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Slip/Trip and Fall Intake Survey; New BNI Partner

We welcome our newest partner, retired NYPD detective, John Brown, to the BNI team.  After 23 years on the job, John decided to exercise  his retirement option and shift to the civilian equivalent of his police force investigative position.  We have been anticipating John’s arrival for several years, and in doing so, he has become very familiar with our SOPs.  Once again, welcome aboard, John!

On to this week’s Bulletin.

It’s time to  ”winterize” our firms/companies.  Slip/Trip and falls occur year-round, but snow and ice conditions up the number of these case types.  We review our intake surveys in the fall and mid-winter (as a reminder) and ensure that they’ve been updated.

(Obviously, when we receive this type of assignment, we are provided the client’s name, the date, time and location of accident.  We then go on to a more formal intake survey. Below is primary information required in a slip/trip and fall event.)

1. CLIENT PEDIGREE (to include name, address, phone #, DOB, SSN,employment/scholastic and licensed driver info and emergency contacts)

2. WEATHER CONDITIONS

3. LIGHTING CONDITIONS

4. SURFACE DESCRIPTION (sidewalk, hallway, stairs…)

5. DEBRIS/DISREPAIR/CONSTRUCTION PRESENT

6. DESCRIPTION OF SURFACE (concrete, torn matting, tile…)

7. PRESENCE OF ANY WARNING SIGNS (e.g. wet floor cones, signs…)

8. DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF PARTICIPANTS (northbound, descending steps…)

9. DESCRIPTION OF ACCIDENT (detailed, including, for exterior falls in snow and ice, how long the condition had existed)

10. ALCOHOL/DRUG INVOLVEMENT

11. WHERE WAS THE CLIENT GOING?

12. RATE OF WALK (normal gait, walking briskly… )

13. TYPE OF SHOES WORN

14. CONDITION OF SHOES (new, good, worn.. )

15. DOES THE CLIENT STILL HAVE THE SHOES?

16. OBSERVABLE INJURIES SUSTAINED (detailed)

17. MEDICAL ATTENTION RECEIVED AT SCENE

18. EMERGENCY/OFFICIAL VEHICLE AND PERSONNEL RESPONSE

19. STATEMENT(S) MADE AT SCENE

20. ADDITIONAL WITNESSES

21. DOES THE CLIENT KNOW OF ANY OTHER SIMILAR PRIOR INCIDENTS AT SAID LOCATION?

22. HAD THE CLIENT COMPLAINED TO MANAGEMENT OF EXISTING RELATED CONDITIONS?

23. DOES THE CLIENT KNOW OF ANYONE ELSE WHO MAY HAVE MADE SIMILAR PRIOR COMPLAINTS TO MANAGEMENT?

24. COPY OF CLIENT’S LEASE.

25. MANAGEMENT INFORMATION, IF KNOWN.

26. MUNICIPALITY INVOLVED?

Additional related searches you may opt to have your investigator conduct: real property search, weather check and prior incidents (lawsuits filed for similar situation v. the same property owner.    Rarely, in these cases, do our clients ask us to conduct a financial background check on their clients (to determine if there are active liens, judgments, bankruptcies.. .), preferring to question their own clients on this matter.  We do however have that capability and generally, that type of search, pending the case level, should include joint (spouse) information.

BNI Operatives: : Street smart; web savvy.

Best Topic Suggestion Sites and Search Engines

Google it” doesn’t mean exclusively search on Google.com these days.   As search engines and information portals evolve and continue to improve our ability to drill down results within tighter parameters, many effective ”first step” sites have been developed that deliver specific information.  We’ve put together the below list on how to find topics and then more specifically, by discipline, search engines and sites:

I NEED TO FIND:

TOPICS:  
Bing Cool visuals; strong results. 
   
Clusty Old fashioned layout but great result clusters.
   
Social Issues The latest hot topics and pro/con arguments.
   
Technorati Search for topic suggestions via “tags” resulting in related blogs.
  

TOPICS W/ANNOTATIONS:

 
InfoMine Researched critical comments and notes. 
   
Intute Out of the U.K. but w/worldwide results. 
  

RELATED TOPICS:

 
Grokker As stated, related topics (Yahoo based). 
   
Ask.com Click “Expand Your Search” 
  

 REFINED TOPIC SEARCHES:

 
Ask.com Click “Narrow Your Search”. 
   
