Articles Posted in Personal Injury

Published on:

by

The medications that you are currently taking could increase your risks of being involved in an auto accident. Since car accidents are a major cause of severe personal injuries, it is important to evaluate the medications you are taking to determine if they increase your risk of an accident. If so, you may wish to adjust your driving habits to reduce the risk of being in an accident and suffering injuries.

Most medications come with little or no drowsy driving risks.  Many of them, however, do include risks that can affect a persons’ driving abilities, and patients may remain unaware of the dangers of using these medications, especially when they operate a motor vehicle. Some medications are widely known to have drowsiness- inducing properties.  For instance, anti-allergy medications or those that are used to treat common colds and coughs may come with ingredients that increase a person’s sleepiness and make him feel lethargic.  A person using these drugs is much more likely to cause an accident if he is driving a vehicle while under the influence of the drug. Medications that include codeine and hydrocodone, for example, are strongly linked with drowsiness and fatigue.

Apart from cold medications and antihistamines, many Americans now take a wide range of medications to treat a variety of conditions.  There has been an explosion in lifestyle conditions, and millions of Americans now take beta blockers to treat heart disease and cardiovascular conditions. Beta blockers can cause symptoms like giddiness, dizziness and extreme tiredness that could prove dangerous when the person is behind the wheel.  Anti-anxiety medications, antipsychotic drugs as well as anti-depressants are also strongly linked to drowsiness.

Continue reading
Published on:

by

Symptoms of a mild brain injury, including confusion and memory loss, can continue to linger in a person up to a year after he has suffered a personal injury. The duration of brain injury symptoms may have a significant impact on claims arising out of automobile accidents or other personal injury matters.

Those findings related to lingering symptoms of mild brain injuries came from a recent study that was conducted on a group of young athletes. The findings of the study were published in the journal Neurology.   The study found that young athletes who had suffered a concussion continued to show signs  of the injury in their brain scans for months after the injury had occurred.  Some of those signs continued to linger for up to a year after the injury. While the findings pertained to young athletes, the same can certainly occur for persons who suffered mild brain injuries in a car accident.

These findings specifically pertain to the long -lasting effects of  a mild brain injury on young athletes,  but we have known for a while that brain injuries – even mild ones – can have long lasting effects.  A brain injury can occur whenever there is any kind of significant jolt or blow to the head or skull.  A brain injury does not have to result in loss of consciousness or even swelling or bleeding  for it to result in impact.  Concussions, for example, are some of the mildest brain injuries, and typically occur in an auto accident or slip and fall accident involving a blow  to the head. However, they can result in symptoms that include loss of consciousness for a few minutes,  memory loss,  confusion, and disorientation.

Continue reading
Published on:

by

New research finds that a combination of implants that trigger movements and robotic exoskeleton devices that help the person coordinate those movements can help treat symptoms of paralysis in patients who have suffered a spinal cord injury. These personal injuries often occur as a result of car accidents, trucking accidents and motorcycle accidents.

Robotic exoskeletons have been one of the most exciting developments in the treatment of spinal cord injury.  These personal injuries can leave persons with varying degrees of paralysis, and research over the past few years has found significant improvements in mobility and movement in persons using these innovations.  However, a combination of a robotic exoskeleton with a muscle implant seems to have even more impressive effects.

A team of researchers has been working on the development of an implant that can trigger muscle impulses in patients who have been paralyzed because of a spinal cord injury.  The sensory impulses triggered by these implants are like the nerve signals triggered naturally by the human body. The researchers recently published the findings of their study in the Science Robotics journal.

Continue reading
Published on:

by

Persons who have suffered a traumatic brain injury have a much higher risk of developing dementia down the road.  A new study not only underscores this fact, but also determines that changes in vascular cells can affect the onset of dementia in persons who have suffered a brain injury. Traumatic brain injuries often occur in car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents and slip and falls.

