Personal Injury

Published on: May 2, 2024

Promotion of Fast Cars Weakens Progress on Auto Accident Prevention

In 2017, 40% of automobile marketing focused on the performance or speed of the cars. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, such promotion of speeds can undermine efforts towards reducing car accidents numbers resulting in a significant number of personal injuries and wrongful deaths.

According to the analysis, the percentage of automobile marketing that focuses on performance has not budged much over the past few decades. In 1998, for instance, as much as half of all automobile marketing efforts focused on the speed of the vehicle while in 2017, that number had dropped to 40%. Clearly, automobile manufacturers continue to feel comfortable emphasizing the performance and speed of these vehicles. Unfortunately, when it comes to automobiles and their features, a clip of a speeding car is not just another advertisement. Rather, it can encourage motorists to engage in dangerous and risky driving behaviors like driving at high speeds.

Every year, as many as 12,000 people are killed in auto accidents caused directly by a speeding driver. More than 300,000 people are injured in such accidents. The number of people being injured and killed in speeding- related car accidents has increased over the past few years with a spike during the pandemic. During those months when lockdowns ensured fewer vehicles on the road, too many motorists drove at high speeds, complacent in the knowledge that they would not be cited for speeding violations. Unfortunately, those behaviors have continued even after the pandemic ended and traffic volumes went back to normal.

Published on: April 26, 2024

Stem Cells from Fat can Help in Spinal Cord Personal Injury Treatment

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Patients who have suffered a spinal cord personal injury in an auto accident may experience some improvement in their symptoms with the help of stem cell therapy using cells from their own fat.

Those findings come from a new study conducted by researchers at the Mayo Clinic. The findings of the study were published in the journal Nature Communications. The study was conducted on 10 patients who had suffered a spinal cord personal injury. The researchers found in the study that the patients were able to recover some degree of sensation and movement in the areas affected by their spinal injury.

The researchers extracted stem cells from fat from the patients’ thigh and abdomen areas. They expanded these stem cells to 100 million cells which were then injected into the affected areas. The researchers found that 7 out of the 10 patients showed improvement in their symptoms, including two out of three patients who had zero or minimal sensation below the site of their spinal cord injury. Typically, only 5% of such patients manage to recover any kind of sensation or movement in their affected areas. Moreover, the researchers say that there were no significant side effects as a result of the stem cell therapy.

Published on: April 19, 2024

Memory Problems After Brain Injury Linked to Processing Deficit

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Persons who have suffered a brain injury may find it difficult to recall memories or make new memories. This could possibly be a result of processing deficits as a result of a personal injury. Car accidents, slip and fall accidents and similar traumatic events may result in brain injuries which lead to a processing deficit.

A brain injury can result in a number of cognitive and intellectual impairments. The person may suffer from concentration problems, cognitive deficits and a lowered ability to understand and grasp basic concepts and ideas. One of the more troubling parts of life after a brain injury is limited memory function. The person may struggle to recall events, and even short term memory may be affected. According to new research, a brain injury can result in slowing down of processing times or a processing deficit which can, in turn, lead to memory dysfunction. The findings of the study are important when you consider the fact that as many as 50% of patients who have suffered a brain injury do suffer from some kind of memory dysfunction.

The researchers believe that rehabilitation after a brain injury can help with memory function to some extent. They believe that therapy, especially occupational therapy techniques used during rehabilitation must include techniques to speed up processing speed.

Published on: April 15, 2024

Do Partial Automated Driving Systems Help Prevent Car Accidents?

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that partially automated driving systems in several vehicles are not very effective in helping prevent distracted driving. In fact, automated driving systems are likely to increase distracted driving auto accidents.

Partial automated driving systems are present in several automobiles these days. These are not technically self -driven cars, although manufacturers sometimes do position these as self -driven vehicles. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, its researchers analyzed a number of vehicles manufactured by major automakers, including BMW, and found that many of these systems fail at protecting motorists against distractions or helping them focus on the road.

