Little Rock Personal Injury Lawyer - Automobile Accidents

Defective Valve Stems From China

Frank Bailey — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:25:08 GMT

Yet another Chinese import causes problems for Americans. The latest defective products are valve stems. Valve stems are the little black protrusions that are on the inside of each wheel and allow the tire to be inflated with air.

If a valve stem cracks, the air in the tire can suddenly escape, similar to a blow out, and the vehicle can go out of control and crash. The valves that are defective were sold between September 2006 and June 2007. There are some 30 million of these valve stems that were manufactured by Topseal, a subsidiary of Shanghai Baolong Automotive Corp. The valves were distributed by Dill Air Controls, an Oxford North Carolina, company.

Dill has issued a technical bulletin to its customers warning retailers to inspect the valves when the customers come in for regular service.

At this time the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating the problem.

During these hot summer months, I expect to see more of these failures as the heat from the pavement causes the rubber to decay faster.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Frank Bailey

Do I Need An Attorney

Frank Bailey — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:01:16 GMT

Occasionally someone will ask me if they need an attorney for one thing or another. I inquire a little about their problem and usually respond that, “Yes they should consult with an attorney before signing anything.” Why do I do that?

In my experience, attorneys don’t normally charge for an initial consultation. It is like a store that doesn’t charge for you to go in and try on shoes to see if you like them, or if they fit. Attorneys are the same way. The initial consultation is to see if you need an attorney, if you like the attorney you are consulting with, and if the attorney is willing to undertake your case.

In our practice, we have become very selective in the cases we accept. It doesn’t do us any good to take a case where there is little chance of doing the client any good. In cases where neighbors are fighting over a boundary line, or parents fighting over child visitation or the like, we really can’t do much good for the client.

On the other hand, attorneys usually can be very helpful in the case of an auto accident, a case involving a dangerous drug or product, or a medical malpractice case. In fact, in most of those types of cases, an attorney is absolutely necessary to get the best result.

In choosing an attorney, word of mouth is good. Other factors to consider are board certification, years of experience, and interest in your case. Most attorneys are willing to discuss their experience and qualifications. If they are hesitant to discuss those types of issues, look somewhere else.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Frank Bailey

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

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