Little Rock Personal Injury Lawyer

Senate Blocks Bill on Pilot Truck Program

Drew Dixon — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:44:52 GMT

Members of the Senate voted and blocked a truck program that would have given 100 Mexican truck carriers an opportunity to have 500 trucks cross the border and transport goods on U.S. Highways.

Since its inception in 1994, The North American Free Trade Agreement has given supporters of free trade the idea of a pilot program involving Mexican truck carriers. In fact, last year the Bush administration was fully committed to moving forward with a pilot test program that would have allowed Mexican trucks to operate freely across the U.S. until Congress cut off the necessary funding for the implementation of the program in December.

In a further effort to thwart the program, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted 20-9 to block the pilot program last week, making it two times in a row the program has been contested.

Citing a concern for highway safety and U.S. jobs, opponents of the program believe there are insufficient safeguards in place to ensure Mexican trucks are as safe as U.S. carriers. The Department of Transportation may find it impossible to enforce their rules and regulations on companies in Mexico. Currently, Mexican trucks have to stop at a border buffer zone and transport their loads onto U.S. carrier trucks.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons by Alex Covarrubias

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Drew Dixon

Basic Head Injury Information

Frank Bailey — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 08:42:06 GMT

In my experience brain injuries are the most undiagnosed injuries Americans suffer. Car wrecks, motorcycle wrecks, and bicycle wrecks account for at least half of all TBIs and the largest portion of TBI in people under age 75. For those people aged 75 and older falls cause the majority of TBIs.

Why are brain injuries so undiagnosed in emergency rooms? Emergency rooms are concerned with saving lives and treating obvious injuries. Brain injuries are not always apparent when a person has just been in a wreck. Physicians are focused on broken bones, and more obvious injuries. Unless emergency room physicians are looking for brain injury, the brain injury may slip through the cracks.

People should have a basic understanding of the most common symptoms. If there is a change in the way you think, I call it fuzzy thinking, or if you have trouble finding words when you talk, these are common symptoms of a traumatic brain injury. Other symptoms are dizziness, headaches, and changes in temperament.

Traumatic brain injury is a frequent cause of major long-term disability unless treated. Outcome for patients with head injury depends heavily on the cause. For example, in the US, patients with TBIs from falls have an 89% survival rate, while only 9% of patients with firearm-related TBIs survive.

Car manufacturers have helped reduce the number of brain injuries by making cars safer, but they still have a long way to go to become completely safe. Motorcycle helmets help, but if a rider lands on his head, the helmet may not prevent a brain injury even though it may have saved the rider's life.

If you or a family member have been in a serious wreck, I suggest you be examined by a trained medical care provider to rule out brain injury, or to get treatment.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Frank Bailey

Bicycle Safety Tips

Drew Dixon — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:05:09 GMT

When most people think of bicycle safety they think that wearing a helmet is sufficient. However, bike riders must also consider the danger of riding on roads prone to cars and trucks. With more and more people turning to bikes as the cost of gas increases, many cities like Little Rock continue to construct bike trails. However, there are places without crosswalks where people are expected to cross multiple lanes of traffic to continue on the trails. Therefore, it is important to follow these safety tips to ensure a safe ride.

• Try to keep your bike in good shape.

• Always let cars and people go first.
• Slow down and check traffic at all corners.
• Keep both hands on the handle bars except when doing turn signals.
• Walk across busy streets.
• Stay off busy streets.
And always remember to wear a helmet because most bike crashes result in injuries to the head. For more information on bicycle safety check out http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/out/bike_safety.html.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Drew Dixon

New Devices Help Win Trucking Cases

Frank Bailey — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:43:43 GMT

Trucking companies have the ability to know when drivers are speeding or going over the limit for time on the road. But, do these companies turn a blind eye to this information at the expense of the public? In a trucking wreck, this information is evidence for plaintiffs' attorneys who know how to mine the information and use it to prove their client's case.

On board computers track 175 characteristics such as speed, hard-braking and maintenance. This information allows plaintiffs' attorneys to sue for negligent supervision, negligent maintenance and punitive damages if the facts are bad enough.

The main source of information is the truck's "black box." Some trucks are equipped with EO-BRs (electric on-board recorders) which monitor the number of driving hours, speed, and can indicate every time a driver goes over the allowed number of hours or drives over the speed limit.

