Personal Injury

Published on: February 6, 2024

Spinal Injury can Cause Muscle Wastage in Patients

A spinal cord injury can result in loss of muscle to a larger extent than can be attributed to lack of movement and mobility. A new study points to one of the lesser known, but longer term consequences of a spinal cord injury after an auto accident.

A spinal cord injury is a serious personal injury that is caused when there is an injury to the spine during an auto accident, or motorcycle accident or pedestrian accident. Spinal cord injuries may also be caused in slip and fall accidents. The degree and severity of the spinal cord injury can depend on the location of the vertebrae where the injury occurs. Spinal cord injuries can result in loss of movement and mobility making it impossible for the person to stand, walk and otherwise use his or her limbs. These personal injuries significantly alter a person’s life and his ability to earn a living and live a normal life after the personal injury.

A new study finds that there are long term consequences of a spinal injury that we may not be aware of. The study recently found that a spinal cord injury can cause significant muscle wastage in patients. Some degree of muscle wastage in patients who have suffered a spinal cord injury is to be expected because of the lack of movement and exercise that can cause muscles to wither away. According to the study, however, the kind of muscle wastage that a person with these injuries suffers cannot simply be explained away by lack of movement. In fact, the researchers believe that it has more to do with the ability of the adrenal glands to receive nerve signals.

Published on: January 25, 2024

The Impact of Automated Enforcement on Minimizing Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The use of automated enforcement like red light camera systems can be a sensitive and touchy subject for most Atlanteans, but as federal administration officials focus harder on preventing auto accident wrongful deaths and serious personal injuries, the presence of such systems on American roads is only likely to increase.

A recent report by the Governors Highway Safety Association and State Farm focused on the various types of automated enforcement systems that are currently in place on American roads, effectiveness of these systems and the sensitivities involved in the implementation of these systems. The most common automated enforcement technologies currently on our roads include red light camera systems, speed camera systems and school bus stop arm camera systems. Some jurisdictions have also begun preliminary experimentation with cameras to identify when people are driving without seatbelts and when motorists are using cell phones while driving.

The need for automotive enforcement, especially speed camera systems, has become even more dire over the past few years as speeding rates across the country have skyrocketed. The number of people being killed in car accidents directly related to speeding has also increased. Law enforcement departments across the country have been struggling with reduced staffing, and that has meant departments looking more and more towards the use of automation to help with enforcement.

Published on: January 23, 2024

Brain Implant Helps Car Accident Victims Recover Cognitive Abilities

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

One of the most devastating consequences of a brain injury after a car accident is the effect on a person’s cognitive abilities. A new study finds that a brain stimulator device can help a person recover these critical abilities after a personal injury.

The findings of the study were published in a recent issue of the Nature Medicine journal. The researchers implanted the stimulators in the brains of persons who had suffered brain injuries as a result of trauma. The implants were left on for about 12 hours a day and the participants spent 3 months with the implants.

The research by scientists at Stanford University found that the implantation of the deep brain stimulator helped trigger electric activity in brain neurons that had been left damaged after trauma. While the researchers were hoping for a 10% increase in mental processing as a result of the implantation of the device, they were surprised to find that the improvement was as high as 32% in the patients. What is even more promising is that the device can help with impairments that have occurred as a result of old brain injuries. According to the scientists, the device offers great hope to persons who have suffered injuries that have left them with memory loss and poor thinking skills.

Published on: January 8, 2024

Many Seniors Receive No Follow Up Care After Slip and Fall Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Follow up care is not just important, but also critical after a senior suffers injuries in a slip and fall accident, and yet, new studies find that far too many seniors receive no such after – fall care, resulting in serious consequences.

