Recent Blog Posts
High-Dose Vitamin D May Ease Depression and Fatigue for Spinal Injury Victims
Spinal cord injury victims often experience depression and fatigue after their injury. Caused, perhaps, by a mixture of issues that range from decreased social interaction, lack of sunshine and mobility, decreased social interaction, pain, trauma, and more, these ailments can be further exacerbated if the patient also suffers from vitamin D deficiency. Thankfully, one study has found that high-dose vitamin D supplementation could ease the severity of both symptoms, even among those who are not deficient.
Vitamin D Supplementation for Spinal Injuries
Scientists have previously found that spinal cord injury victims are between four and five times more likely to develop a vitamin D deficiency than those without such injuries. As it turns out, depression and fatigue are some of the most commonly experienced symptoms among those who have deficient vitamin D stores.
What to Do if You are Injured on Someone Else’s Property
Injuries—they can happen anywhere. Sometimes, they are simply accidents with no real traceable cause. But, defective staircases and sidewalks, falling objects, wet or sticky floors, a lack of security, or improper restraint of an animal are, most often, a case of premises liability.
What you do in the days, weeks, and even months after such an incident can determine whether you receive fair compensation for your any injuries you may have sustained. The following steps will guide you, regardless of whether the incident occurred at another person’s home, a government establishment, public place, or business.
#1 – File a Report
If you are personally injured while on a homeowner’s property, you should notify the owner of the property that the incident occurred. Similarly, if you were injured while at a store, government establishment, or place of business, you should speak with the manager or a member of security and request an incident report. Fill it out, to the best of your abilities, and always request a copy before leaving the premises. This is an important, but often forgotten, piece of evidence by many people injured in premises liability cases.
What to Do If You Are Hit By an Uninsured Driver
Getting into a car accident is most of the most stressful things a person can experience. Finding out that the person who caused the accident did not have auto insurance can be even more devastating. Generally, when a person causes a car crash, their insurance is responsible for compensating the other individuals involved in the accident. Without this insurance, the process of recovering costs associated with the accident can be significantly more complicated.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Automobile insurance is required by California law, but some individuals choose to drive without insurance anyway. Because of this, car insurance companies offer uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured motorist coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage is insurance which guarantees that the policyholder will be covered if they are involved in an accident caused by an uninsured motorist or are in a hit-and-run accident. California state law requires an uninsured motorist provision to be included in all auto liability policies. However, you may voluntarily decline this coverage via written request.
Unexpected Causes of Distracted Driving
By now, you have probably already heard about the dangers of texting while driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, AT&T, AAA, nonprofits, and other organizations have spent millions of dollars on campaigns to stop texting and driving. However, there are many other ways that drivers become dangerously distracted on the road.
Children Can Be More Distracting Than Texting
If you have children, you probably spend a lot of time transporting them from after school activities, to friend’s houses, or back and forth from school. According to several studies, you may be driving while distracted. One study showed that children were twelve times more distracting to a driver than texting was. Research has also shown that parents with children in the car spend, on average, three minutes and twenty-two seconds with their eyes off of the road for every sixteen minutes they are diving.
Guardrail Manufacturer Sued for Defective Design
If you have ever driven on the highway, you have probably noticed the grey metal guardrails which line the sides of the road. These guardrails are intended to protect vehicles from going off of the road or crossing into the oncoming traffic lane. However, not all of these guardrails are protecting motorists the way they were intended. At least three lawsuits in several different states have recently been filed alleging that X-LITE guardrail is defectively designed and does not effectively protect motorists.
X-LITE End Terminal Fails to Operate as Designed
The beginning and end of guardrails are called end terminals. These sections of guardrail may look simple, but they are intricately designed to serve several purposes. The X-LITE End Terminal is rounded on the ends and gently slopes toward the ground. This eliminates the sharp ends of the guardrail which, if hit by a car, would do a significant amount of damage to the vehicle and passengers in it.
Drowsy Driving More Deadly Than We Ever Thought
By now you have probably heard one of the many public service announcements reminding drivers to keep their hands off of their cell phone while driving. Ever since cellular telephones exploded in popularity, there have been car accidents caused by people talking or texting on their phones. Texting while driving is a highly-reported issue, but you should know that there is another cause of dangerous distracted driving. Drowsiness, or simply being sleepy, is also a factor in many distracted driving accidents.
