BICYCLE HELMETS REALLY DO PREVENT INJURIES

Research has found that wearing a bicycle helmet reduces the risk of a brain injury in a bicycle crash by as much as 80 percent. A new study by Australian researchers confirms this fact. Bicycle helmets that meet nationally certified standards are very effective at helping to prevent brain injuries during an accident, the researchers found.

When a bicyclist who is not wearing a helmet is involved in a collision, the head is exposed to acceleration forces that are up to 9.5 times greater than if the bicyclist had been wearing a helmet.

The researchers used crash test dummies to measure the impact when loads were placed on a human head in a variety of scenarios that closely resembled actual situations when cyclists fall off a bicycle. The dummy head and neck were dropped from various heights onto moving surfaces to replicate real-world accident situations.

The researchers measured angular and linear acceleration as well as other parameters. They found that a person who was not wearing a helmet was likely to suffer a concussion if the head was dropped just half a meter while stationary. In fact, the research found that helmets continue to protect a bicyclist from serious injuries until the most serious impacts.

That is not to say that helmets can completely eliminate the risk of a traumatic brain injury in a serious bicycle accident. However, when a bicyclist is wearing a Department of Transportation-approved helmet, the risks of s a head injury are substantially reduced.

The Washington traffic accident lawyer at The Abelson Law Firm, represent people injured as a result of bike and other types of accidents in the Washington area.

EFFECTS OF BRAIN INJURIES MAY NOT BE IMMEDIATELY APPARENT

Seven-time Formula One race car champion Michael Schumacher has been fighting for his life since sustaining serious brain injuries in a skiing accident during a family vacation in Meribel, Switzerland during the holidays. Like many victims of brain injuries, Schumacher appeared shaken but conscious after hitting his helmeted head on a rock during a fall Dec. 29, according to the BBC.

Traumatic brain injuries usually are caused by a violent jolt to the head. Most brain injuries are minor concussions. Some people are able to make a complete recovery from minor brain injuries. But other brain injuries can have a long-term impact, though not every such injury.

More serious or severe traumatic brain injuries can be sustained in a number of ways. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle accidents account for the highest number of fatalities related to traumatic brain injury every year.

In the case of more severe brain injuries, the long-term consequences are life-changing for survivors. Dr. Richard Greenwood, a brain specialist the University College London Hospital , said Shumacher would be a completely different person if he survived the brain injury and would have to adapt to his limitations, according to the British newspaper The Independent.

These limitation may include impaired motor function and weakness in the extremities that can hamper the person’s ability to perform even routine daily activities. Coordination may be affected, which also makes accomplishing daily tasks a major challenge. Psychological effects can include anxiety, impulse control problems and personality changes.

The consequences also may include memory loss, concentration and attention difficulties, cognitive problems, depression and psychological problems that surface long after the injury has seemingly healed.

The CDC estimates that as many as 5.3 million Americans currently live with a disability caused by a traumatic brain injury. Your ability to live a productive life, go to work and earn a living are affected when you suffer a traumatic brain injury.

Long-term emotional consequences can affect your relationship with your loved ones. Research has linked the psychological changes that accompany a traumatic brain injury to a higher risk of divorce after an injury.

Families facing this kind of injury and ordeal need the guidance of a experience attorney who can advocate for them to receive the resources and support they need.

BIRTH INJURY STATISTICS: HOW COMMON ARE BIRTH INJURIES?

While injury can occur naturally during the course of a woman’s pregnancy, when she is in labor or in the delivery room, certain types of birth injuries are caused by medical negligence – a preventable error on the part of the doctor, nurse or other medical staff.

It is these types of preventable injuries for which parents may be entitled to file a medical malpractice lawsuit seeking financial compensation to help cover injury-related expenses, long-term care, pain and suffering, and other losses.

Birth injuries caused by medical negligence are far more common than most parents or expecting parents may realize.

Medical negligence and error can lead to birth injuries or fetal death in both vaginal deliveries and caesarean deliveries. According to birth injury prevalence and incidence statistics gathered by Right Diagnosis:

• An estimated 7 out of every 1,000 children born in the United States are born with a birth injury.
• Approximately 28,000 babies in the U.S. are born with birth injuries each year.
• This breaks down to 2,333 people per month, 538 per week, 76 per day and 3 babies per hour being born with a birth injury
• In total, 1 out of every 9,714 children in the U.S. is born with some type of birth injury

Data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) reveal the following:

• Over one year’s time, almost 157,700 potentially avoidable injuries are sustained by mothers and children during childbirth.
• The highest birth injury rates (160.5 deliveries per 1,000 births) involved vaginal births where instruments, such as forceps or vacuums, were used.
• Newborn infants covered by Medicaid had an increased rate of birth injury as compared to infants covered by private insurance providers. The wealth of the communities in which the children were born had no bearing on rate of birth injuries.
• The risk of obstetric injury or trauma being sustained by the mother during a vaginal birth where no instrument assistance was required fell over a six-year period from 51.7 to 36.2 deliveries per 1,000.

