Recent Blog Posts
The Critical Auto Accident Injury Every Parent Should Know About
Auto accident injuries are frightening and alarming for anyone to experience or witness. However, young children are especially prone to catastrophic injuries, partly because their size and developing bodies make them more prone to certain injuries, but also because young children are unable to communicate when or where something hurts. Even more alarming is that some injuries cannot be seen, and parents may unwittingly make the wrong decision after an accident. Atlanto-occipital dislocation, or internal decapitation, is one such injury.
Internal Decapitation – What is It?
Internal decapitation is not an actual decapitation. In fact, the neck itself often appears to be intact. However, beneath the intact flesh, neck ligaments may have been severed or stretched. If not handled correctly and treated immediately, the lower part of the brain stem – a vital part of the brain that controls breathing – can be damaged and ultimately lead to death. The only chance at survival is the complete and careful stabilization of the neck and head. But even then, survival is not guaranteed, and the risk of permanent paralysis is extremely high.
Are High Workers’ Compensation Costs in Illinois Pushing Businesses Away?
When you have been injured on the job, your first source of relief—after addressing your physical injuries—is usually provided by benefits offered through workers’ compensation. Workers’ compensation benefits typically offer coverage for medical expenses, temporary or permanent disability, and some recompense for lost wages. Because the law in Illinois requires employers to provide workers’ compensation for their employees, many workers simply take the system for granted. They give little thought to the reality that workers’ compensation is a type of insurance policy that the employer must purchase at the expense of the company.
High Expenses, Even for Safe Workers
In recent years, the growing costs of purchasing workers’ compensation in Illinois has led many business owners to question the sustainability of the current system. The neighboring states of Missouri and Indiana manage to offer comprehensive workers’ compensation benefits with a significantly lower price tag. One business leader, whose company offers trucking services, said that if he moved his 17 trucking jobs to Missouri, his company could save more than $25,000 annually, just on workers’ compensation costs. He could reportedly save $66,000 on the insurance by moving to Indiana. “We’re just a victim of a high-priced system,” the company president said.
New Law Addresses Recalls for Rental Vehicles
Recently, a new federal law went into effect that requires automobile rental companies to fix any vehicles on their lots that have been recalled. The drafting and passage of the law were largely byproducts of the tragic deaths of Raechel and Jacqueline Houck, who were killed when their recalled rental car malfunctioned due to the company’s failure to repair it.
The Dangers of Renting Recalled Vehicles
In 2004, the auto manufacturer Chrysler notified Enterprise Rental Company that one of their models—the PT Cruiser—had a faulty power steering hose that needed to be replaced. However, rather than placing the car on the inventory list until repairs could be completed, the company continued to rent the vehicle. Tragically, the failure to replace the defective hose caused a loss of steering and a subsequent fire, which led to the untimely deaths of the Houck sisters.
Transvaginal Mesh Now Considered a High-Risk Device
New medications and medical devices are constantly being introduced into the market. Laboratory tests and clinical trials often last for months, years, and even decades before the new products are deemed to be safe for human use. No matter how ‘safe’ a solution is said to be, however, there are always side effects that are possible. Every individual reacts to treatment differently, and it is the responsibility of the drug manufacturers to determine potential risks and disclose them to the public before use. Occasionally, problems will arise that were not foreseen during initial testing, and, unfortunately, the public is left with more suffering than positive results. Such seems to be the case for a product known as transvaginal mesh, leading the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to label the product as a high-risk device.
Crane Accidents a Common Cause of Death Among Construction Workers
Construction is an invaluable industry that helps to keep our roads safe. Its workers grow and refurbish our cities by renovating old buildings and erecting new ones. Unfortunately, this industry is also one of the most dangerous professions in the country. In fact, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that approximately 5,000 workers die in construction site accidents each year. Cranes, which are used to move and hoist heavy equipment, building parts, and building supplies, account for a large portion of those injuries.
Crane Accidents Often Catastrophic
Between 1992 and 2006, 307 fatal crane accidents were reported. In those accidents, 323 workers died, which averages out to approximately 22 deaths per year. Though the number seems small, it is the often catastrophic results of these accidents, and their rates of fatality, that make them so concerning. In fact, 12 of those fatal accidents led to multiple worker deaths. Furthermore, non-workers, such as pedestrians on the sidewalk, bicyclists on the street, and people driving in cars are often injured or killed as well. In short, crane accidents can wreak complete havoc on anyone and everyone in the area.
