Mississippi car buyers would be wise to equip their new vehicles with accident avoidance systems according to a study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Lane departure and blind spot warning systems are particularly effective at preventing sideswipe crashes and front-end collisions, and the nonprofit organization’s study suggests that thousands of traffic accident injuries could be avoided each year in the United States if every vehicle was equipped with them.

To gauge the effectiveness of lane departure and blind spot warning systems in real-world driving situations, IIHS researchers studied approximately 5,000 crashes that occurred in 2015. They concluded that the technology reduced the number of such accidents by 11 percent, and they also found that injuries were 21 percent lower among the occupants of vehicles equipped with the systems.

The IIHS study was critical of the steps taken by car makers to encourage their customers to equip their vehicles with the latest safety equipment. While lane departure and blind spot warning systems are available as options on more than half of the cars, pickup trucks and SUVs currently available in the United States, they are fitted as standard equipment less than 10 percent of the time. The study also points out that these safety features are often only available when higher trim levels or costly option packages are selected.

While studies may show that the latest automotive safety technology can prevent motor vehicle accidents and save lives, the IIHS researchers found that many drivers switch these systems off because they find their audible warnings irritating. Experienced personal injury attorneys representing car accident victims could have vehicles inspected to find out if electronic safety features were deactivated prior to a crash, and they may use this evidence to establish negligence and liability.

Medication errors are an ongoing concern for nursing home residents. Mistakes can result in dangerous health problems, hospitalization or even death.

If your elderly loved one is living in such a facility, you should be alert to the potential problems and why they happen. You can take an active role in seeing that your loved one can enjoy a nursing home environment without the danger of serious medication issues.

Know the causes of medication errors

Studies indicate that medical errors affect one in five nursing home residents and that 37 percent of these are medication mistakes. This can happen for many reasons:

• Misdiagnosis leads to the wrong prescription.
• The transcription of the prescription or dosage is incorrect.
• There is confusion about the proper way to administer the medication.
• The nursing facility is understaffed.
• There is a harmful interaction with other medications.

Become educated in the medicine

Many elderly people take several medications for long-term health issues such as high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease. Maintain an updated list of your own about the meds the nursing home resident is taking. Check the active ingredients in each — these are the chemical compounds that work to treat the condition or relieve symptoms. Discuss these ingredients with your pharmacist or your loved one’s doctor to make sure there are no dangerous interactions between the different drugs. Make notations as to how often and at what time of day each is to be taken, then go over the list with the appropriate nursing home staff.

Make an unscheduled visit

Visit your loved one often. Ideally, make some unscheduled visits to the nursing home to observe general daily operations that affect the resident and to see how he or she is getting along. If you notice anything that looks or feels off — the patient seems lethargic or petulant, or displays some other kind of uncharacteristic behavior — start asking questions of the staff. The more follow-up you engage in about the medications your loved one is taking, the better the care he or she can receive.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, roughly 20 percent of the United States population will be 65 years or older by 2030. Many may need to spend at least some time in a nursing home. However, Mississippi residents and others may lose critical protection if the federal government has its way. It intends to get rid of a ban on pre-dispute arbitration.

In essence, a resident in a nursing home or that person’s representative agrees to give up their legal rights in a dispute. In some cases, a nursing home may even refuse to admit a patient if family members representing that person refuse to do so. Many people agree to such terms because they or a family member may desperately need a place where they can receive necessary care. A typical nursing home contract gives the nursing home itself control over the arbitration process.

For instance, it can choose the arbitrator, where the hearing takes place and how the process works. This makes it easier to find arbitrators who will rule in favor of the nursing home. They may feel compelled to rule in favor of the care facility because it may mean more cases and more money in the future. Since arbitration is held in secret, a nursing home doesn’t have to publicly admit wrongdoing if it does something wrong.

If a nursing home resident is hurt because of a medication error or any other type of neglect, that person’s family may wish to pursue legal action. The nursing home may be liable for paying that person’s medical bills or other costs related to their injuries. Punitive damages may also be awarded to generally hold the nursing home accountable and to show that such actions won’t be tolerated.