Many motorists prefer partial autonomous systems because they believe these make driving easier. These systems have a few safety features that are automated, but drivers are responsible for tackling many of the routine tasks involved in driving. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety analyzed vehicles manufactured by BMW, Mercedes Benz, Ford and General Motors, and found specific challenges with the way the partial automated systems in these vehicles failed to address problems involving driver distraction. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study found that while many of the systems do have some safeguards in place to protect drivers, these safeguards are not robust enough to help prevent car accidents.

Published on: April 12, 2024

Spinal Injury Linked to Greater Risk of Heart Disease

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Persons who have suffered a spinal injury in car accidents or motorcycle accidents are at a much higher risk of suffering heart disease down the line.

That information comes from a study conducted in Korea where researchers analyzed data on more than 5,000 patients who had suffered lumbar, cervical or thoracic spinal injury. They were looking at how many of these spinal injury survivors developed heart conditions including myocardial infarction, heart failure and atrial fibrillation. They found that persons who had suffered lumbar and cervical spinal injury had a greater risk of myocardial infarctions and heart failure. The rates were slightly higher among those persons who had suffered severe disability as a result of their spinal injury.

The researchers believe that one of the reasons for this is the fact that spinal injury survivors have very limited mobility and ability to exercise. This causes the heart muscles to become weak due to the lack of exercise. The researchers also believe that it is important for doctors treating a person with spinal injury to factor in the increased risk of cardiac disease, including myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation and heart failure. It is important for spinal cord injury survivors and their families and caretakers to understand the higher risk of these specific heart conditions as a result of the injury. More education and awareness is needed, and greater efforts must be put into patient counselling.

Published on: April 9, 2024

Female Car Accident Victims More Likely to Go into Shock After Crash

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

New research provides yet more evidence that the bodies of women and men react differently to car accidents. According to a new study, women who have been involved in a car accident are more likely to suffer from shock after the crash.

Several studies in the past have established the different ways in which male and female bodies respond to the trauma of a car accident. Overall, while men are more likely to be involved in auto accidents, women are much more likely to suffer personal injuries in a car accident, with the rate being approximately 73% higher than for males. They are also much more likely to suffer fatal injuries in an accident. Women are much more likely to suffer certain types of injuries compared to men in auto accidents. For instance, they are much more likely to suffer from lower body injuries or leg injuries compared to men.

A new study finds that women are also much more likely to go into shock after a car accident even when their personal injuries are not as severe compared to men. The study focused on 56,000 victims of car accidents, approximately 50% of whom were women. The researchers found that even when their injuries were less severe or fewer than that of males in an accident, women were more likely to suffer symptoms of shock. While healthy adults have a shock index of between 0.5 and 0.7, the women injured in car accidents in the study displayed a shock index of greater than 1.0. A person with a shock index of 1.0 is at risk of symptoms of hemorrhagic shock including a drastic and rapid fall in blood pressure, body temperature and heartbeat, often resulting in death.

Published on: March 25, 2024

Brain Injury After a Car Accident Could Increase Risk of Cancer

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Persons who have suffered a brain injury in an auto accident may be at a higher risk of developing brain cancer later in life. This the shocking finding of a new study which could have a significant impact on personal injury claims.

A new study that was conducted on military vets finds that a brain injury significantly increases the risk of brain cancer. The study focused on more than 1.9 million vets, and the results are disturbing. Brain cancer is a relatively rare cancer, and only one percent of the general population has the risk of suffering from this disease. However, among veterans who have suffered a brain injury, the risk of developing malignant cancer is as much as 90% higher than in the general population. Additionally, in those cases in which the injury has resulted in penetration of the skull, victims were found to have a three times higher risk of suffering brain cancer.

The researchers take pains to point out that while the study has been conducted on veterans, and that while the exact same results may not be seen in the civilian population, more severe or penetrative brain injury is likely to lead to a higher risk of brain cancer among civilians as well.

Published on: March 8, 2024

Teen Car Accident Wrongful Deaths are on the Decline

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Even as the number of adult drivers being killed in car accidents is on the rise, there has been a sharp drop in the number of teen drivers being killed in car accidents. According to new data by the Governor’s Highway Safety Association, there has been a significant drop of 44% in the number of teen drivers killed in auto accidents.