New Research Shows Sleepy Drivers Are Prevalent
A recent study released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that the rate at which motor vehicle accidents happen is much higher than previously estimated. While government statistics indicate that only about 1 to 2 percent of all car accidents involve a drowsy driver, AAA’s research shows that the actual rate of drowsiness-caused car accidents is about ten times that. Behind-the-wheel sleepiness was found to be a factor in almost 11 percent of all car accidents which resulted in injury, significant property damage, and/or airbag deployment.
What to Do If You Have Been in a Car Accident Caused by Falling Truck Cargo
If you are like most people, you probably get slightly nervous driving behind an eighteen-wheel truck carrying cargo. Although it is rare, cargo and debris falling off the back of a truck is extremely dangerous. Motorists who run over cargo can spin out of control and crash, often causing other cars to be involved in the accident as well. Other times, cargo can fly out and hit the windshield or body of a vehicle, damaging it. Trucks can become unbalanced when cargo shifts inside the vehicle and topple over. In the most tragic cases, some motorists are severely injured or even die in accidents caused by shifting cargo.
Federal Law Mandates That Trucks Have Cargo Properly Secured
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is the agency which regulates the U.S. trucking industry. In 2004, the agency updated it rules regarding the transportation and securing of cargo in order to reduce the number of accidents caused by cargo shifting or falling from commercial motor vehicles. Cargo must be firmly secured by structures of sufficient strength such as wedges and tiedowns. Additionally, inflatable bags or other materials should be used to fill space between pieces of cargo and the walls of the truck so that cargo cannot move around during transportation. Trucking companies who fail to take appropriate securing measures can be held liable for accidents caused by shifting cargo.
Common Causes of Car Accidents
Getting into a car accident can have devastating consequences for those in the vehicles affected. Astoundingly, almost 1.3 million people die each year in car accidents and an additional 20-50 million are injured or disabled. Whenever a person gets into a vehicle, they are taking a risk. Drivers can lessen the risk that they will get into an accident by never driving after consuming drugs or alcohol, avoiding distractions like cell phones, and keeping a lookout for careless drivers. There are many things that can trigger a car accident, but you may be surprised as to the main causes of such accidents.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving has become a more serious problem every year. Having the world at our fingertips on a cell phone has made it more tempting than ever to take your eyes off of the road. The National Safety Council reports that 1.6 million crashes each year are caused by distracted drivers. In fact, distracted driving is so dangerous that 1 out of 4 of all car accidents are caused by it.
Family Sues Target Over Potty Trainer Injury
Retail product manufacturers and distributors have the responsibility to ensure that their products are safe and reliable. Unfortunately, defective or otherwise dangerous products do still reach consumers. When a company learns that a product that they manufacture or sell is defective, they have the responsibility to fix the problem and warn customers who have already purchased the product. Often this is done through a product recall. Recalls, however, are usually prompted by reports of injuries caused by the products in question.
Major Retailer Faces Lawsuit
Target has come under scrutiny after serious injuries were allegedly caused by a product sold by the retail giant. A family from Riverside, California has filed a lawsuit against Target regarding a potty trainer that they purchased there that severely injured their 3-year-old son. The young boy’s parents and grandparents claim that the boy was nearly dismembered. According to the family, the boy’s genitals became stuck in the polypropylene weePOD Basix potty trainer causing severe lacerations. The boy’s parents rushed him to the emergency room, and the lasting effects of the injury are unknown.
Car Accident Injuries Are Not Always Obvious Right Away
The moments after a car accident can be frightening and overwhelming. Even as the vehicles are coming to a stop, many people have a variety of thoughts racing through their heads, all at the same time. Is everyone okay? Is anyone injured? Am I hurt?
While you are taking stock of your situation following a crash, you should, of course, check yourself for injuries, keeping in mind that injuries are not always immediately apparent. Car accident victims may suffer whiplash, damage to soft tissue, concussions, spinal injuries, broken bones, and other serious injuries that may not become obvious for several hours or even days after the accident. Many of those who are involved in a car accident are quick to conclude that they are not injured, but these assumptions can be dangerous.
Fight or Flight Hormones Mask Pain
It is estimated that as many as 50 million Americans are injured in car accidents each year, many of whom did not immediately realize that they were hurt. This can sometimes be caused by a hormone called adrenaline. Adrenaline—also called epinephrine—floods a person’s bloodstream following a car accident or other distressing event. The “fight or flight” hormone raises the person’s heart rate, increases blood pressure, expands the air passages of the lungs, increases the production of sweat, and dilates the pupils to help prepare the individual to face the hazardous circumstances being presented.