Personal Injury

Published on: September 23, 2024

Lack of Insurance and Recovery after Spinal Cord Personal Injuries

Uninsured or under-insured patients, who have suffered spinal cord injuries due to auto accident or other traumatic events, may be much more likely to be taken off life support.

A recent study measured the impact of insurance coverage on the survival and recovery of persons after a spinal cord injury. The study focused on more than 8,400 American adults who had suffered a spinal cord injury, and found that uninsured or under-insured patients were much more likely to be taken off life support much earlier than those with insurance.

Spinal cord injuries are often caused in auto accidents, trucking accidents and motorcycle accidents. These are not just devastating personal injuries with long-term consequences, but are also extremely expensive personal injuries to treat. The costs involved in treating spinal cord injuries can range between $95,000 to well above $1,000,000, depending on the complexity or level of the injury. Spinal cord injuries very often can result in paralysis, which in turn, can lead to a number of other effects on a person’s health.

Published on: September 20, 2024

New Bill Would Require SUVs, Trucks to Protect Pedestrians

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A new bill that is expected to be introduced soon would require federal standards for the heights of SUVs and pick-up trucks to also consider pedestrian safety. This is an extremely important change which is likely to save lives in auto accidents involving pedestrians and bicycles.

According to Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pennsylvania), who is introducing the new bill, while there is much that is currently being done to protect occupants inside the vehicle, there is much more that can also be done in order to protect vulnerable users like pedestrians and bicyclists who are outside the vehicle when auto accidents occur.

The popularity of pick-up trucks and SUVs has skyrocketed in the past few decades, and these are some of the most in-demand automobiles on the American roads. Unfortunately, while these are very popular vehicles, their presence on our roads also pose a serious danger to motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists. Their large sizes and bulk makes it much more likely that occupants of smaller vehicles will suffer serious personal injuries or wrongful deaths when they are involved in an auto accident with these large SUVs and trucks. There is immense danger to pedestrians and other vulnerable users like bicyclists who are involved in auto accidents with these vehicles.

Published on: September 17, 2024

Alcohol Could Increase Risks of Brain Bleed after Slip and Fall Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Senior citizens who drink alcohol have a much higher risk of experiencing brain bleeds after suffering a slip and fall. Increasing awareness among Senior Citizens is the key to preventing these slip and falls which often cause serious personal injuries.

According to a new study, even seniors who drink moderately may be at a much higher risk of suffering a brain bleed if they have been involved in a slip and fall accident. Slip and fall accidents are some of the most devastating adverse events that seniors can experience. These accidents can result in the kind of personal injuries that not just permanently injure or disable the senior, but also reduce his life span significantly. Slip and fall accidents, for instance, can result in hip fractures which some studies have linked to an increased risk of fatality in the year following the personal injury.

According to the researchers, their studies find a strong correlation between regular drinking and intracranial hemorrhage after a slip and fall accident. The risk of suffering a brain bleed after a fall doubled in the case of seniors who drank weekly. In the case of seniors who drank daily, the risks of suffering a brain bleed increased by 2.5 times.

Published on: September 9, 2024

Study Finds Behavior Interventions can Help Reduce Distracted Driving

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The use of interventions including financial incentives, goals and social competition can significantly help reduce the incidence of distracted driving on our streets.

Distracted driving causes thousands of car accidents in the metro Atlanta region every year. A new study proves that different interventions could be used to help bring about changes in driver behaviors, resulting in motorists being less likely to reach out for their cell phones while driving.

The study was conducted by an insurance provider and divided more than 1500 participants into 5 groups. The first group was the control group which only received information about the dangers of using a handheld cell phone while driving. Group 2 was given a free phone mount, while group 3 was given habit formation tips over a period of several weeks. Groups 4 and 5 were sent text messages about their performance on handheld cell phone use goals, and were given the chance to win or lose points based on their usage. Participants in group 5 were also given the chance to share in a $2000 prize if they met their goals.

Published on: September 2, 2024

Lighted Crosswalks Can Help Prevent Pedestrian Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Simple design interventions like illuminated crosswalks can make it easier for motorists to see pedestrians at crossings and prevent pedestrian car accidents. A pedestrian car accident often results in severe personal injuries to the pedestrian or his or her wrongful death.

The issue of pedestrian safety is one that has been front and center for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as it grapples with an increase in the number of people being killed in car accidents. Several studies have found that simple improvements to design and infrastructure can help prevent many of these accidents.

Many of these interventions are focused on making pedestrians more visible to drivers. Very often, motorists fail to notice motorists with devastating consequences. A new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety finds that something as simple as illuminated crosswalks can make motorists more visible and help reduce the chance of pedestrian car accidents.

Published on: August 29, 2024

MRI Scans can Predict Recovery in Spinal Cord Personal Injury Patients

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Spinal cord personal injuries are some of the most devastating personal injuries that can occur in a car accident. New research finds that MRI scans which are typically used to guide surgeries in spinal cord injury patients, can also be used to make better assessments of a patient’s potential recovery.

A spinal cord injury occurs when there is a jolt or a blow to the spinal cord resulting in injury to the cord itself. The consequences are often catastrophic. Patients may be left with partial or complete paralysis, and may be unable to walk or use their limbs effectively. Rehabilitation may be a slow process. Often, MRI scans are used during treatment in order to guide surgical options as well as assess the amount of damage. However, researchers recently found that they could very accurately predict recovery for spinal cord injury patients using these same MRI scans. They found that information from MRI scans helped to predict the recovery potential for patients based on the tissue remaining around the affected area. The greater the amount of tissue left, the higher the chances of recovery.