The Governor’s Highway Safety Association analyzed data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System over the past 2 decades, and found that during this time, there was a 38.1% drop in the number of fatal car accidents involving drivers between the age of 15 and 20. During the same period of time, there was also a 44.7% drop in the number of teenagers in this age category being killed in car accidents. However, there was a 11% increase in the number of car accident deaths involving older drivers. The rate of fatal car accidents involving an older driver above the age of 21 also increased by 7.8% during the same period of time.

What this shows is that while the progress made in reducing the number of car accident deaths involving adult drivers has seemingly reversed, the efforts by organizations like the Governor’s Highway Safety Association to protect teenage drivers and keep them safe in car accidents seem to be showing results. In Georgia, the rate of fatal teen car accidents involving drivers below the age of 21 stood at 6.51 in 2002, and this rate dropped to 4.93 by 2021. The rate of involvement of drivers above the age of 21 in fatal car accidents stood at 2.14 in 2002, and increased to 2.15 in 2021.

Published on: February 16, 2024

Migraines Increase Car Accident Risks for Older Drivers

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Older drivers may be at a high risk of being involved in car accidents, and those risks are simply exacerbated if they also suffer from migraines.

Migraines are a common condition, especially among older people, but they may be dangerous for senior drivers. According to the results of a new study, older drivers who suffer from migraines are as much as three times more likely to be involved in a car accident. The results of the study were published recently in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society. According to the researchers, migraines are already a common concern among older drivers with as many as 7% of senior drivers already diagnosed with migraines. The researchers believe that many migraines are undiagnosed which means we probably have an increasing population of older drivers on our roads who have their driving abilities impacted by their severe headaches and remain unaware of this. The researchers found a threefold increase in car accident risks for senior drivers in the 12 months after a diagnosis. Medications taken to control migraines do not seem to have any impact on car accident risks.

The researchers recommend that senior drivers who have recently been diagnosed with migraines discuss the effects of the condition on their driving abilities with their doctor. Be especially careful about the kind of medications that you take to control the pain while you drive. Also understand the dangers of introducing alcohol to the mix when you are already on medications to treat your migraines. Senior drivers already face a number of safety risks when driving and these could simply be compounded by their migraines.

Published on: February 14, 2024

Large Cars are a Major Car Accident Risk on Georgia Roads

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

While car accident wrongful death numbers in the rest of the developed world have been falling significantly, they have actually been on the rise in the United States. Part of the reason for this, experts say, is the presence of massive or large automobiles on our roads.

Tall SUVs are extremely popular, and have been so for decades. The race to make these cars bigger and better has, unfortunately, resulted in serious safety consequences for motorists and pedestrians. Some of these tall trucks, especially those with blunt trunks, aim directly at the torso or neck of the average American woman. The height of these vehicles makes it almost impossible for motorists to see shorter pedestrians, like young children behind the car. Even more devastating is the kind of impact that an auto accident with one of these monster-sized cars can result in. An auto accident with a smaller car may leave passengers suffering injuries in the leg, while an accident with a tall pick up truck or SUV can leave a passenger with personal injuries to the upper torso or the head and neck, and these personal injuries can be infinitely more serious. They are often also fatal.

Not only are these cars bigger and stronger, but they also come with large blind zones in front of the vehicle. That means they are at risk of causing severe and catastrophic personal injuries to vulnerable users of the road like pedestrians, motorcyclists and bicycles involved in an auto accident with these tall pickup trucks and SUVs. Of special worry is the large blind zone in front of these large vehicles. In one study, experts wanted to study how difficult it is for the driver in one of these cars to identify child pedestrians in front of the car. The experts made children sit in a row in front of the car. They found that a woman driver sitting in the driver’s seat was only able to see the 10th child in the row. Even an alert driver may not be able to identify child pedestrians in front of the car. The kind of car accidents that these large cars cause are devastating and often result in deaths.