For decades now, scientists have been aware that suffering a brain injury significantly increases the risk that a person will develop dementia or Alzheimer’s disease down the road.  However, recent studies have  identified the exact molecular mechanism behind the personal injury that can bring about dementia earlier. In this new study, scientists discovered that alterations to the vascular smooth muscle cells lead to an increase in the build-up of proteins called amyloid beta, which are strongly linked to Alzheimer’s disease. What the scientists found even more surprising is that even younger persons who are typically not at risk of dementia suffered a similar increased risk, supported by the vascular muscle cell changes following the brain injury.  The researchers concluded that understanding the changes to the vascular cells  is crucial to understanding how trauma can impact dementia risks and circumventing  or mitigating those risks all together.

Brain injuries can result in a significant number of changes in a person’s mental and physical health.  Even a moderate brain injury can result in cognitive challenges,  memory problems,  difficulties in concentration and attention,  impaired motor skills and a number of other challenges that make it difficult for the person to live a normal life. All of these difficulties make it hard   for the person to be productive or earn a living.  Working even a routine job can become challenging.  For example, motor coordination problems can manifest in a large number of brain injury victims, and these can significantly impact the victim’s earning potential if he is working in a manual job, or one that requires dexterity.

Continue reading
Published on:

by

It is no secret that American SUVs and pick up trucks are extremely popular on our roads and highways.  However, a  new study seems to indicate that super-sized vehicles are not necessarily safer for their occupants,  while becoming even more dangerous for occupants of other vehicles in car accidents with them.

Americans have long preferred larger vehicles, not just because of their looks and style, but also because they are believed to be safer in auto accidents.  To  a large extent, this is true.  A  large Chevrolet Suburban, for instance, packs a greater punch, and offers much greater protection to its occupants in the event of an auto accident, compared to a smaller  passenger car like a  sedan.  The bigger bulk means less damage to the vehicle in the case of an accident, and a lower risk of blunt force trauma to the occupants. This is why these cars are considered ideally suited for high-risk groups like teenage drivers.

Unfortunately, cars on American streets are becoming much bigger and bulkier.  Giant cars that are almost double the height of smaller sedans are fairly common now on our roads.  A new study by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety finds that while the increasing size of cars makes them more dangerous to the occupants of other vehicles on the road,  it does not necessarily mean greater protection for the occupants of the large vehicle.  According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study, in the case of occupants of vehicles that were lesser than the fleet average in weight, the fatality risk was lower with every 500 pounds of additional weight.  In the case of vehicles that were heavier in weight than the fleet average, the protection to occupants was not necessarily higher. In fact, there was barely any drop in the risk of wrongful death for the occupants of these super -sized vehicles.

Continue reading
Published on:

by

Older males have a three times higher risk of suffering a traumatic brain injury, mainly in slip and fall accidents.  That information comes from an analysis of 2021 brain injury data which also found that certain racial demographics also have higher rates of brain injury.

The analysis was based on data from the National Vital Statistics System which found that there were approximately 69,473 deaths due to brain injury in 2021.  Men bore the overwhelming brunt of these personal injuries with a majority of persons who suffered fatal brain injuries being adult males above the age of 75.  Men are as much as three times more likely to suffer a fatal traumatic brain injury compared to women.  That makes a lot of sense when you consider that slip and fall accidents are one of the top causes of brain injury in the United States.

The  analysis also found that demographic groups like American Indians or Native Alaskans have a much higher risk of suffering traumatic brain injury  compared to other racial groups, with the two most common causes being suicides and slip and fall accidents  More than 37,000 traumatic brain injury-related wrongful deaths in the analysis were the result of slip and fall accidents, auto accidents, being hit on the head by an object and other such traumatic incidents.

Continue reading
Published on:

by

New studies find that persons who have suffered traumatic brain injury and are undergoing rehabilitative motor skills therapy, may benefit from short naps after their therapy sessions. Traumatic brain injuries often occur from car accidents, motorcycle accidents, trucking accidents, slip and falls as well as due to construction site accidents.

