Dogs bite more than 4.7 million people a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and one in five of those bitten by a dog require medical attention. Half of these victims are children.

Still, Karen Delise, founder of the National Canine Research Council, says that dog bites are “extremely rare” when considering that there 78 million dogs in the U.S., whose bites cause an average of 25 fatalities a year.

In a recent interview with the Chicago Tribune, Delise aimed to debunk perceptions that pit bulls, also known as American bull terriers, are the most dangerous breed. Her book, The “Pit Bull” Placebo: Media, Myths and Politics and the Effect on Companion Dogs, equates misperceptions about certain breeds over the years.

A study conducted by the CDC from 1979 through 1996 found that pit bull-type dogs were involved in approximately a third of human bites from 1981 – 1992 and Rottweilers were responsible for half of human bites reported in the years 1993 – 1996. The study concluded, however, that “although fatal attacks on humans appear to be a breed-specific problem (pit bull-type dogs and Rottweilers), other breeds may bite and cause fatalities at higher rates.”

The St. Louis Dog Bite Lawyers with Cofman Townsley want to help if you’ve been attacked by a dog. You have rights, and our Missouri dog bite injury lawyers will stand up for those rights.

While hybrid and electric cars may be the next big breakthrough in the automotive industry, the research to get them to the market has proven to be quite dangerous. For instance, The Wall Street Journal recently reported that several General Motors employees were injured at a research center when a lithium-ion battery exploded.

The accident occurred last month when chemical gases from the battery ignited. Windows and an eight-inch thick door were blown out of the building. In all, five workers were injured and taken to a local hospital to receive treatment. One of the researchers who was hurt is in stable condition after being treated for a concussion and severe chemical burns.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that the number of injuries and deaths on the job due to fires and explosions has been on the rise in recent years. There was a 65 percent jump in the number of fatal instances caused by explosions reported between 2009 and 2010, accounting for 113 and 187 worker deaths respectively. The number of fire-related deaths also saw a dramatic increase, going from 53 fatalities in 2009 to 109 in 2010.

Workers who are injured in fires and explosions while on the job can often qualify for Missouri Workers’ Compensation benefits. The Missouri Personal Injury Lawyers with Cofman Townsley Injury Lawyers understand what it takes to get a claim approved and may be able to help you.

Tents and canopies are common during outdoor spring or summer events. They provide shade and refuge from inclement weather; however, if not set up properly, these structures can become extremely dangerous and deadly.

Take, for instance, the recent story reported by KSDK 5 News of a tent collapsing in St. Louis, Missouri, in the midst of a violent storm. The accident occurred Saturday around 4:00 p.m. at Kilroy’s Bar near Busch Stadium. Several hundred people had gathered to celebrate when a storm system that dropped baseball sized hail moved into the area. Gusts of wind reportedly over 50 mph picked the tent up and blew it away, battering the patrons inside.

In all, more than 100 injuries were reported, requiring dozens to be hospitalized. In addition, a 58-year-old Illinois man perished as a result of the accident.

The building commissioner for St. Louis, Frank Oswald, confirmed that the tent had a permit and had been inspected for safety by the city, but the assembly of the tent must be to manufacturer standards, which is the responsibility of the contractor who set it up.

These types of tents and canopies could be considered a Missouri Defective Product if they are not set up to withstand the conditions that surround them. That’s why the St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyers with Cofman Townsley Attorneys At Law would suggest staying away from these structures during high winds or thunderstorms.

University City Police have concluded their investigation into an accident that killed a 19-year-old man in February and have charged the driver responsible for his death. According to KSDK 5 News, the 30-year-old woman from Kirkwood, Missouri, faces counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter and driving while intoxicated.

The accident happened around 11:15 p.m. along Delmar Boulevard on February 3. The young man had just gotten off work and was riding his bicycle home when a vehicle struck him from behind while he was waiting for a light to change. Rescue crews rushed the young man to Barnes-Jewish Hospital, but he died the following day from his injuries.

Police conducted several field sobriety tests with the driver responsible for the accident, which she failed. A Breathalyzer test indicated that her blood alcohol level was 0.262 percent, more than three times the legal limit.

The drunk driver was charged Friday and was free that afternoon, pending her next court date, after posting a $25,000 bail.

According to statistics from the non-profit organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving, 258 lives in Missouri were lost last year because of drunk driving. That’s more than one-third of the state’s total traffic fatalities.

The St. Louis Drunk Driving Lawyers with Cofman Townsley Injury Lawyers ask that we all do our part to reduce these numbers by not getting behind the wheel after drinking. Establish a designated driver for your party before drinking instead.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, traffic accidents accounted for two out of every five fatal work injuries in 2010. Most of these accidents occurred within the transportation industry, which had a two percent overall increase in injury accidents in 2010, making driving a commercial vehicle one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States.

These numbers resonated across St. Louis, Missouri, earlier this week when a tow truck driver was killed in a hit-and-run accident. KSDK  5 News says the accident occurred in the eastbound lanes of I-70 near Grand Boulevard around 9:00 p.m. Reports say that the tow truck driver was laying cones and flares out to block off an area surrounding a stranded vehicle when a white sedan veered off the highway and struck him. The vehicle then left the scene, but was eventually stopped and the driver arrested a short distance away.

The driver of the car is being held until detectives are able to complete their investigation into the crash, at which point charges may be filed.

The accident was close to the site where another worker was injured after being hit earlier in the week.

