The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that about 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year and that approximately 800,000 of those people end up in the emergency room. The CDC recently spoke with a physician about what you and your family should know about dog bites.

Most importantly, out of the millions of people bitten each year, only 15-20 will actually die from their dog attack personal injuries. Of those people, most are very young children who are bitten by a family dog or dog that the family knows.

He recommends that if your child is bitten by a dog, you should take them to the hospital immediately. If you have access to the dog’s medical records, including immunizations, bring those to the hospital. It is also important, of course, to have medical records and the immunization history of your child, especially because the doctor will want to know if your child has had a tetanus shot.

He also says there are specialized surgeries that can be used to repair substantial bodily damage from dog bites, such as crushed bones, tendons, or nerves. These wounds take time to repair and heal, and may not be able to be repaired right away. If a child has scars from dog bites, they may be able to get reconstructive surgery further down the road.

If you, a loved one or someone you know well has been the victim of serious personal injuries or wrongful death as a result of a dog attack, please do not delay. Call a personal injury lawyer, wrongful death lawyer or dog bite lawyer today. Our highly skilled, talented, and expert dog attack attorneys have more than two decades of experience and have won many millions of dollars in damages owed to our clients.

Our personal injury lawyer advocates wrongful death legal experts are available to dog bite victims 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to discuss your dog bite claims. Call our law office today. Your needs are our top priority!

Go GREEN with Solar Power

Let us show you how to live green and save money.

According to the US Department of Energy, national average electric rates have increased by 5% each year since 1970, and this trend is expected to continue. So if your electric bill is $200 you will be looking at $260-$280 soon.

How does a solar electric system work?

Solar electric, or photostatic (PV), systems generate electricity silently and without any moving parts. The systems consist of solar panels, which create direct current (DC) power from sunlight and convert the direct current power to the alternating current (AC) power that matches the utility grid. A solar electric system sends power into a home by tying directly into its electrical system at the load center or a sub-panel, offsetting the amount of electricity purchased from the utility.

Do panels work in cloudy weather?

Yes, although they produce less electricity. Production estimates for solar electric systems typically take into account 30-year historic weather data from The National Renewable Energy Laboratory. This means that any losses due to weather are already factored in, usually within plus or minus 9% for any given year.

Will a Solar in a Box system work if the utility grid power goes out?

If the grid power goes down, the utility requires that the solar system will shut down. This is to protect utility line workers that will be repairing the grid power lines. The system will automatically shut down if power is out, and it will automatically restart when grid power is turned on.

How much value will a solar electric system add to a home?

According to The Home Appraisal Journal, an energy efficiency improvement like solar will add 20x the first year savings to the value of the home. A solar equipped home will have lower operating costs than a non-solar home.

What about extreme weather conditions, like wind and hail?

Solar in Box systems is built and tested to UL-standards to withstand 125-mph winds and 1″ diameter hail at 50 mph.

What are the environmental benefits of solar energy?

Traditional electric grid electricity is primarily generated by burning coal (49%) or natural gas (22%), or at nuclear facilities (19%). The clean power from a 2 kW Ready Solar system will prevent the following pollutants from being released into the atmosphere:

• 89,000 lbs. of CO2, the leading global warming gas.

• 1,000 lbs. of NOx and SO2 which cause smog and acid rain.

• 18 lbs. of fine particulates, which are linked to respiratory illness.

These benefits are the equivalent of:

• Planting .8 acres of trees.

• Offsetting 114,000 miles driven by the average car.

What rebates and incentives are available?

The federal solar tax credit, also known as the investment tax credit (ITC), allows you to deduct 26 percent of the cost of installing a solar energy system from your federal taxes. The ITC applies to both residential and commercial systems, and there is no cap on its value. Thanks to the ITC, the average Solar shopper saves thousands of dollars on the cost of going solar in 2020. Many electric utilities have rebates or buy-down programs to reduce the upfront costs of solar. Some state governments pay out rebates directly or give personal tax credits for solar purchases. Rebates and incentives vary by state and utility.

This Blog was posted for you By Good Electric in San Antonio

Backing Up Your Motorhome or Camper-Trailer

This Blog was provided by Coastal Breeze RV Resort in Rockport, Texas

One of the fears that many new RV owners have is learning how to back their RV into a camping space – or even into their driveway at home. If you haven’t driven a large vehicle of any kind before you purchased an RV, there is no doubt that it can be a little tricky at first. However, with some practice and a few good tips, you should have the hang of putting your RV exactly where you want it in no time at all. Remember one important tip before you start – the space must be big enough for your RV in the first place! No matter how good you are at backing your RV up, it won’t fit into a space that is smaller than the RV itself. Scope out the spot first, and only proceed when you are sure it will fit comfortably.

Getting Some Practice

When you are first getting acquainted with your RV, the best thing you can do is find a large, empty parking lot in which to practice your driving. While this might not be your idea of a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon, it is the best way to quickly improve your skills without risking running the RV into any obstacles that might exist in an actual campground. If you would like to make the experience more realistic, purchase a few traffic cones and set them up as a ‘target’ for your parking practice.

While practicing, keep the following tips in mind –

Try to back up from driver’s side, when possible. If you can, try backing the RV in from the driver’s side, so you can look out the mirror right next to you for a good view. It is certainly possible to back up on the passenger’s side, but it is a little bit more difficult.
Take your time. Even an experienced RV driver shouldn’t rush through the backing up process – there is no need to risk a mistake. Take however much time you need to get the RV positioned correctly and in just the right spot in the space you are aiming for.
Practice backing up with a spotter. If you have someone who will be traveling with you regularly (a spouse, for example), practice having them spot for you and direct you through the process. Getting familiar with hand signals and gestures will make the whole thing much easier when you do it for real.

Picking the Right Site

Not all camp sites are created equal, and not all camp sites will be a good fit for your RV. When you arrive at the campground and start looking over the available spaces, make sure to take a moment to get out of the vehicle and walk over the site quickly. Are there any potholes or bumps to worry about? Will you be able to easily level the RV once you get it parked? Is there enough room for your slide outs? All of these questions, and more, should be considered.

Specifically, it is important to check for any serious potholes or bumps that could interfere with the backing up process. You will be moving at a slow speed when backing in, so putting one of your tires into a hole could be a serious problem. When in doubt, don’t risk it – just move on to another space that you are confident in getting in and out of safely.

Have Two Trained Drivers

One potential problem that you could encounter on an RV trip is having only one person who is comfortable and experienced driving the RV – and backing it up. Even if one person is going to be the main driver under normal circumstances, there should be another person who has practiced at least a little bit and feels confident driving in case of emergency. That way, in case the main driver were to twist an ankle or fall ill and be unfit to drive, the other person could step in as needed.

Just like riding a bike, backing in an RV is something that you will get more comfortable with given time and practice. Don’t get frustrated if you have a little trouble at the start – there is nothing unusual about that at all. Given a good amount of practice time to work on your technique, you should expect to be putting that RV right on the spot time after time in the very near future.