October, 2017 - WNW Legal

Night Shift Workers Run the Risk of Drowsy Driving

October 26, 2017/in Personal Injury /by damg

In Mississippi and around the country, night shift workers are endangering themselves and others on the road because of drowsiness. Drowsy driving is considered a public health hazard, and investigators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have conducted a study to see just how dangerous it can be.

Sixteen-night shift workers participated in a study composed of two driving sessions on a closed track. The first session was conducted after drivers received an adequate 7.6 hours of sleep on average. The second session took place immediately after the 16 were done with their shift. Investigators measured performance through the number of times that drivers weaved in and out of lanes, lost control of their vehicle or had near-crash events, while an EEG measured drowsiness during micro-sleep episodes.

In half of all the sessions, drivers lost control of their vehicle. In the second session, 6 out of the 16 drivers had a near-crash event, and a third had to end the session with an emergency braking maneuver. Researchers stated that they could detect drowsiness in drivers within the first 15 minutes of the second session. The authors of the study concluded by saying that night shift workers should find alternate transportation, especially for their commute home, in order to avoid accidents.

While it is understandable that in order to make a living, some people must risk the irregular sleep-wake cycle that the night shift brings, a drowsy driver who causes a car crash might still be liable for any injuries incurred by occupants of other vehicles. Victims may want to have legal representation when seeking compensation for medical bills, property damage, and other losses.

Bed Sores Are an Evident Sign of Likely Neglect in Nursing Home

October 25, 2017/in Personal Injury /by damg

With the recent loss of eight elderly residents of a nursing home, the spotlight is again on nursing home neglect, and people in Mississippi have taken note. USA Today reports the sister nursing home to the one that housed these seniors had recently and temporarily lost its right to accept new patients after findings of abuses and neglect.

Family members whose loved ones live in a nursing home should be able to rely on the nursing home professionals to competently perform their duties. However, that is not always the case. Loved ones visiting their elderly family members should keep their eyes open for some tell-tale signs of neglect. One of those signs can manifest itself right on the body of the beloved senior. Bed sores, also known as pressure sores, are not a natural occurrence for a properly cared for resident.

How to detect a pressure sore

Visiting family members can keep an eye out for redness on the loved one’s skin, which would be a pre-sore warning sign. Without abating the cause for pressure redness, the condition can worsen to severe skin damage that can travel all the way into muscles. Later, it can even extend into bone. In fact, often pressure sores grow over bony parts of the body, including elbows and hips, although other areas are possible.

Skin folds are also vulnerable to sores, as are areas that may be adjacent to therapeutic apparatus, such as oxygen tubing, which puts a physical burden on the skin in areas such as the ears. Ultimately, pressure sores tend to become infected, which can be life-threatening.

Early detection can help lead to healing

Catching a pressure ulcer early is important because later it can be difficult to treat. The sores tend to heal slowly, and the lapse in attention that created them is the very behavior necessary to heal them.

Constant pressure on the skin due to lying in bed or sitting in a chair for too long without moving positions causes the sores. Blood supply to that area of skin decreases, which ultimately causes the skin to break down and an open sore to grow. Frequent and regular changing of the body’s position is critical to preventing and healing the sores.

Deadly Accidents Are Up; Speeding and Not Buckling up to Blame

October 18, 2017/in Personal Injury /by damg

Mississippi drivers might want to be more cautious than usual on the roads these days because deadly crashes are on the rise. This information comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Speeding, not using seat belts and a rise in motorcycle fatalities are the primary reasons for the increase.

The NHTSA data on deadly vehicle accidents was released on Oct. 6. In 2016, accidents took the lives of 37, 416 people. That is an increase of 5.6 percent from the previous year. This is a reversal of a downward trend that had been taking place since 2007. Annual traffic fatalities fell six times between 2007 and 2014, and hit a low of 32, 744 that last year.

Although newer cars may be safer because of technology like rearview cameras and auto braking, some types of technology could be encouraging unsafe driver behavior. Infotainment systems that allow drivers to interact with touch screens while driving increase the risk of distracted driving. But distracted driving deaths actually fell in 2016.

Other driver and passenger behaviors are attributed to the increase in 2016 deaths, such as speeding and not wearing seat belts. Motorcycle deaths also increased by 5.1 percent. The NHTSA says that human choices are to blame for most serious vehicle accidents.

When someone is hurt in an accident that was caused by the negligence of another motorist, that driver’s insurance company might offer a settlement, but this might be less than the injured person is entitled to. In such an event, the next step might be to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver with the help of an experienced attorney.

Distracted Driving Is More Than Just Talking on a Cellphone

October 4, 2017/in Personal Injury /by damg

Mississippi motorists likely know that distracted driving is wrong, but that may not stop them from doing it in some form. Many may think that distracted driving is confined to talking on the cellphone or texting while behind the wheel. If so, they would be wrong. It is anything that takes the driver’s mind off the road.

In reality, there are actually three types of distracted driving: cognitive, visual and manual. Cognitive is when a motorist is thinking about something else, such as work or home issues, while driving. Visual distraction occurs when people take their eyes off the road, perhaps to adjust the radio or check the kids in the back seat. Manual distraction happens when the driver takes one or both hands off the wheel, such as when eating. All three combine when motorists text and drive.

People who want to avoid distracted driving should turn off their cell phones and use a hands-free system only in emergencies. Children should be settled in before the driver starts the car. Hungry or thirsty drivers should eat or drink before or after the trip, not while they’re driving. Finally, they should program the GPS before they begin to drive.

Distracted drivers were involved in thousands of motor vehicle accidents in 2013. These accidents resulted in at least 424,000 injuries and more than 3,000 fatalities. People who are injured in car accidents caused by distracted or otherwise negligent drivers may be eligible for compensation for their medical bills and other losses. They might want to have the help of an attorney when seeking a settlement offer from the at-fault motorist’s insurance company.