BWG Consumer Alert: November 2013

Breakstone, White & Gluck Selected for New England and Massachusetts Super Lawyers; 10th Year Our Lawyers Have Been Honored

Partners Marc L. Breakstone, David W. White and Ronald E. Gluck were selected for inclusion to the Massachusetts Super Lawyers for 2013 list. Associate Samuel A. Segal was also selected to Massachusetts Super Lawyers Rising Stars for 2013. The honors are printed in a supplement of November's edition of Boston Magazine.

Breakstone, White & Gluck's lawyers have been recognized by Super Lawyers for 10 years, first in 2004. Super Lawyers is a publication of Thomson Reuters. It recognizes 5 percent of lawyers in each state. Rising Stars recognizes 2.5 percent of lawyers under age 40 or who have practiced 10 years or fewer.

Marc L. Breakstone
Top 100 New England Super Lawyers
Top 100 Massachusetts Super Lawyers
Massachusetts Super Lawyers (plaintiff's medical malpractice)

David W. White
Top 100 Massachusetts Super Lawyers
Massachusetts Super Lawyers (personal injury plaintiff)

Ronald E. Gluck
New England Super Lawyers
Massachusetts Super Lawyers (personal injury plaintiff)

Samuel A. Segal
Massachusetts Super Lawyers Rising Stars

Read more on our blog.

Have You Changed Your Smoke Alarm Batteries?

Daylight Saving Time recently ended. If you have not already done so, you should change the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) detector.

Smoke alarms provide necessary warning for us to act in a fire. Each year, more than 2,200 people die in unintentional home fires in the United States. The greater tragedy is nearly two-thirds of these deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms or ones which do not work. Here are additional suggestions for Boston and Massachusetts residents:

- You should have working smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside and outside sleeping areas.

- Purchase fire extinguishers for your kitchen, basement, work areas, and garage. Check them every few months to remind yourself of where they are, and make sure they are properly charged.

- Replace smoke alarms every 10 years and carbon monoxide detectors every five years.

- Talk to your family, roommates and landlord about your fire evacuation plan.

- Walk through your home and apartment and practice your fire evacuation plan. In an emergency, you and others may have to pass through unfamiliar areas.

- Report any potential fire hazards to landlords promptly, including blocked access ways and electrical irregularities.

Getting Your Home Ready for Winter

There are other steps which are also important to take to protect your home and family for winter. As we increase use of heating appliances and cook winter meals, there becomes a greater risk for fire. The months of January, February and March see the most residential building fires each year, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. By taking some time now to look around your home, talk to your family and prepare, you can reduce the chance for fire and injury in your home this winter.

- Have your chimney and fireplace professionally cleaned.

- Have your furnace checked by a qualified professional.

- Move your BBQ to a safe storage area for the winter. Do not use it to cook in that place; only turn it on outside.

- If you plan to use an electric space heater, inspect it and make sure it is fit for operation. Replace it if you see any cracks in the appliance or tears in the cord.

- Find a place in your home where you can safely use your space heater this winter. Make sure you keep children away from it and that is at least three feet away from all combustible materials, such as bedding and clothing. Avoid using extension cords.

- Inspect your home's windows to make sure they fully close and will not cause your home to lose heat.

Read more on our blog.

Consumer and Safety News from Our Blog

Breakstone, White & Gluck Donates 175 Childrens' Helmets to Somerville Bike Safety Day. Read here.

Court Ruling on MedPay Auto Insurance Coverage Favorable to Massachusetts Drivers. Read here.

Filmmaker Explores Painful Consequences of Texting While Driving. Read here.

Massachusetts Texting While Driving Ban: 3 Years in October. Read here.

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Breakstone, White & Gluck is a Boston personal injury and medical malpractice law firm. We represent injured clients throughout the state, including in Cambridge, Somerville, Arlington, Lexington, Framingham, Worcester, Brockton, Plymouth and Cape Cod. To learn more, visit www.bwglaw.com.