Out of the 418 fetal injuries sustained in 37,110 caesarean deliveries, an article in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology identified the most common fetal injuries in a caesarean delivery (C-section) as follows:

The C-section deliveries involving a failed attempt with forceps or a vacuum showed the highest rate of birth injuries at 6.9 percent. “T” or “J” uterine incisions were associated with 3.4 percent of fetal injuries, while vertical incisions accounted for 1.4 percent. In total, fetal injuries were sustained in 1.1 percent of caesarean deliveries studied.

An article in the British Medical Journal states that infants experience a lower risk of birth injury, neonatal seizures and the need for assisted ventilation when a vacuum is used in delivery rather than forceps. Risks associated with both forceps deliveries and vacuum deliveries include intracranial hemorrhage, retinal hemorrhage and feeding difficulties.

LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR BIRTH INJURIES CAUSED BY MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE

Nearly 50 percent of birth injuries are preventable when medical negligence comes into play. These injuries can have a devastating impact on the life of your child, and often result in a lifetime of costly medical treatments, therapies, assistive devices, lost earning potential and other expenses.

If your newborn child has sustained any type of birth injuries as a result of medical negligence, you should seek legal advice and find out about your right to seek compensation.

KNOW THE RISK FACTORS FOR CEREBRAL PALSY

A baby’s future health depends in part on the mother’s health during pregnancy. If a pregnant woman has certain types of infections, medical conditions or health problems, her baby is at greater risk of being born with cerebral palsy (CP).

Premature birth, low birth weight, oxygen deprivation, breech births, infertility treatments, multiple births and complications during birth can also increase the risk of CP. Birth injuries that result from medical malpractice before, during or shortly after delivery can also cause cerebral palsy.

CP is caused by brain damage sustained before or during birth in between 85 and 90 percent of cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the remaining 10 to 15 percent of cases, the individual acquires CP more than 28 days after birth. Head injuries, car accidents, abuse and infections are a few common causes of acquired cerebral palsy.

WHAT IS CEREBRAL PALSY?

Cerebral palsy is a term used to describe a group of disorders that dramatically affect a person’s ability to control limb movement. It is a permanent condition, and does not deteriorate or improve over time. Signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy may include:

• Lack of muscle coordination.
• Walking difficulties.
• Difficulty eating.
• Vision or hearing problems.
• Delayed speech development.
• Intellectual disabilities.
• Seizures.
• Paralysis.

Cerebral palsy may affect only one limb, or it may affect a single side of the body or the entire body. The type of injury and extent of brain damage will often affect the symptoms.

CEREBRAL PALSY RISK FACTORS

Between two and three out of every 1,000 children over the age of three have cerebral palsy, according to the American Pregnancy Association’s estimates. In total, around 500,000 people in the United States have cerebral palsy.

Medical malpractice and birth injuries increase the risk of brain damage and of a child being born with developmental problems such as cerebral palsy.

Some of the leading CP risk factors, particularly those involving negligent birth injuries, include:

1. Prolonged labor or difficult delivery – When labor goes on for an extended period of time, or complications arise during delivery, it can result in the baby’s oxygen flow being compromised. If the doctor fails to recognize the risk, the lack of oxygen to the baby could lead to brain damage, CP or death.
2. Severe jaundice in newborns – In most cases, children who are born with jaundice (a yellowing of the skin and eyes) can be treated by exposing them to lights designed to decrease the bilirubin in the blood. If jaundice becomes severe, or treatment is not delivered in a timely fashion, there is an increased risk of kernicterus, a condition that can lead to CP.
3. Undiagnosed or infections contracted during pregnancy – Failure to prevent the contraction of certain types of infections in a pregnant woman, or negligence in diagnosing an infection which could impact the health of the baby may cause CP. If a pregnant woman is exposed to chicken pox, erroneously given a rubella vaccination, or her doctor fails to diagnose and treat a urinary tract infection, the baby faces an increased risk of complications that could lead to CP.
4. Birth complications – If the placenta separates from the wall of the uterus before birth, the uterus ruptures or there are problems with the umbilical cord, it could lead to the baby being deprived of the nutrients and oxygen necessary for survival in the womb. If this happens, immediate action must be taken to protect the mother and child. Failure to do so could lead to cerebral palsy and other health problems.
5. Preterm delivery – If a pregnant woman is at risk of delivering her baby pre-term, it is important for the physician to take steps to minimize the danger to the baby. Premature babies face a greater risk of developing cerebral palsy. The American Pregnancy Association states that the risk of a premature baby (under three and a half pounds) developing CP is 30 percent higher than the risk to a full-term baby.