Xarelto Using Celebrities to Market Drugs
Amid lawsuit claims against Bayer and Jannsen Pharmaceuticals and concerns over the accuracy of clinical trials, company stocks have declined. In an effort to improve stocks (and to possibly improve image), the companies have started using celebrity marketing. But does this really divert attention away from the real risks? Sadly, it very well may.
About the Commercial
NBA player Chris Bosh, NASCAR driver Brian Vickers, golfing legend Arnold Palmer, and Saturday Night Live alumnus Kevin Nealon are all working with Xarelto to promote its use and efficacy in treating pulmonary embolisms, deep vein thrombosis, and stroke in people with atrial fibrillation. Each celebrity allegedly uses the drug as an alternative to other anticoagulants. One even reportedly switched to Xarelto after using Warfarin, which has both blood testing and dietary restrictions.
Investigation Reveals a High Instance of Error During Cataract Surgery
Nearly four million Americans undergo cataract surgery each and every year. This makes it the most commonly performed operation in the country. Unfortunately, it also happens to have more errors than it should, given its relative simplicity and low overall risk. In fact, an independent state agency investigation documented 28 serious errors in the state of Massachusetts alone. If that were to be translated into a national total, it could amount to hundreds of patients being injured by preventable medical errors each and every year.
Cataract Surgery Generally Considered a Safe and Routine Procedure
During cataract surgery, an eye surgeon removes a person’s natural lens and then replaces it with a manufactured one. In total, it generally takes less than a half hour to complete, and the patient, who once suffered from cloudy and obstructed vision, often experiences a dramatic improvement once the process is complete. But the procedure has become so safe and so routine that some nurses, anesthetists, and doctors may be making some serious failures when it comes to protocol.
Scientists Developing a “Stressalyzer” Alert That Would Detect Driver Stress and Distraction
Distracted driving causes more than 3,000 deaths per year and more than 400,000 injuries. Safety advocates, scientists, and researchers have been working hard to find a way to reduce those numbers but have struggled to get drivers to understand the implications. But the results from a new study, and the development of a new safety alert, could go a long way in helping them make some headway.
Research Reveals Why Texting and Driving Is So Dangerous
Previous studies have indicated that distracted driving can increase a driver’s risk of accident by as much as ten times. Researchers from the University of Houston sought to determine the accuracy of those figures, and to see if one form of distraction was more dangerous than another. In an experiment that tested the driving habits of 59 drivers, the research team observed drivers on four separate routes on a simulator.
Tongue Stimulation Study to Examine Efficacy on Traumatic Brain Injury Sufferers
More than half of all traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are the result of a traffic accident. A startling portion of those individuals suffer long-term complications, including memory loss, confusion, poor concentration, and even balance problems. A new experimental therapy is hoping to help those who suffer from residual TBI symptoms, particularly those that have continued balance problems.
Therapy Already Found Fairly Successful in MS Patients
Otherwise known as Portable Neuromodulation Stimulation, the therapy is a non-invasive technique that uses a mouthpiece containing 143 different electrodes. Used in a double-blind study of 14 MS patients who suffered from gait and/or balance, the device was used during intense, 20-minute guided physiotherapy sessions over the course of 14 weeks. Results showed that all participants had improved, but those in the “active” group reportedly had improvements that were not seen in patients from the study’s control group. Researchers, who were tentative to claim this as a positive or affirmative result, have decided to expand testing to include those who have suffered from TBI and experience balance and/or gait issues.
Study: Workers’ Compensation Recovery and Outcomes Vary By State
Although every state in the U.S. offers some form of workers’ compensation for those injured at work, the programs themselves vary greatly. Take, for example, the maximum compensation for losing a limb while on the job. In Illinois, you might receive as much as $439,858, but in Alabama, the maximum payout is only $48,840 - nearly $400,000 less.
When paired with the varied availability of services, maximum monthly compensation, and maximum time-frame for receiving that compensation, these massive disparities and differences can make a substantial difference in the lives of injured workers. A new study, conducted by the Workers Compensation Research Institute, sought to understand how by examining the long-term recovery and outcomes of victims in 15 states.
Access to Services Vary Significantly from State to State