The new studies find that as many as 59% of seniors receive no follow – up care after they have suffered personal injuries in a slip and fall accident. This is in spite of the fact that it is well- established that follow up – care after a fall can help seniors not just recover quickly, but also learn how to avoid falls in the future. It is also in spite of the fact that slip and fall accidents are a serious health concern for American seniors. For example, one in four seniors above the age of 65 is expected to suffer a slip and fall accident, sending 8 million persons to hospital emergency rooms. Even more worrying is the fact that 27,000 seniors suffer fatal personal injuries in slip and fall accidents, while these accidents also contribute to 800,000 personal injuries every year. In spite of all these facts, many seniors do not return to the emergency room for follow – up visits after suffering head trauma in a fall.

The researchers focused on a group of 1,500 seniors who had suffered injuries in slip and fall accidents, and found that many of them had not returned to their primary care physician for a follow up in the weeks after the slip and fall accident. When seniors did visit a doctor for a follow-up, they were recommended physical therapy as a way to avoid future falls. Physical therapy can help improve balance, gait, coordination and address other physical aspects of aging that can increase a senior’s risk of suffering a slip and fall accident.

Published on: December 27, 2023

Teens at High Risk of Drowsy Driving Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Young drivers below the age of 21 may be at a high risk of driving while fatigued or drowsy, increasing their risks of being involved in a car accident. Those findings come from a new study by the National Sleep Foundation.

The National Sleep Foundation recently released the results of a new study that specifically focused on the effects of drowsy driving on teenage drivers. The findings of the study were released in time to coincide with Drowsy Driving Awareness Week in November.

According to the National Foundation study, drowsy driving is linked to as many as 20% of all fatal car accidents in the United States and another 13% of all car accidents resulting in personal injuries. As many as 16% of teenage drivers admit to having operated a motor vehicle while drowsy or sleepy at least once. That makes it at least 1 in 16 drivers or 1.7 million teenagers who have operated a car when they were so sleepy that they could barely keep their eyes open. As many as 400,000 teenagers admitted to having operated a motor vehicle while drowsy at least once a week. That makes it a higher percentage of drowsy teenage drivers on our roads compared to drowsy adults.

Published on: December 25, 2023

GHSA: Dip in Fatal Teen Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

There is good news for teen motorists – a category of drivers that is traditionally one of the most at risk groups for car accidents. The Governors Highway Safety Association in a recent report announced that there has been a significant drop in the number of fatal car accidents involving young motorists.

The Governors Highway Safety Association recently released the findings of a new report titled Young Drivers and Traffic Fatalities: 20 Years of Progress on the Road to Zero. The report finds that there was a 38% drop in the number of fatal car accidents involving teenage drivers since 2002. During the same period of time, there was actually an increase of 8% in the number of fatal car accidents involving older drivers above the age of 21. There was also a significant 45% drop in the number of teen car accident wrongful deaths during the same period of time, compared to a spike of 11% in car accident deaths for older drivers above the age of 21. Traditionally, teenage drivers have had a car accident wrongful death rate that is four times higher than for drivers above the age of 21.

A number of factors could possibly have impacted this significant drop in fatal car accidents involving teenage drivers. The Governors Highway Safety Association makes note of the fact that teenage drivers are driving at lower volumes than they used to in 2002. The organization also believes that this has contributed to just a very small percentage of the staggering drop in fatal teen car accidents. The Governors Highway Safety Association believes that much of the drop has to do with the fact that so many states like Georgia now have solid Graduated Drivers’ Licensing programs in place. These programs place significant restrictions on a teenager’s ability to drive independently including restrictions on the ability to drive at night and drive with teenage passengers in the car. However, most of these Graduated Drivers’ Licensing programs apply to drivers below the age of 18, and the report recommends that states extend these programs to drivers between the ages of 18 and 20 in order to reduce those accident risks further.

Published on: December 21, 2023

Vision Loss is a Major Car Accident Risk Factor for Seniors

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Declining vision is a much more serious car accident risk factor for senior drivers than we may believe. According to the results of a new study, it is linked to an 84% higher risk of being involved in car accidents.