Surfwax Click “Focus” to broaden or narrow your search results.
  

 QUALITY SEARCHES:

 
Librarians’ Internet Index Extremely well defined search trees with authoritative sites chosen by topic experts.
   
Virtual LRC Scholarly search results based on a word or a phrase.
  

 ADVICE FROM EXPERTS:

   
Sources and Experts A comprehensive listing of sources, compiled by a journalist.
   
Ask A Librarian The site of last-resort (but not for last minute homework help!) Library of Congress
     

 

 

NOW I NEED TO FIND:

 TOPICS WITHIN SPECIFIC   DISCIPLINES:

 GOVERNMENT:

 
USA.gov Browse official U.S. information and services sites.
   
Foreign governments Search worldwide government sites.
 

 LAW:

 
Law.com Legal stories, technology, firm identification and jobs in the field.
   
Findlaw.com Search U.S. cases, codes, news and commentary
   
LOUIS Amazing site, named for famed jurist Louis Brandeis, Search Congressional documents, Federal Register, GAO reports, bills and resolutions
 

 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY:

 
SCIRUS Science-specific portals. 
   
Nat’l Science Digital Lab Science, technology, math and engineering.
 

 ARTS & HUMANITY:

 
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Browse peer-reviewed, continually-updated entries on contemporary philosophy.
  

 HEALTH & MEDICINE:

 
Health & Medical Sleuth Find health information faster by searching multiple health search engines from one place.
   
Medical Search “Fast and productive medical searches” – The Washington Post.
 

 NEWS & INFORMATION:

 
BBC Incredible source for searching worldwide issues, especially war coverage,
   
eHow Search and ye shall find; how to do just about anything.
   
FactCheck.org From the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the Univ. of Pennsylvania, research political speeches, press releases, TV ads, public statements…
   
FedStats.gov Useful compilation of stats and reports from 100+ official US agencies.

BNI Operatives: Street smart: Web savvy.

As always, be safe.

Police To Blame For Dearth of 911 Calls?

Two seemingly unrelated major NY news pieces this past week:

1. Diane Schuler, the mom traveling the wrong way on the Taconic Parkway, killing 8 people in her car and the vehicle she crashed into head on. 

2. The NYPD has been recording the cell phone numbers of people calling 911 since 2003, creating a database of millions of cell phone numbers and tracking their owners in past and future investigations. 

The connection: According to the Schuler family defense attorney, Dominic Barbara, the NY State Police should have tried to intercept the Schuler vehicle the moment the first 911 call came in, considerably well  before she traveled 60 miles the wrong way.  The news of the NYPD cell phone collection has caused an uproar with many citizens protesting, along with what the civil liberties organizations are calling of a skirt-around-a-warrant maneuver by the police, stating they now would not call 911 in an emergency involving others, citing privacy concerns.  To revert to the initial article, this is going to be an interesting situation to follow if a grand jury is impaneled, considering the only person who could possibly have been criminally charged would have been the deceased driver, Diane Schuler. 

Today is voting day up on the Hill re: health reform. 

Find Thy Elected Officials:   Just type in your zip code and this site will supply you with the names and contact information for your legislators from the state level up.  This is a two click site with a host of other relevant features.

As always, be safe.

Happy Columbus Day To All!

 columbus-day 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For those you fortunate enough to have the day off, relax and play our game.  Based on the above landing of Columbus depiction: please identify:

1. the judge

2. the defense attorney

3. the prosecutor

4. the defendant(s)

5. the case.

Most original wins.  We’ll have our response in tomorrow’s edition of our regular Beacon Bulletin, pushed back one day for holiday observance.  (We’ll also be announcing our new online order form capability and toll free numbers.)

Safe and healthy all,

The BNI Crew

The Top 25 Most Useful Sites

Given the amount of research BNI conducts, we thought we’d share one of our favorite listings:

The Top 25 Most Useful Sites:

1 American Factfinder
Your primary source for population, housing, economic and geographic data, from the U.S. Census Bureau.
2 One Look Online Dictionary
This site consolidates all the online dictionaries, including over 4.2 MILLION words! Even links to dictionaries with internet and computer terms (e.g.-enter YAHOO). This site also has a wildcard spellcheck that will find words beginning with, ending with, or containing, a string of characters.
3 MapQuest
Enter an address and get an instant map (street, aerial and rotational views available).
4 Download.com
Most massive accumulation of the most used and current software – and here’s the big bennie – no registration required, ever.

