The Buyer-Beware Myth

Police officers often say that ignorance of the law is no excuse for an offense, but for the consumer, ignorance of the law can rob you of an important remedy when dealing with faulty goods. 

Many people think that they need to pay extra fees for warranties and lifetime guarantees before they can hold a manufacturer accountable for a defective product. However, existing laws defend your rights and safety any time that you purchase a product.

You are in an empowered position as the consumer. Vendors who advertise "no refunds" or "no exchanges" do not limit your rights in the case of faulty goods.

The foundation for the current common law relating to product liability was laid in 1932, when a Scottish woman became ill after drinking snail-contaminated ginger beer. She ended up arguing her case to the English House of Lords. She won. Canadian courts quickly adopted the reasoning in this British decision and since that time product manufacturers are held responsible to meet a duty of reasonable care towards those who consumed their goods.

In order to rectify any instances where you may have been sold faulty goods, you must know your rights, and act fast. It is your responsibility to identify any fault in the product, and to notify the vendor promptly.

When identifying what is wrong with your purchase, you should determine whether you are facing a minor or major fault. A minor fault is generally limited to the item's physical appearance. In the case of a major fault, the item does not work as intended.

Unfortunately, major faults are not limited to small products and can occur with manufactured items such as automobiles, airplanes, and roller-coasters. These major faults can sometimes lead to serious injury or even death.

When dealing with faulty items or products, you have several options. However, any hesitation could result in your being blamed for the defect, being ineligible for a refund, or required to pay for the repair. 

For information on legal options to address serious injury due to a defective product please visit Oatley Vigmond.

Is My Child At Risk of Traumatic Brain Injury?

Discussions of the effects of concussions on the human brain have surfaced in the news with greater frequency lately. The rise of mixed martial arts has triggered debates on the toll that contact sports take on the human body. In addition, controversy about football and player safety continues to simmer as retired players regularly come forward showing signs of depression and memory loss. 

Nearly four-million sports-related concussions occur in the United States each year, with as many as 300,000 of them suffered by high-school athletes. It is expected that figures in Canada are proportionally similar. Though high school students are not exposed to violence on the level of professional fighters and football players, a number of popular school sports can present a high risk of head injuries. 

High school sports can be particularly dangerous. Nearly 30% of reported cases of high-school concussions are football related. Football is responsible for two-thirds of all sports-related traumatic brain injuries, including cerebral contusions, dementia, and the development of a hematoma. 

Soccer and basketball players also suffer a surprising number of concussions, each making up approximately 15% of all adolescent concussion victims.

Understanding the nature of brain injuries should be the first step in their prevention. Parents with children interested in sports should be sure to do thorough research on which sports present higher risk of injury and concussion. By doing this parents can make the most informed decision about which sports their children should participate in.

3 Diet Tips for Better Brain Function

The importance of proper diet during the rehabilitation process cannot be overstated. If you or a loved one are working to recover from a serious injury, diet is especially important. There are three simple ways that you can change your diet to help with your rehabilitation process.

1. Healthy Fats

The days of low-fat diet fads are over. We now realize that all fats are not equal, and that the healthy variety of fats are absolutely necessary for proper heart and brain function. Human beings cannot produce essential fatty acids (or EFAs) independently, and so we rely on diet as our sole source. Western diets suffer from an imbalanced ratio of EFAs, as the grains, meats, dairy products, and vegetable oils that we gravitate towards in the Western world ooze with omega-6s but rarely contain omega-3s. Diets low in omega-3s are linked to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of memory loss. To offset this risk, choose oily fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel, herring, and sardines whenever possible.

If you can't stomach fish, then almonds, pistachios, and cashews are all good alternative sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Many also contain vitamin E, which has been linked to offsetting memory loss.

2. Binge on broccoli

Broccoli contains a number of brain-boosting nutrients, including choline, and vitamins C and K. Choline has been proven in empirical testing to reduce memory loss resulting from old age, while vitamins C and K both boost mental performance.

3. Vitamin C

Vitamin C does more than simply ward off the common cold. The association between citrus and revitalization is no coincidence. Found in many fruits and vegetables, including bell pepper, orange, grapefruit, kiwi, and tomato, vitamin C can boost mental agility in a big way.