Apparently, this is the season for motorcycle accidents....

There was recently a serious and fatal motorcycle crash near my hometown. I was checking out the local news website and blogs, and I noticed that the readers didn't seem to have any sympathy for motorcycle riders, or the unfortunate young man who lost his life.

Bikers have greater risk of being in serious accidents and sustaining serious injuries than drivers or cars, trucks, or other vehicles. Whether right or wrong, motorcycle rider or car driver, no one deserves to die! It is a tragedy no matter who is to blame.

What many bikers already know is that the attitude I saw on these recent news articles and blogs is reflected in how other motorists treat bikers on the road. Drivers of other types of vehicles are less respectful of motorcycle riders. We've all seen the biker who does "wheelies" or "stoppies" and weaves in and out of traffic, but it doesn't mean that every biker or motorcycle rider on the road are less observant and less respectful of this form of transportation than more conventional automobiles or trucks.

Think about it. In the case of a motorcycle accident, riders only have their safety gear (usually leather) to protect them. Drivers in cars and other vehicles have walls of metal or fiberglass to absorb impact. Motorcycle crashes often result in loss of life or severe head injuries, but they can also include severed limbs, crushed bones, spinal cord injuries, internal bleeding and permanent damage to internal organs. Even if the biker survives, these injuries will affect the rest of their lives.

Joseph L. Messa, founder of Messa & Associates, a Philadelphia personal injury law firm, knows firsthand what happens when you get into a motorcycle accident, which made him take a special interest in motorcycle accident injury cases.

Unfortunately for Pennsylvania motorcyclists, the Pennsylvania motorcycle helmet laws are lax at best, and it doesn't take a brain surgeon to realize this puts riders at a greater risk for head injuries. As Messa writes on his blog, "Using a helmet while riding can protect you from serious and even fatal head injuries."

While the Pennsylvania helmet laws certainly confuse me (think of what happened to Ben Roethlisberger), please take extra care in these warm months. If you see what you think is a irresponsible motorcycle driver, avoid him like you would any other responsible driver! But let's also give courtesy to those we share the road with. Remember when you're at that four way stop sign, that the motorcycle on the right has the same right-of-way as a car or truck would.

Did you know that you can be injured at the salon?

I spend a lot of time online, and recently I came across some articles about a class-action lawsuit in California for injuries sustained after receiving salon pedicures!

Injuries from nail salon manicures and pedicures include:

• Bacterial and fungal infections: These can spread throughout the body, even to the heart


• Viral infections including HIV and Hepatitis B


• Loss of nails or malformed nails


• Amputation of fingers or toes


• Chemical burns


• Permanent scarring


• Physical deformities such as shrunken fingers or toes

Some salon safety violations include:

• failure to dispose of dirty and used items such as nail files


• failure to disinfect tools such as foot spa jets and nets


• unsafe storage of disinfected tools


• the reuse of disposable tools such as nail buffers


• contaminated cosmetics

In the first known cases of this type, the San Jose personal injury attorneys of Bohn & Bohn reached a $2.919 million settlement against the "Fancy Nails" salon in Watsonville, California as well as the manufacturer and suppliers of "Pedispa" chairs used at the salon, after 74 people suffered severe skin infections. The infections were caused by mycobacteria (um, yuck!) that had grown in improperly cleaned and disinfected pedicure foot spas. In these cases, the infections resulted in painful oozing lesions and boils on the lower legs of salon patrons. In some cases, it also caused lesions on other parts of their bodies, leaving permanent scars and disfigurement. Imagine that, after a pedicure?

Of course, such cases are not limited to southern California. According to the article, such outbreaks have also been reported in Arizona, San Diego, Orange County, Sacramento, Texas, Florida, and Washington D.C.

If you're going to get a pedicure, here are some safety tips to help avoid injuries:

• At the nail salon, take note of conditions that could be unhealthy. Are there dirty towels on counters? Does the foot spa look clean?
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• Podiatrists and other physicians caution against having cuticles pushed down or cut and suggest bringing your own tools for these procedures.



• If you allow the salon's tools to be used, make sure they have been washed with soap and water and immersed in disinfectant.



• Disposable items, such as nail files, buffers and emery boards, are NOT to be reused.



• Remove nail polish after one or two weeks, then wait one or two weeks before reapplying.



• Do NOT get any beauty treatments, especially manicures and pedicures, if you have an open sore, broken skin or any kind of infection.



• Avoid shaving or waxing your legs within 24 hours of any foot-spa treatment.



• NEVER let salons use a razor blade to shave off callouses. In most cases, it is illegal, and doctors say it can spread blood-borne diseases.



• Check your local business for reports filed against them for unsanitary practices.

A million dollar settlement may sound like a windfall, but in my opinion, it's not worth the pain and suffering of an infection that can spread to your heart, cause permanent scarring, or result in loss of your digits!