Subscribe to this Blog's FeedIt's no secret that accidents involving large commercial trucks tend to be more dangerous than crashes involving only smaller vehicles. In fact, while only three percent of all vehicles registered in the U.S. are large trucks, those trucks account for a disproportionate number of traffic-accident fatalities.
June 2012 Archives
Study explores efficacy of 'cooling' for babies suffering from oxygen deprivation
There is no question that birth injuries caused by the negligence of physicians, nurses or other health care professionals are utterly devastating for parents and children alike. Interestingly, a recently published study in the New England Journal of Medicine reports that researchers have uncovered a new way to treat oxygen-deprived newborns, a condition that can often be attributed directly to medical malpractice.
Study: Alzheimer's patients more likely to die after hospital stays
More than 5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease or dementia, and they tend to be hospitalized at a greater rate than others in their age group. According to a recent study, however, it appears that doctors and caregivers should give some serious thought to avoiding hospitalizations unless they are completely necessary. Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, which is affiliated with Harvard, and Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston have found that patients with Alzheimer's disease who are hospitalized are significantly more likely to end up in a nursing home or even die within a year of that hospital stay than those who are not.
Robotic exoskeletons helping accident victims walk again
There is no doubt that one of the most devastating injuries that a person can suffer in a serious car accident or truck accident is paralysis. Suddenly, you are forced learn how to adjust to an entirely new life -- one without walking.
Study: Teen drivers less likely to text when peers are riding with them
A new study by Consumer Reports suggests that teens might actually be able to reduce the number of friends who text while driving, which in turn might help lower the car accident rate among younger drivers. And that's good news, because distracted driving -- and few things are as distracting to motorists as texting while driving -- is one of the leading causes of all fatal car wrecks. The Chicago Tribune recently discussed the Consumer Reports study, which found that when teens drive with other teens, it encourages them to refrain from distracted driving. This makes sense: If teens are surrounded by their friends in the car, they'll be far less likely to text or talk on the phone.
Does the FDA do enough to warn of drug recalls?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration might not be doing enough to inform health care providers of drug recalls, according to a recent story by ABC News. And this could perhaps result in more product liability lawsuits as consumers inadvertently take medication that they don't know has been recalled. According to ABC, drug recalls happen about once every month in the United States. But researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston recently found that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued official public notices for only about half of these drug recalls that were considered the most serious. Researchers studied eight years of data from the FDA's Enforcement Reports, said ABC. During this time, FDA records showed 1,734 drug recalls, with 91 of these tagged as Class I recalls. These are the recalled drugs that had the highest chances of causing serious harm, even death, to patients.
Pennsylvania emergency room error leads to wrongful death
Emergency room doctors in must make quick and accurate decisions concerning patients care in order to avoid placing the patient at risk of more danger. If a doctor fails to diagnose the appropriate medical condition in the emergency room, this could be considered emergency room negligence, and may result in placing the patient at risk of further serious complications.
Dangerous bus companies shut down by federal authorities
In an effort to reduce the number of traffic fatalities caused by bus accidents, federal authorities have ordered more than 30 buses belonging to three bus companies off of the roads.
Pennsylvania couple sees car crash into house -- yet again
Recently, a car crashed into the home of an Easton, Pennsylvania couple. What makes this car accident story particularly bizarre is that this is the third time in the last sixth months that a car has crashed into the couple's house. The homeowners think that the problems all started when the county put a two-lane bridge directly across the street from their house. "If you come across that bridge and you don't stop, you're in my house," the wife said.