Some trucking companies have replaced the old log books with devices that track a driver's schedule and send the information back to the company. Other companies use video cameras and radar to warn of potential hazards such as a sleepy driver.

Hours-of-service violations are often the cause of wrecks due to driver fatigue. With the right evidence from these new devices these cases merit punitive damages.

Getting the information is not as easy as it may seem. It is critical to act quickly before the information is lost or erased.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has proposed a new regulation which would require carriers with a history of violations to install this new equipment. The American Trucking Association opposes mandatory installation. The Truck Safety Coalition thinks the proposed rule is too weak. You can make a difference by contacting the Truck Safety Coalition and letting your opinion be heard to help prevent future accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Frank Bailey

Hospitals May Not Be Doing Enough To Fight MRSA

Drew Dixon — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:07:38 GMT

A recent survey of the infection control practitioners found that 54 percent of them believe hospitals aren't doing everything they can to prevent the spread of methicillin- resistant staph aureus (MRSA). According to the Mayo Clinic, MRSA infection is caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria - often called "staph." It's a strain of staph that's resistant to the broad spectrum of antibiotics commonly used to treat staph, sometimes leading to death. In fact, MRSA is believed MRSA to lead to more than 19,000 deaths of patients each year.

Staph skin infections, including MRSA, generally start as small red bumps that resemble pimples, boils or spider bites and can quickly turn to painful, deep abscesses that require surgical draining. MRSA may also penetrate the body causing infections in the bones, joints, surgical wounds, bloodstream, heart valves, and the lungs.

Because the bacterium is spreading broadly beyond hospitals, some state law makers are trying to create new state laws to prevent the spread of MRSA. In Illinois law makers now require hospitals to test all "at risk" patients and patients in intensive care for MRSA and isolate them if they carry the drug resistant bacterium.

For more information on healthcare associated MRSA check out ww.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_MRSA.html.

Image source: Wikimedia commons

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Drew Dixon

How To Select An Attorney In A Spinal Cord Injury Case

Frank Bailey — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 12:34:12 GMT

If you have sustained a spinal cord injury due to the fault of someone else, you will absolutely need an attorney.You must make an extremely important decision about something you know little or nothing about in deciding which attorney you want to represent you.

How will all this be paid for? Who should I hire? These are important questions this blog is intended to help answer.

Most people don't have the money to pay for an electric wheelchair much less, accessible housing, vehicle adaptation, medical supplies, and personal nursing.

Even with the help of government services, some people with spinal cord injuries may have to get along without a lot of the financial, social, medical, and rehabilitation supports they really need.

Most attorneys work on a contingent fee which does not require the injured person to spendmoney that is needed for medical care. A contingent fee means the attorney only gets paid if a recovery is made. At the time of recovery, the attorney takes a percentage of the recovery, usually one third of the amount recovered unless your case is extremely complicated. In cases of medical negligence cases or extremely complex cases, the fee is usually higher due to the risk involved in taking the case.

A lawsuit brought by a competent attorney may be your only hope to become financially independent. This prospect may seem daunting. This blogoffers some practical suggestions to help you chose wisely.

The National Spinal Cord Injury Association suggests, "Before you consider hiring an attorney, you should weigh the advantages and disadvantages of filing a lawsuit. You should consider the emotional and psychological price to be paid by all persons potentially involved. Civil litigation is typically time-consuming and emotionally-draining. It often takes years for a lawsuit to reach a conclusion." Even with these problems ahead, the best route is to consult an attorney and let the attorney discuss these hurdles with you.

The NSCIA web site also says, "Finding a good attorney is similar to hiring any other professional. You will ultimately want to hire an attorney who specializes in complex personal injury law generally and spinal cord injuries specifically. Word of mouth is perhaps as reliable a method as any."

The web site of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association gives several good questions to ask the attorneys you interview:

Do I have a case worth pursuing? What are my case's strengths and weaknesses?