The results of the study were published recently in the Journal of Sleep Research.  The  researchers focused on the role of short naps during rehabilitation therapy for persons who have suffered traumatic brain injury.  Many  persons with brain injury struggle with motor tasks after their personal injuries.

The study involved the participation of 32 subjects with a brain injury. The participants were required to take short naps of about 45 minutes duration after their therapy sessions.  Their performance was monitored using a number of parameters including MRI imaging. The researchers found that there was enhanced performance after the participants napped, with improvements including quicker retrieval of learned sequences.

Continue reading
Published on:

by

While most motorists arrange to take alternate means of transportation when they are too intoxicated to drive, they may not be as cautious when they are sleepy and not in any condition to operate a vehicle. Unfortunately, this lack of caution results in a significant number of car accidents.

The results of a new study by the National Sleep Foundation reveals the cavalier attitude that most Americans continue to have towards drowsy driving.  This is in spite of the fact that driving while sleeping or fatigued   contributes to thousands of car accidents every year.  Many of these car accidents are fatal while others may result in severe or catastrophic personal injuries.

The National Sleep Foundation survey found that as many as 7 out of 10 American motorists  were likely to seek out  alternate needs of transportation when  they found themselves to be too intoxicated to drive.  However,  the approach to drowsy driving was markedly dissimilar. Only four out of every 10 American motorists,  who had not had enough sleep and were too sleepy to drive, admitted to finding alternate modes of  transportation.

Continue reading
Published on:

by

The  Governors  Highway Safety Association is collaborating with  a major insurer  to make it more accessible for Americans to prevent distracted driving auto accidents.  A new website is part of this effort to help reduce the incidence of distracted driving on our streets.

The  Governors  Highway Safety Association recently announced a collaboration with State Farm Insurance. The initiative includes a website  called GenerationDistractionfree.org, and the aim of the initiative is to empower  parents and guardians to raise a new generation of motorists  who will be less addicted to technology and distractions at the wheel.

Parents have a huge role to play in molding their children’s driving skills.  Distracted driving is a major killer on American roads, and contributes to more than half of all car accidents recorded in Georgia every year.   These are alarming statistics, and it is clear that government- led initiatives and legislation have limited impact in reducing the incidence of distracted driving.   This is why the Governors Highway Safety Association Highway is bringing the topic of distracted driving into American homes.

Continue reading
Published on:

by

With  hundreds of thousands of children across the metro Atlanta region now back at school, it is important for motorists, parents and other stakeholders to focus on looking out for school buses and keeping children safe. Unfortunately, every year there are car accidents near school buses in which children are killed or injured.

As a motorist, know the rules to follow when it comes to sharing the roads with school buses.  School buses are some of the most regulated vehicles on our streets, and, therefore, are subject to a number of rules and regulations.  Motorists  in Georgia and other states are also required to follow the rules when they share the roads with these massive vehicles and their precious cargo, in order to avoid auto accidents.

When you are following a school bus, look out for the flashing lights. Yellow  lights mean that the bus is preparing to slow down, which means that you need to slow down and prepare to stop as well.  A red light means that children are being picked up or dropped off.  You must remain stopped while the red light is on and the Stop arm is extended. Wait till the bus actually starts moving before you start your car and move ahead too.

Continue reading
Contact Information
945 East Paces Ferry Rd # 2230
Atlanta, GA 30326
Phone: (404) 460-0101 Fax: (404) 240-0401 Toll Free: (888) 426-2100
508 E Howard Ave
Decatur, GA 30030
Phone: (404) 460-0101

Please do not include any confidential or sensitive information in a contact form, text message, or voicemail. The contact form sends information by non-encrypted email, which is not secure. Submitting a contact form, sending a text message, making a phone call, or leaving a voicemail does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Copyright © 2016 – 2026, Katz Personal Injury Lawyers
JUSTIA Law Firm Blog Design