According to the researchers, these are very important findings because they show that MRI scans can be used to guide and inform rehabilitation and therapy options after a spinal cord personal injury. They can help doctors provide better counseling to patients about their lives after spinal cord injury, and how they can expect their lives to change after the injury.

Published on: August 23, 2024

How a Lower BAC Limit Could Help Prevent Drunk Driving Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Nationwide, the maximum legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level is .08. However, most motorists are not aware their auto accident risks begins to increase long before their BAC levels reach that figure.

While .08 is the maximum limit for blood alcohol concentration across the country, the fact is that many motorists, especially light or moderate drinkers, are likely to experience deterioration in their driving abilities that significantly increases their risks of being involved in an auto accident, even at .04 or even lower. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, alcohol can impact driving ability even after one drink. The average drink in the United States can result in a blood alcohol concentration of between .02 and .04 for a light to moderate drinker. This is sufficient to affect the person’s vision as well as his or her ability to multitask. Imagine a person with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.02 trying to drive as well as respond to phone calls at the same time. His or her ability to multitask is markedly reduced, significantly impacting his or her safety and the risks of being involved in a car accident.

When blood alcohol concentration level rises to .05, there is a significant deterioration in driving abilities. At this point, the person is not legally drunk, but his coordination skills are impaired, and he or she might find it difficult to steer effectively. Vision is further reduced during this stage of alcohol intoxication, and he may find it difficult to track moving objects which makes it very dangerous when he is on the road and needs to observe the behaviors of drivers around him. His or her ability to respond to emergency driving situations is also significantly lower at this point. All of these factors increase his or her chances of being involved in a car accident causing serious injuries or even a fatal car accident.

Published on: August 21, 2024

What Family Members Can Do to Prevent Senior Auto Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Senior motorists experience a range of deficiencies in their physical and mental faculties that make it difficult for them to drive safely and increase their risks of being involved in auto accidents. Family members and caregivers have a major role to play in encouraging seniors to give up their car keys when they are no longer in a position to drive safely.

It is important to remember that seniors benefit both physically and mentally from the independence that comes from being mobile and able to drive. However, there may come a time when your loved one is simply unable to drive without being a risk to himself and others. At this point, you must step in and take away the car keys. Remember that failing driving faculties may have more to do other issues than with the person’s age. In other words, you must consider your loved one’s driving performances and abilities, and not just his age while deciding to curtail his driving privileges.

The best way to confirm whether your loved one’s abilities to drive safely are compromised, is to observe him when he is driving. Look for prime indicators of decline in driving skills. These can include failing to stop and check both ways for traffic, failure to stop at red or stop signs, or failure to stay in the lane while driving. A safe driver must be able to drive appropriately for the traffic and weather conditions, and must be able to take into consideration the driving of other motorists, motorcycles and other users of the road while driving.

Published on: August 15, 2024

Gear Up to Prevent Motorcycle Accident Injuries

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

As the year’s peak motorcycling season descends on us, it is important for motorcyclists to evaluate all of their gear and make sure that everything is in prime condition to prevent personal injuries in an auto accident. Keeping the gear in good condition is an important safety measure.

The summer months are the busiest motorcycling days of the year, and Georgia roads are likely to see an increase in the number of motorcycles over the next few weeks. While motorists in cars and trucks enjoy plenty of protection in the form of seatbelts and airbag systems as well as crash avoidance tech, motorcyclists are not as lucky. They must depend on sturdy and well -fitting helmets, and high quality motorcycle gear to reduce their risk of injuries in an accident. While motorcycles on their own have become safer over the past few years with new technology, motorcyclists are ultimately responsible for reducing the severity and number of personal injuries they suffer in an auto accident through the kind of clothing and gear that they wear.

Wearing a helmet is the single most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of suffering head injuries in the event of an auto accident. The state of Georgia recognizes the importance of helmets in preventing head injuries in an accident, and requires all motorcyclists, including passengers, to wear helmets. Georgia helmet laws are not restricted to passengers or motorcyclists below a certain age. No matter what your age or experience levels, you must wear a helmet when you are out riding in Georgia. Those laws, on their own, significantly reduce the number of motorcycle accident – related head injuries that occur in Georgia every year.

Published on: August 13, 2024

Georgia Anti – Speeding Campaign to Prevent Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

An anti- speeding campaign that aims to tackle speeding across Georgia and several Southern States ends on July 21. These types of campaigns are extremely important in the effort to reduce the number of auto accidents involving catastrophic personal injuries and wrongful deaths.

Operation Southern Slow Down included Georgia as well as a few neighboring states and involved additional enforcement against speeding drivers. The campaign started on July 15, and targeted both speeding as well as aggressive or rash drivers. The aim was to crack down on these drivers and pull them off the roads. This was the eighth such campaign that included Georgia and the other Southern States, and officials believed that this was the right time to remind drivers about the need to drive at safe speeds at all times.

The need to remind drivers of the risks of speeding is especially stronger during summer when there are far more motorists on the road and when everyone is in a hurry to get to their holiday destinations. Speeding is one of the biggest killers on American roads with more than 11,000 car accident wrongful deaths in 2022 directly linked to high speeds. The number of speeding-related car accidents in 2022 was a 25% increase from the numbers in 2018. Georgia continues to grapple with a large number of motorists who drive at high speeds putting themselves and other motorists at risk of serious personal injury or even death. In 2022, approximately 422 car accident wrongful deaths in Georgia were directly linked to speeding motorists. That was a significant 56% increase from the number of speeding-related auto accidents in 2018.