him to veer into the southbound lanes of Highway 101. The CHP has not confirmed that as the cause of the devastating head-on crash.
Playground Accidents and Injuries: What You Should Know
With school out for the summer, children are outside and enjoying the southern California sunshine. Many children will end up playing at local playgrounds, which can be a bittersweet experience if the playground equipment is defective or the playground is out-of-compliance with safety standards.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year some 200,000 children under the age of 14 sustain playground-related injuries severe enough to require emergency care. About 70 percent of those children injured were at public playgrounds when the accident happened. More than a third of these injuries are severe, with children sustaining concussions, fractures internal injuries, and amputations.
Sadly, about 15 children die each year due to a playground accident.
Area Cyclists Demand Bike Lanes for Old Town Goleta
Cyclists recently appeared en masse before a Goleta City Council meeting, demanding that the city restripe the roads in Old Town to allow for dedicated bicycle lanes.
The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition (SBBC) claims that Old Town residents, businesses, and visitors have been waiting for 15 years for bike lanes on Hollister Avenue. The Director of SBCC spoke to the Goleta City Council and asked once again that the city consider painting bike lanes on Old Town roads.
“Three bicyclists have been killed in the last 15 years,” he told the council. “We’d like to request a process that can end up with those bike lanes.”
Mother Files Lawsuit for Wrongful Death in Fatal Santa Barbara Hit-And-Run
The family of a 22-year-old Santa Barbara man who was the victim in a fatal pedestrian hit-and-run accident on Highway 101 in Santa Barbara has filed a lawsuit for negligence and wrongful death against several parties.
The young man was struck and killed just after 1 a.m. on January 15 on Highway 101 near the Ortega Street footbridge.
There had been reports that the victim had been staggering along the highway — and later toxicology reports confirmed that he had a blood alcohol concentration of .256, which is three times over the limit at which a driver is considered too drunk to be behind the wheel.
The mother of the young man is suing the driver of the car who struck him, two of his family members, and the driver of a cab and the company he was employed with.
Denial of Workers’ Comp Benefits Spurs Call for Criminal Investigation
A workers’ compensation advocacy group is asking the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office to launch a criminal investigation into the death of a Camarillo Ralph’s employee who died from complications after being injured on the job.
There is no doubt that the grocery worker suffered neck and back injuries while on the job at Ralph’s. In fact, he was given worker’s compensation benefits to cover the cost of a surgery to repair the injury. However, the man developed a severe staph infection during the operation that required further care.
The advocacy group alleges that a third-party workers’ compensation insurance adjuster for Tennessee-based Sedgwick Claims Services refused to pay for the expensive follow-up medical care needed to deal with the infection and that the refusal of benefits lead to the worker’s death five years ago.
The group claims that Ralph’s, which is a part of the Krogers food chain, and Sedgwick denied the worker’s medical claims 11 times. Reportedly, a court order and a decision by the Worker’s Compensation Appeals Board that the companies needed to pay for the medical care allegedly was not enough incentive to spur the grocer and insurance company to do so.
The Appeals Board was blunt in its assessment of the insurance company, calling its actions a “blithe disregard for its legal and ethical obligation to provide medical care to a critically injured worker.” The board determined that Sedgwick had “unreasonably” delayed medical care. Allegedly, the insurer even delayed the final payment for hospitalization after the patient had died.