Do I need the services of an attorney in order to assert my rights?
What is your legal experience in this field?
How many cases like mine have you handled? What were the results?
When did you graduate from law school? Have you received any professional honors?
Have you ever been cited by an ethics committee or sued for malpractice?
Will you personally be working on my case or will you delegate responsibility to others?
How long do you expect this matter to take?
Are there any pending deadlines which are important to preserve my claims?
How will you keep me informed as the case progresses?
Are there any alternatives to litigation? Do you suggest mediation or arbitration?
Can I help with some of the work? What additional information do you need?
What are your rates and how will this matter be billed? Do you require any retainer fee up front?
With these questions you can vet out which attorney you trust with your case. A wise decision will ensure you will by properly represented by an attorney that cares about you and your case.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Frank Bailey

228 Cases of Salmonella Now Linked to Tainted Tomatoes

Drew Dixon — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:30:25 GMT

Last week I blogged about the outbreak of Salmonella in several types of raw tomatoes. Today I was made aware of a recent update from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) attributing the number of illnesses attributed to Salmonella tainted tomatoes to be 228. Infections have been reported in at least twenty-three states since mid-April, with the last 61 cases found in Florida, Georgia, Missouri, New York, Tennessee, and Vermont.

Although the source of the Salmonella has yet to be found, the Food and Drug Administration warns against raw red plum, red round, and Roma tomatoes from geographic areas it hasn't approved.

At this time the FDA has approved tomatoes from 27 states, Belgium, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, the Netherlands, and Puerto Rico. The safe states are Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

The FDA continues to state Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes with the vine still attached are ok to eat and have not been linked to the Salmonella outbreak.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Drew Dixon

Red Tomatoes May Contain Salmonella

Drew Dixon — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:01:19 GMT

The Food and Drug Administration released an alert earlier this week warning consumers in New Mexico (thanks, Mike) and Texas that a Salmonella outbreak may be related to the consumption of certain types of raw red tomatoes and products containing raw red tomatoes. The bacteria, Salmonella serotype Saintpaul, is an uncommon type of Salmonella.

Although the FDA will continue to investigate the specific type and source of the tomatoes, preliminary data suggests that raw red plum, red Roma, or round red tomatoes may be the cause of the outbreak. Tomatoes which have not been implicated and continue to be ok to eat are cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with vines still attached, and tomatoes grown at home.

Salmonellae are frequent causes of food borne illness, especially from poultry and raw eggs and more generally from food that has been cooked or frozen and not eaten straight away. Although most non-typhoidal strains associated with food-borne infection are self-limiting and do not require antibiotics, complicated or systemic infection and infection with specific serovars are indications for antibiotic treatment and often hospitalization.

More Information on safe handling of produce can be found at w.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/prodsafe.html.

IMAGE SOURCE: Wikimedia Commons

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Drew Dixon

Spinal Cord Injuries and New Treatments

Frank Bailey — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:29:40 GMT

Are cars really safer? We have seen so many people with serious spinal cord injuries resulting from head on collisions, I wonder if more can't be done to make cars safer.

But that is for another day.Today I want to talk about new procedures that can help victims of this type of injury. Each year almost 11,000 people suffer spinal cord injuries that result in paraplegia. The average age ranges from 31 to 40 years old.

Fifty years ago there was little that could be done to treat this type of injury and most injuries were fatal. Today modern medicine has made great strides in treatment of these patients, but we have a long way to go.

Medrol is a treatment option for acute spinal cord injury. This is a corticosteroid. If given within eight hours of injury it works by reducing damage to nerve cells and decreasing inflammation. Another treatment is immobilization by a collar or brace. Sometimes emergency surgery is necessary.

Once the patient is stabilized attention is focused on the problems that accompany this type of injury.blood clots, urinary infection deconditioning, or pressure sores, to mention a few.

The newest innovations are lighter wheelchairs, computer driven tools, and electrical stimulation devices. With the help of these new devices the life of a spinal cord victim is made more bearable.

Doctors have found that recovery, if it occurs, starts between a week and six months. Some progress has even been noted after two years.

The long term effects can be devastating on the victim and the victim's family. Truly no amount of money can make the victim whole again. That is why we all need to support research on stem cells and its possible effect on these victims. Why does our President block this type of research? Shouldn't we as a nation do everything we can to help cure these tragic injuries?

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Frank Bailey

Shooter Ruins Wedding Ceremony In Arkansas

Frank Bailey — Tue, 27 May 2008 05:27:51 GMT

I woke this morning to find another tragic story making the headlines in Arkansas. How can people do things like this? According to AP, a stranger shot the bride and groom along with two other people at an outdoor wedding in rural Arkansas.

Apparently the wedding was just ending Saturday when the shooter approached with a pistol and opened fire. The ceremony was being held along Piney Creek about 60 miles northwest of Little Rock, Arkansas.

The shooter was arrested later, but the condition of the injured was unknown.

Sometimes it is better just to not read the newspaper in the mornings.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Frank Bailey