June, 2017 - WNW Legal

Majority of Drivers Thought to Engage in Road Rage Incidents

June 29, 2017/in Personal Injury /by damg

Mississippi drivers may be interested to learn that, according to a study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, approximately 80 percent of motorists had one incidence of road rage or significant anger within the past year when operating a vehicle. Further, approximately eight million U.S. drivers reportedly engaged in extreme road rage incidents, which included physically confronting other drivers and causing damage to vehicles.

The study also estimated that a significant number of drivers engaged in aggressive driving behaviors that could have turned deadly. For example, approximately 51 percent of drivers, or 104 million drivers, were estimated to have purposefully tailgated the vehicle in front of them. Forty-seven percent of drivers were estimated to have yelled at another driver. When it came to honking in anger and making angry gestures at other drivers, the estimated numbers were 45 percent and 33 percent, respectively.

The AAA offers several tips to help avoid road rage incidents. These include being tolerant and forgiving of other drivers who show overtly aggressive driving behavior and avoiding causing other drivers to have to use their brakes or turn their steering wheel suddenly. Finally, if another driver is engaging in road rage, it is recommended that a driver does not respond to the aggressor and contacts the police if he or she feels that the incident could escalate.

When drivers operate their vehicles in an aggressive or dangerous manner, they put others at risk for becoming involved in a life-impacting or life-threatening car accident. If a person suffers injuries after another purposefully causes the crash due to road rage, a personal injury attorney may file a lawsuit against the liable driver in order to recover damages, including expenses for medical treatment, lost income and potentially even property damages.

Truck Driver Training Rule Will Apply to New Applicants

June 20, 2017/in Personal Injury /by damg

People in Mississippi and throughout the country who obtain their commercial driver’s licenses on or after Feb. 7, 2020, will be subject to new training regulations from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The rule, which came into effect on June 5 after a five-month delay, allows nearly three years for trainers, carriers, and others to become compliant.

As part of the new rule, the FMCSA will maintain a registry of trainers who have been certified by the agency after meeting a set of criteria. New drivers will be required to get training from people off this registry. The FMCSA has created a core curriculum for drivers, and there is also a requirement for behind-the-wheel training.

In its original form, the rule had a minimum requirement of 30 hours of behind-the-wheel training. Although this was broadly supported throughout the industry, the FMCSA removed the minimum for the rule’s final version. Some industry stakeholders are now trying to get the minimum hours requirement reinstated.

Truck accidents may happen for a variety of reasons. A driver might be poorly trained or driving carelessly. The driver could be fatigued, under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or distracted. Any of these situations could lead to an accident that is much more serious than an accident involving cars because of the size of trucks. Multiple vehicles could be involved, hazardous materials could be spilled, and smaller cars could go under the trucks themselves, which may tear off a car’s roof. People who are seriously injured in a truck accident may need the help of an attorney when seeking compensation to pay for medical bills and other expenses.

Busting Common Nursing Home Misconceptions

June 12, 2017/in Personal Injury /by damg

Entrusting a parent to the care of a nursing home is a major decision. If you have reached this point, it is likely the best option for both you and your loved one, but there are several misconceptions that everybody considering nursing home care should be aware of. According to ABC News, one in three nursing home residents is abused. Being aware of the following misconceptions can help prevent such mistreatment.

Falling is inevitable

Many elderly people have issues with vertigo and balance, so it is no surprise that they may fall if they are left unsupervised. In a nursing home environment, however, the staff is supposed to be present in order to prevent this. If you find out that a loved one has fallen, you should not assume it was an accident. Rather, you should question how it happened and whether it is a reliable account of the resident’s injuries.

Illness is nothing to worry about

Similarly, most nursing home residents are there because of failing health. It is reasonable, then, that you may accept reports of a resident’s illness without question. Many ailments, however—including dehydration, malnutrition or infections—may be the cause of lacking care from nursing home staff. If your loved one has experienced these or any other seemingly preventable illnesses, it is worth considering whether neglect contributed.

Pressure sores are normal

Pressure sores develop when a bedridden patient is not able to move positions for an extended period. This eventually leads to skin damage in the form of ulcers. While some may suggest that this ailment is normal or an inevitability, it is, in fact, a common symptom of nursing home neglect. If your loved one has developed pressure ulcers, you should take action to ensure sufficient care in the future.

Elderly people are one of the most vulnerable populations. Contact an attorney if you have reason to believe your loved one has suffered nursing home abuse.

Improper Use of Anticoagulants in Nursing Homes

June 8, 2017/in Personal Injury /by damg

Nursing homes in Mississippi and the rest of the country routinely administer blood thinners, like Coumadin or Warfarin, improperly. The drugs are useful in stopping internal bleeding but can be fatal if they are given to patients excessively or in insufficient doses.

The improper use of anticoagulants has not received as much attention as other forms of nursing home neglect, such as the failure to supervise patients or the failure to ensure that patients receive proper nutrition and personal care. This oversight is attributed to the fact that when the medications are used as they should, they are beneficial to patients and can extend their lives. However, many of the nursing patients who receive the medications suffer because their caregivers fail to administer the medications properly, or their physicians fail to consider the adverse impacts drug interactions can have.

. According to a study published in 2007, an estimated 34,000 people die every year due to errors related to Coumadin or Warfarin. In North Carolina, the data indicated that the anticoagulant was the drug most likely to be a part of a medication error. This is because the amount of the drug required in the bloodstream in order to make it effective is very specific. In fact, if there is too much Coumadin present in a patient’s blood, a bleed will occur, while not having enough of the drug in the blood can result in a stroke.

As is the case with other medical professionals, nursing home doctors and nurses are required to adhere to a reasonable standard of care when treating their resident patients. The family members of a resident who has been harmed by this type of medication error may want to meet with an attorney to discuss their options.