The St. Louis Wrongful Death Lawyers with Cofman Townsley Attorneys At Law would like to send their thoughts and condolences to the family of the worker who tragically lost his life as a result of this accident.

A recent study in the Journal of Gerontological Nursing says that researchers at the University of Missouri discovered that drug errors in nursing homes are likely to occur because of miscommunications among staff. According to a news release from the university, estimates show that as many as 800,000 of these preventable mistakes occur each year.

Researchers found that the time when most of these medication mistakes occur is during a period of medication reconciliation. This is a time after a patient is transferred in which doctors, nurses, and pharmacists should closely scrutinize a patient’s drug regimen in order to determine any problems or discrepancies.

The study found that doctors and pharmacists are often too busy to participate in this process at nursing homes and leave the job to the nursing staff. This can become a potential problem, as a system of checks and balances is necessary for each patient. Failure to complete this could cause medication problems to be overlooked.

Researchers concluded that better communication among staff could reduce the number of adverse drug events each year.

The Missouri Drug Injury Lawyers with Cofman Townsley Injury Lawyers know that the transfer process to or from a nursing home or hospital is a vulnerable time period for seniors in poor health. Improving these transfers and the communication between healthcare providers will go far in reducing the number of adverse events associated with these moves.

Many people are taught to hold the steering wheel of a car at the 10 and 2 o’clock positions, but new research shows that holding the wheel like this could be dangerous and lead to injuries.

According to a recent article by KSDK 5 News, the danger comes from the airbag. In the case of an accident, an airbag deploys at roughly 200 mph out of the front of the steering wheel. If a driver is holding the wheel at the 10 and 2 o’clock position at the time of a crash, the airbag is going to hit their hands and arms and send their limbs towards their face, which could cause serious injury.

Another technique that is now being called dangerous is crossing your arms when turning the wheel. Experts with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) say that the act of crossing your arms leaves you exposed to the same danger of an airbag causing your arms to hit your face in the event of an accident.

This is why the NHTSA now advises drivers to hold the wheel at the 9 and 3 position, with your arms to the side of the wheel and free of danger.

The Missouri Car Accident Lawyers with Cofman Townsley Injury Lawyers want you to stay safe while driving and are here to help you if you’ve been seriously injured in an accident caused by another driver’s negligence.

Driving while sleep deprived is not only a danger to the tired driver, but to others on the road around them. Recent studies by the National Sleep Foundation suggest that driving while fatigued is as dangerous as driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

While reporting the number of crashes associated with fatigued driving is inconsistent due to a lack of coding in the police reporting system in certain states, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that more than 100,000 crashes per year are caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel.

The most recent fatigued driving accident in our area happened Tuesday in Hollywood Heights, Illinois. According to KSDK 5 News, the crash happened around 1:00 a.m. on Route 159. Reports from officers at the scene say that the driver fell asleep at the wheel, veered off the road and went down an embankment before rolling several times. Rescue crews were able to pull the driver to safety and promptly took him to a local hospital for treatment to his injuries.

The Missouri Car Accident Lawyers with Cofman Townsley Injury Lawyers suggest that the best ways to avoid a fatigued driving accident is to always get plenty of rest before driving and never drink alcohol or take sleep inducing medications before getting behind the wheel. If you do get tired, pull over at the next safe location and rest immediately.

Two people were killed and four were injured in a tragic car accident that occurred in eastern Missouri Friday afternoon. According to KMOV 4 News, no one in the vehicle was wearing a seatbelt.

The accident happened on US 136 in Putnam County, near the town of Hartford, Missouri. A 35-year-old man was driving east in an SUV carrying five other passengers when he began to drift across the centerline. When he realized he had veered into the oncoming lanes, he jerked the wheel and overcorrected. This caused the vehicle to slide out of control before rolling several times. No one in the vehicle was properly restrained and all were ejected. The driver and front seat passenger were killed, while the other four passengers suffered moderate to severe injuries.

Statistics from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that seat belts save lives. Wearing a seat belt increases the chances of survival for a front seat passenger in the event of a crash by 45 percent and decreases the risks of moderate to serious injuries by 50 percent.

The Missouri Car Accident Lawyers with Cofman Townsley Injury Lawyers would like to remind motorists that the best way to keep themselves and their passengers safe in a vehicle is to always buckle up. Additionally, any child under eight-years-old should be restrained in a child safety seat and should never use standard seat-belts alone.

A 32-year-old St. Louis, Missouri, man was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter after being involved in a fatal accident with another vehicle Sunday. According to reports from KSDK 5 News, the accident happened around 1:00 a.m. at the intersection of South Lindbergh Boulevard and East Concord Road.

Officers with the St. Louis Police Department say the man was driving on South Lindbergh when he ran a red light and collided with a vehicle driven by a 58-year-old woman. The woman was taken by ambulance to St. Anthony’s Medical Center where she later died.

Police were able to determine that the driver who ran the red light was under the influence of alcohol at the time after he failed field sobriety tests. The man was arrested at the scene and taken to St. Louis County Jail. He was released Monday morning after posting $50,000 bond.

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), a national non-profit organization aimed at eliminating drunk driving, 10,839 people will die in drunk driving crashes this year—or one every 50 minutes. At this rate, one in three Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some point in their life.

The Missouri DUI Accident Attorneys with Cofman Townsley Injury Lawyers would like to remind citizens just how dangerous drinking and driving is. Do your part to eliminate the problem by always utilizing a designated driver when drinking.