Irresponsible use of mobile phone proves its risk again

A write-up that I have read (http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/08/20/national/a210745D25.DTL ) caused me great concern. Another young man, namely Zachariah Smith, 18, has incurred injuries after being hit by a raging train while crossing railroad tracks. In this particular case, the victim was said to be caught unaware of the coming train due to irresponsible cell phone use. This incident has happened despite the train operator’s continuous blowing to warn the kid, as stated by several witnesses.

Most train accidents occur because of the operator, engineers or train manufacturer’s negligence in performing their functions. Yet, as I saw this event, the fault was greatly on the side of the victim who was just apparently daydreaming as the witnesses described him. Hence, in my opinion, the train company has no legal obligation for the injuries inflicted by the victim.

The U.S. laws guarantee remedies only for those individuals who have been injured due to other people’s negligent doings. Suitable personal injury claims may then be filed in courts or insurance companies. If whatsoever they were able to prove the defendant’s illicit act was the cause of the harm, they will finally get their recoveries and obtain justice.

Consequently, the victim in this particular case cannot oblige the railroad authority to pay them any damages and support no matter how his family begs.

Again, the scenario, which has resulted to serious personal injuries and losses, should not have happened if only proper diligence and care was exercised. We must remember that our safety also depends on how cautious we are. Improper use of cell phones, especially when you are out on the streets is certainly dangerous as your attention to traffic might be greatly affected.

Therefore, the next time you really need use your mobile phone or cell phone, look for a safe place to stop and operate on them. This is definitely safer than simultaneously walking around while doing something else, like operating your mobile phone.

Class lawsuit filed against Mattel

Just last week, a class action suit has been filed by a number of American consumers against Mattel Corporation to urge the toy company to pay the cost of their children’s medical examinations. This is on their belief that their sons and daughters might be affected because of playing with the lead-contaminated products of the said company. The full story can be found at http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/mattel-toys-lead-paint-testing.html .

Definitely, their course of action is very much appropriate. They should not wait for the time when poisoning symptoms occur on their children before making such actions. The United States products liability laws do allow citizens to exhibit their rights and incriminate those parties who fell short on their responsibility to produce and market safe and quality products for public consumption or utilization.

This issue has brought great concerns for the parents. More so, the actual upsurge in the complaints received by Mattel compelled the company to recall their lead-contaminated toys from the market, not only in our country but also all over the world. This, I presume, cost them a huge amount of money. But still, thousands of self-affirming patrons keep on complaining.

Well, for me, this is a clear sign that most of our people are quite aware of their rights. It is not merely a result of over reaction to the issue but rather as an indicator that we are very much concerned for that fact that our children’s safety is at hand. To add, toy companies like Mattel should implement the strictest precautionary measure since their target consumers are the young people.

We have to make the necessary actions as provided for by the existing laws. This will certainly force other companies and institutions to follow the safety standards in doing their businesses and might as well prevent further occurrence of this problem in the future.