Posted on July 31, 2014 in Uncategorized

A recent study concluded that when a parent has been injured, their child may be at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study was conducted by researchers from University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, who examined 175 parents and their school-aged children who were patients at a Seattle trauma center.

The primary cause of accidents bringing parents and children to the hospital was motor vehicle accidents. This was followed by falls and burns.

The researchers looked at four different groups:

• Instances where both the parent and the child were injured at the same event
• Instances where only the child was injured in an event
• Instances where only the parent was injured at an event
• Neither parent nor child had received any significant injuries (per study’s criteria)

The study held follow-up visits with participants five months after the initial hospital visits and again at 12 months.

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 Posted on July 29, 2014 in Uncategorized

A new study reveals that age may play a factor for people who receive spinal cord injuries in car accidents. Research conducted by doctors from Ohio State University indicates that the older someone is when they are injured, the more serious the potential damage may be to the spinal cord.

According to lead researcher Jonathan Godbout, a neuroscience professor at the school, the issue may be due to the way cells from the immune system are stimulated after the person is injured.

The study was done on mice. When younger mice received spinal cord injuries, specific cells from the brain and spinal cord activated a receptor, known as IL-4. This receptor acts as a messenger to the central nervous system to produce inflammation around the spinal cord, acting as a cushion.

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 Posted on July 23, 2014 in Uncategorized

Subaru is the latest automobile manufacturer to issue recalls on vehicles that could potentially have defective airbags. The automaker has issued a recall for 8,557 vehicles which used airbags manufactured by Takata Corp. of Japan. The models Subaru is recalling include 2003 and 2004 Outback wagons, Legacy and Baja crossovers, as well as 2004 Imprez.

In the past, Takata said the propellant which is in the inflator of the defective airbags was not correctly prepared and is too powerful for the airbag to handle. In a crash, the inflator could explode, spraying shards of metal from the casing. However, recently the company admitted that the chemicals used in the propellant, which is highly explosive, were improperly stored and handled at its plant in Mexico

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 Posted on July 18, 2014 in Uncategorized

When we place our loved ones in nursing home, there should be piece of mind knowing that they are in a safe place and are being well taken care of. But every day, we hear horror stories about the horrendous abuse our senior citizens suffer in the care of nursing homes. Nursing home abuse can be in the form of physical, sexual or verbal abuse.

A new study commissioned by the Special Investigations Division of the House Government Reform Committee found that one on three nursing home patients suffer abuse at the hands of the very people who are in charge of taking care of them.

Almost one-third of this country’s nursing homes – 5,283 – were cited for 9,000 incidents of abuse in just a two year period. That number could be underestimated, since other studies have shown that only 1 in 14 elderly people tell someone that they are being abused.

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 Posted on July 15, 2014 in Uncategorized

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a person is either hurt or killed in a vehicle crash caused by a drunk driver in the state of Texas every 20 minutes.

In 2011 there were 1,216 people killed on Texas roads in crashes caused by drunk drivers. In 2012, there were 1,296 fatalities. This was 38 percent of all traffic deaths for the year. Texas consistently leads the country in alcohol related crash fatalities every year.

Other statistics include the following:

• Over 70 percent of those drivers involved in fatal crashes had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of over .15;
• More than half of drunk drivers responsible for these deadly crashes were repeat offenders. In Texas, a person is classified as a repeat offender if they have been convicted more than once, in a seven year period, of driving under the influence;

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 Posted on July 11, 2014 in Uncategorized

There are many reasons car accidents occur every single day–between distracted drivers, roadside debris, and even unavoidable situations, you certainly have enough to pay attention to while behind the wheel without having to worry about your vehicle being the cause. If you or a loved one owns a car manufactured by General Motors, unfortunately this is a concern you must have.

It is no secret that GM has been having trouble with recalls on their new and used vehicles, and many are not aware of how dangerous this can be. In fact, nearly every model manufactured by General Motors has now been impacted by some kind of serious safety recall.

The following information certainly sheds light on the wide impact of these recalls, and what you need to know as a consumer regarding your legal rights and compensation:

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 Posted on July 02, 2014 in Uncategorized

According to a report from the Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association (ISSA), there are more than one million restaurant customers who sustain injuries from slip and fall accidents every year. They also report that 3 million restaurant employees are injured every year in slip and fall incidents. These injuries are costing the restaurant industry over $2 billion annually. Other studies the group cites in their report indicate that the number of combined injuries is growing by at least 10 percent each year.

The owners of these businesses have a responsibility to ensure that their establishments are safe for visitors. Regular inspections of the entire location should be done to ensure there are no hazards that could cause patrons or employees to slip and fall.

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 Posted on June 30, 2014 in Uncategorized

Summer is here and that means more people enjoying outdoor activities. Children are out of school and neighborhood streets are busy with activity. It also means more people, both children and adults, are at a greater risk of being bitten by a dog.

According to statistics from the Center of Disease Control (CDC), every year almost 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs. Half of those dog-bite victims are children. One in five victims has to seek medical treatment for the bites they receive. Almost 450,000 children need medical attention for the bites they get. In one year alone, 27,000 dog bite victims get bitten by dogs so badly they require reconstructive surgery.

Children between the ages of 5 and 9 years old are most at risk of receiving injuries from a dog bite. And men are more likely than women to be victims of dog bites.

Contrary to what most people think, there is no specific breed of dog that is more apt to bite than others. Any dog has the capacity of suddenly biting. It’s important for everyone to know how to behave around an unfamiliar dog, and it is especially critical to teach children how to react to a strange dog. The CDC offers these tips to share with children:

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 Posted on June 25, 2014 in Uncategorized

Physicians at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto conducted a survey of homeless men and discovered that almost half of them had suffered some kind of past traumatic brain injury (TBI).

A traumatic brain injury can have devastating, life-long effects. There can be an alteration in moods, resulting in either reduction in motivation or an increase in aggression. There can be damage to a person’s cognitive capacity, such as the inability to make decisions. Recognizing appropriate and inappropriate social behavior may also be affected.

The researchers for this study questioned 111 men between the ages of 27 and 81 from a local homeless shelter. The definition the study used for homelessness was “living at a shelter within the last seven days and not having a home of one’s own.” Although the men were randomly chosen, there were criteria they needed to meet in order to participate. They had to be able to speak English; they had to be able to give their consent to participate; they could not have any severe mental illness which would pose a safety risk for the researchers. The majority of participants had issues with chronic alcoholism.

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 Posted on June 20, 2014 in Uncategorized

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently announced their newest safety campaign, TireWise. The campaign’s goal is to educate both consumers and tire retailers to the importance of choosing and maintaining the vehicle tires.

According to statistics from the NHTSA, there are 11,000 tire-related vehicle accidents every year. Two hundred people die each year from those tire-related crashes.

Topics covered in the TireWise campaign include:

• How to select the correct size, type and rating for your vehicle;
• How to perform a monthly tire pressure check, which the NHTSA says is “critical” to tire safety;
• How to monthly checks for wear and tear to the tread of your tires;
• How to check and deal with aging of tires, such what causes tire to age and break down, how to extend the life of your tires and when it’s time to replace them;

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