Posted on March 05, 2014 in Uncategorized

Semi-trucks are responsible for delivering goods all around the United States. By design, they are very large to fit as much stuff as possible. But their tall frame means that they have a higher possibility of rolling over and damaging other cars on the road. Heavy trucks are also slow to accelerate to the speed of other traffic on the road and take longer to brake. If a car is involved in an accident with a large truck going at a high rate of speed, the result can be devastating and fatal. It is always important to exercise caution when driving but especially around semi trucks. Take certain steps to avoid a dangerous situation with a large truck:

• View large trucks as potential dangers on the road and take extra steps to drive defensively;

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on February 28, 2014 in Uncategorized

New products are constantly released on the market, and sometimes they’re recalled due to safety concerns. Many times, products are recalled before they cause injury or impairment to too many consumers, but that is not always the case. If you are somehow impaired from a defective medication, you can likely be compensated for the damages.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is constantly looking for food and drugs that may be dangerous to people and “when an FDA-regulated product is either defective or potentially harmful, recalling that product is the most effective means for protecting the public.”

Companies that become aware of faults in their products frequently recall their products without any intervention of the FDA, or they are cooperative with the FDA after concerns are brought to their attention.

Various ways that the FDA may hear about an issue with a product include:

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on February 25, 2014 in Uncategorized

It is fairly common to have a fear of planes and flying; commercial planes are so large, you never know when one might fall out of the sky. It is a real possibility, though, that passengers may get injured in a plane crash unexpectedly.

In late October of 2013, two people on board a World-War II-era P-51 Mustang airplane were killed when the plane, owned by a Texas museum, crashed in shallow water near Galveston, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The captain of the charter boat saw the vintage plane crash and notified authorities, said Petty Officer Steve Lehmann. The plane crashed in about four feet of water between Galveston Bay and Chocolate Bay. After searching Chocolate Bay for about an hour, the bodies were recovered by emergency crews called to the accident scene.

The plane, nicknamed the “Galveston Gal,” was built in 1944 and served in the El Salvador Air Force in the 1960s, when it was converted to its current state with two-seats and dual controls.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on February 22, 2014 in Uncategorized

Many families choose to get pets for their children as a way of teaching them responsibility. As with most other choices, though, there is a good and a bad side to getting a family dog. Dogs can be loving and protective companions, but they can also turn out to be very dangerous if they are angered, resulting in victims suffering serious dog bite injuries.

Since September 1982, the United States and Canada have been compiling information about dog attacks that have resulted in death and/or maiming. The most recent results have been published on DogsBite.org, compiled of data as recent at December 31, 2013.

The editor of Animal People, Merritt Clifton, helped to compile this information, which shows the breeds of dog that are most responsible for serious injuries and deaths. The study stated that “The combination of molosser breeds, including pit bulls, curs, rottweilers, presa canaries, cane corsos, mastiffs, dogo argentines, fila braieros, sharpeis, boxers, and their mixes” are at fault for:

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on February 19, 2014 in Uncategorized

As parents age, it can be scary for their children, and there may not be many options for their care. Many elderly couples continue to live at home, perhaps in an elderly community with extra assistance.

When there is only one living partner, or the pair has divorced, they may reach a point where they are no longer able to live alone. In some cases, the elderly person can live with a family member; in some cases they move to a nursing home. If that’s the case, you want to be sure that your parent will be safe and well taken care of in your chosen facility, with little chance of elderly neglect.

A study conducted found that nursing home abuse occurs in about one third of all nursing homes in the nation. This includes verbal, sexual, and physical abuse of varying degrees. ABCNews.com reported that this study found almost 9,000 citations for abuse from 5,283 facilities across the country in two years, and the abuse has been on the rise since 1996.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on February 14, 2014 in Uncategorized

Many car accidents lead to injuries, but some are more severe than others. Victims often walk away with nothing more than bruises and scrapes, but it is possible to walk away with closed head injuries or spinal cord injuries that you may not even know you have until later. Spinal cord injuries can range from mild to extremely severe and can take days to show symptoms, so it is always a good idea to seek medical attention as soon as possible after a car accident- even if you don’t think anything is wrong.