 

5 Bored.com
If you’re BORED, go here. It will keep you entertained for HOURS. Actually an extensive list of interesting, unique and off-beat sites on the internet.
6 Purportal.com – Filtering out the hoaxes!
Few things bog down the internet as much as emails urging you to “Forward this to everyone you know.” It might involve a missing child or a supposed new virus going around or a chance to make money because the number of emails you send are being “tracked.” To find out if it’s legit, go to this site first and check it out. They have five searches to real info on just about every rumor, hoax or urban legend on the `Net. Enter a few keywords from the email in question into their search, and get the truth!
7 The Secret Guide to Computers
The online version of the book makes this one of the better places on the web to get all your answers to your computer questions. recommended by PC Magazine.
8 USPS Zipcode+4 Lookup
Quickly find the 9-digit zipcode for any delivery address in the U.S.  The 5 +4 zip addressing really does speed up the delivery.
9 FirstGov
“Your First Click to the U.S. Government” No matter what you’re looking for within the U.S. Government, this is the place to start. Everything from applying for student loans to tax information can be found here!
10 Mail 2 Web
Ever been at the AIA convention and seen a bank of free computers on the convention floor, and wished there was some way to check your email? Or been visiting a friend in another city who has a computer, and wished you could check your email from his computer? Well, now you CAN! Go to this site, enter your complete email address and email password for any POP email account, and check your email from any computer with a browser. You can also selectively delete junk mail, reply, and forward.
11 My Yahoo
There are lots of Portals available on the Web, but My Yahoo still tops the list.   You can modify the portal to meet your needs: local weather, sports and news, what’s showing at local theatres and local TV, track your stock portfolio, and TONS more to give you just what you want at the click of a button.
12 Information Please
Online Almanac with loads of information on just about any topic. Also check out their Fact Monster.
13 Google
There is an estimated 1,500 search engines on the web, but this one is the one we use, because it never fails to find our targets.  Withteh additional of Bing, the research focus is now even tighter and delivers more relevant results.
14 About Quotations: All-in-one Quotations Search Looking for a quotation? There are several sources to search for a quotation on the web, but this one searches all the major quotation databases for your quote!
15 The Internet Movie Database
What’s coming out at the theatre soon, or on TV or DVD or Video? And is it worth seeing? You can find out on this site, the most complete database on the topic of movies anywhere. Characters, plots, star biographies, quotes and ratings on every movie ever made!
16 The Internet Public Library
By the University of Michigan School of Information. Special areas for Teens and Youth, too.
17 Price Watch
Helps you locate the best street price for just about anything electronic.  Amazingly, but not confusingly, detailed.
18 How Things Work
Sponsored by the University of Virginia, the people who run this site will try to answer any question you may have about how things work, from how a paper towel absorbs water to how the universe is expanding, and everything in between.
19 HyperHistory
If you’re into World History, you should really get into this site. 2,000 files covering 3,000 years of world history.
20 WOOT.com
One day: one incredible deal.  No rainchecks.  When they run out of stock on these hard to beat price-wise items, the deal of the day is done.   Check it early each day.
21 iTools
The consumate Virtual Reference Desk! A virtual compendium of search tools for everything you’re looking for!
22 The Why Files
The science behind the news. You can literally spend HOURS on this site. Be sure to visit their archives, and I guarantee you’ll learn something you didn’t know!
23 Cindi’s List of Geneology Sites
If you plan to do genealogical research on your family, this is the place to start, with over 126,600 links in 150 categories to geneology resources!
24 GolfCourse.com
They have info on over 20,000 courses worldwide. A joint venture of Sports Illustrated and Golf Magazine. Complete course information, directions, facilities, user ratings and even a scorecard for most courses.  We threw this one in because, well, it can’t be all work.
25 So You Wanna
Teaches you how to do all the things nobody taught you in school: how to avoid getting a traffic ticket, how to fake being a wine expert, how to talk with the dead, how to lose weight, how to be a movie extra, and much more.  (I don’t think we are allowed to tell you more.)

BNI Operatives: Street smart: web savvy.

As always, be safe.

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