September 2009 Archives

Children's sweatshirts or jackets with drawstrings create a strangulation hazard to children which can result in serious injury or death, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said. In May 2006, the agency announced that children's sweatshirts or jackets with drawstrings at the hood or neck would be regarded as defective and presenting a substantial risk of injury to young children. Earlier this month, it announced fines against four companies Tuesday for improperly selling hooded sweatshirts or jackets that have drawstrings at the neck, posing a safety hazard.

Any one wandering why there is urgency in the campaign for health care reform should know that every hour of the status quo costs lives. According to a Harvard Medical School study released last week, nearly 45,000 people die in the United States each year -- one every 12 minutes -- in large part because they lack health insurance and cannot get adequate care. Overall, researchers said American adults age 64 and younger who lack health insurance have a 40 percent higher risk of death than those who have coverage.

A Kentucky jury deliberated only 90 minutes before acquitting a high school football coach yesterday in the heatstroke death of a 15-year-old player. The coach was accused of ordering his players to run a series of sprints on a 94-degree day, refusing to relent even after some began vomiting. The defense argued that Max Gilpin was more susceptible to the heat because he used a drug for attention-deficit disorder and a dietary supplement.

Observers say that, despite the acquittal, the trial sends a message that coaches have to err on the side of caution on hot days. See High School Coach Charged in Player's Death

Major marijuana operations in the high country have the attention of top law enforcement officials after last week's seizure of 14,500 marijuana plants in the Pike National Forest near Deckers. The seizure last week is believed to be the largest in Colorado history. A hiker made the discovery and notified authorities, who estimated the haul to be worth millions of dollars.

Pinnacol Assurance, the insurance company responsible for Colorado workers' compensation claims, paid bonuses to claims adjusters and doctors based on performance standards that included net income targets. State Sen. Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora has accused the insurance company of rating employees on how quickly they disposed of claims, giving claims adjusters an incentive to dismiss them. Carroll said claims adjusters were also rated based on "customer satisfaction," which Pinnacol told her were the businesses that paid for the insurance, not the injured workers who needed medical attention, giving Pinnacol an incentive to hold down costs.

Years after the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act, some businesses still don't get it. A national credit card company refused to help a vision-impaired woman with a disputed charge and a bank refused to cash a check for a man missing both arms because he could not provide a thumbprint.