Seniors may suffer from a number of health challenges as they get older that increase their risks of being involved in an auto accident, and one of the most significant of those challenges is declining vision. Being unable to see clearly or the lack of a wide range of vision that allows the driver to see not just ahead but also identify auto accident risks from the sides, can significantly impact the person’s risk of being involved in a dangerous car accident. It is for this reason that most states, including Georgia, have laws in place that require senior drivers to get their eyesight tested at regular intervals as a condition for license renewal.

At a recent conference of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, researchers presented the results of a study which found that the current eye testing system that is currently followed in so many states may not be the ideal way to determine senior health and the capacity of older motorists to avoid car accidents.

Published on: December 14, 2023

How to Prevent Slip and Fall Accident Injuries in Winter

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Winter is coming, and with it comes the risk of slip and fall accidents that can result in serious personal injuries. Doctors are warning pedestrians, especially the elderly, to be extra cautious while walking during the season.

Atlanta sees more than its share of snowy, wet and icy conditions during winter, and these can provide ideal conditions for a slip and fall accident. Sidewalks and paths can be covered with black ice that may be invisible, but treacherous enough to cause a fall.

What is the best thing you could do to prevent a slip and fall accident this winter? The answer is surprisingly – walk like a penguin. Slip and fall safety experts say that walking with short, slow steps is the ideal walking pace to prevent a slip and fall accident this winter. Use heavy, weighted steps and be aware of your surroundings at all times. Avoid walking fast even if the path ahead seems safe and free of ice. Avoid taking long strides that can make it hard for you to prevent a fall.

Published on: December 8, 2023

Video Game Technology Helps Predict Young Driver Car Accident Risks

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

It is always a nerve wracking moment for any parent when their child receives a driver’s license and begins operating a motor vehicle. A new technology that makes use of a video game to identify teen responses to car accident risks may help parents understand better what kind of driver their child is likely to become.

Research scientists at the Neuroscience of Driving program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Center for Injury Research and Prevention recently designed a virtual driving assessment test that is aimed at understanding teenage behaviors and responses to common auto accident risks and evaluating future driving behaviors based on these.

The new technology is called Already Assess by Diagnostic Driving. It consists of a 15 – minute simulator drive that is designed like a video game. Teenagers are required to follow the simulated course on a large computer screen using headphones, foot pedals and a steering wheel. As the teenager moves through the simulated course, the technology monitors around 100 driving skills that can predict the teen’s risk of a car accident. These skills include the crucial ability to navigate difficult curves and intersections, lane position, control of the vehicle, the proximity of his vehicle to other vehicles, and his or her ability to respond to sudden and emergency hazards. When the teenager completes the course, he is given a personalized report card that clearly outlines his or her responses to various stimuli and the areas of deficiency as well as the areas that she or he can improve on.

Published on: December 6, 2023

Brain Injury Tied to Higher Depression Risk in Women

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Traumatic brain injury of the kind that is often sustained in car accidents, trucking accident as well as slip and fall accidents is linked to several health consequences, including mental health symptoms like depression. A new study finds that women may be at a much higher risk of suffering depression after a traumatic brain injury, compared to men.

Researchers recently analyzed 9 studies on traumatic brain injury and related depression, and found that women had a risk of suffering depression after a personal injury that was as much as 50% higher than the risk for men. The analysis focused on more than 700,000 people who suffered a traumatic brain injury, including more than 360,000 women. Out of these, approximately 29% or 104,000 women reported depression after the injury. In contrast, 332,000 men suffered a brain injury in the study, and out of these, 72,000 or 22% reported depression in the months after the injury.

The researchers have been unable to speculate about the reasons for this difference between men and women, but the fact is that women seem to be at a much higher overall risk of suffering depression compared to men. Among older women, for instance, the top cause of depression is traumatic brain injury and the biggest cause of brain injury in women is slip and fall accidents. The researchers believe that it is important for physicians treating older women or any women suffering from brain injury to caution them about their risks for depression.