According to the Health section of the New York Times, the range of spinal injuries can differ greatly, and often depends on the location of the injury on the spine. Injuries that are higher up on the spine usually lead to more severe symptoms. Paralysis is a possibility and can range between total paralysis or numbness, loss of movement and feeling, or even paralysis of the breathing muscles, which frequently leads to death.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on February 11, 2014 in Uncategorized

Sometimes car crashes are unavoidable, but many times they are completely avoidable or at least able to be minimized. When you are on the road, it is important to know what to do, whether it is to stay safe and avoid crashes to know what to do if you are involved in a car accident. Most crashes in Texas are caused by the following, according to the Department of Transportation:

• Running red lights and stop signs;
• Failure to yield;
• Following too closely (tailgating);
• Speeding;
• Driving under the influence of alcohol.

Along with avoiding the above driving habits, you can also prevent a crash by:

• Slowing down in poor conditions;
• Looking both ways before entering an intersection;
• Signaling every turn and lane change.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on February 09, 2014 in Uncategorized

2013 concluded with a 16 year old getting off almost scott-free after driving drunk and killing 4 people earlier in the year. Ethan Couch was sentenced to 10 years of probation after facing a potential 20 years in prison.

People find themselves in trouble every day, and some days are worse than others. If you have caused an accident that has injured someone, or perhaps you have been injured in an accident that has been caused by someone else, a Texas accident attorney can help you in court.

Ethan Couch had attorneys who convinced the judge that the death of four people and injures of many others were not his fault, but the fault of his parents for not teaching him about consequences.

Couch had been out driving his Ford F-350 with friends, going 70 mph in a 40 mph area. Two of Couch’s friends were in the bed of the truck when he struck the car on the side of the road and the people in and around it. All four people outside the truck died and one friend who was in the truck was in a coma for several months and remains brain injured and paralyzed. In total, 11 people were injured.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on February 07, 2014 in Uncategorized

After the recession hit, most of the workforce who were close to retiring had to make a difficult choice to delay retirement. A Gallup poll predicted nearly a 75 percent increase in workers who are over the age of 55 by 2020. Whereas younger employees are more likely to be injured by running into things and overexertion, older workers are presented with other dangers at work.

A new study by members of the Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare noticed that the aging workforce is more susceptible to slip and fall accidents at work. Ken Scott, MPH, and Lee Newman, MD, MA, FCCP, FACOEM reviewed data from the 2010 Bureau of Labor Statistics Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses as well as the Current Population Survey. Scott stated that “injuries due to slips, trips and falls become more frequent as employees age. The risk of a slip, trip, and fall injury was about five times higher among workers 65 and over than workers age 18 to 19.” They also offered possible explanations for why older workers face different injuries on the job.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on January 31, 2014 in Uncategorized

As a consumer you are afforded a guarantee when you purchase a product from any company be they a manufacturer, distributor, or retailer. These sellers are responsible for providing products that are free from unreasonable defects. Unfortunately, dangerous products still cause injuries to consumers every year. Those who suffer due to a defective product can seek restitution by filing a product liability lawsuit.

There are three major types of product liability claims that can be filed by a consumer. The first is a defective design suit which means that product was drafted with some inherent flaw that makes it dangerous and not an error with the fabrication. For this type of product liability claim, it is necessary to prove that there was a possible alternative design of the product that would reduce the risks and still serve the same purpose.

The second type of product liability claim is a defect in manufacturing. That is when the process of creating the product does not follow the manufacturer’s specifications. Some error occurred in the making of the product. Where a design defect would affect all of the products, the manufacturing defect would only affect a small amount of the total products due to a manufacturing error.

Continue Reading ››