If you believe your child acquired cerebral palsy as a result of the negligent actions of the medical professionals attending the birth, you should contact a skilled birth injury attorney. You may be entitled to pursue compensation to help pay for your child’s medical costs, ongoing therapy, adaptive devices and other expenses.

Our mission is to seek justice and fair compensation for seriously injured people. Those who suffer harm from the negligent or reckless acts of another person or company have a right to compensation for their losses.

The Abelson Law Firm has 35 years of history representing personal injury victims in Washington, D.C. We are known for our powerful ability to negotiate successful settlements, win cases, and help our clients get back to their normal lives. Our mission is to fight for justice on behalf of those who have suffered from negligent or reckless behavior.

The Abelson Law Firm is led by senior attorney Michael A. Abelson, who has decades of success practicing personal injury law in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia. We also work with the support of a medical consultant and board-certified physician who is available to provide additional insight and guidance on all cases. We are proud to offer our clients the most skilled and knowledgeable assistance possible.

We represent individuals facing serious injury due to car or truck accidents, medical malpractice, construction and workplace accidents, defective products or drugs, and more. Whatever your circumstances, we will advocate hard for your rights and your deserved compensation. Our team is here to help you and your family obtains the financial security and resources you need to keep your future on track.

PRACTICE AREAS:
Washington DC Medical Malpractice Lawyers
Car Accident Attorneys Washington DC
Washington DC Truck Accident Law Firm

CONTACT:
The Abelson Law Firm
1717 K Street NW, Suite 900
Washington, DC 20006
Phone: 202-331-0600
Business Email: michael@seekingjustice.com

5 WAYS TO POTENTIALLY AVOID A MISDIAGNOSIS

Everyday, doctors and other specialists must quickly sift through a sea of patients with a variety of different ailments and illnesses. They must make quick decisions and diagnoses on a variety of symptoms. Sometimes, for one reason or another, a medical professional will make a mistake. A misdiagnosis could cause a patient severe injury, or even death. While a medical professional should catch the correct diagnosis, there are ways a patient can potentially avoid a misdiagnosis. Below are five ways to potentially avoid a misdiagnosis:

MAKE NOTE OF SYMPTOMS

Most patients wait before seeing a doctor. In this waiting period, a variety of symptoms can come and go. It is imperative for a person to make note of the different symptoms affecting them. Some symptoms can rule out certain diagnoses, while some symptoms can be a sign of a certain diagnosis. Keeping a list of symptoms can help a doctor greatly.

AVOID DRAWING CONCLUSIONS

When a patient is describing their symptoms, it can be tempting to come to certain conclusions. Jumping to a conclusion could potentially cause a doctor to rule out different ailments. One should always just give their symptoms and how the symptoms are affecting them.

BRING MEDICATIONS

If one is taking any medications, whether they were prescribed by the current doctor or not, it can help for a patient to being in their current medications. This could help a doctor determine whether the medicine is to blame.

CLEAR MEDICAL HISTORY

A patient should know whether or not certain conditions run in the family. Conditions like heart disease, depression, anxiety, cancer, and more could help a doctor determine whether or not a genetic facet is at play during diagnosis.

ASK PLENTY OF QUESTIONS

It’s not uncommon for a patient to try and do all the talking during a visit. While all that talking is done, a patient should take care to ask questions regarding their diagnosis and their doctor’s reason for arriving at that conclusion. Moreover, a patient should ask for a second opinion from another doctor if they are feeling uneasy or if the diagnosis is particularly heavy. This two-step verification of a diagnosis can greatly lower the chances of being misdiagnosed.

These tips can serve as a great help in avoiding a misdiagnosis. But despite following these and many other tips, misdiagnoses occur everyday and their effect on a person could be far worse than the original symptoms.

If you or a loved one has been harmed due to a doctor’s misdiagnosis, contact a lawyer who could help.

LEAVING AFTER COLLIDING AND WRONGFUL DEATH IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

Law enforcement officers are investigating a 6-year-old child’s death after he was struck by a car several weeks ago. He was struck by a car on his birthday as he attempted to cross the street in the 5300 block of Livingston Road, SE in D.C. at about 8:30 p.m. Friends and family at the birthday party called an ambulance right away. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital, but was pronounced dead after resuscitation attempts failed.

LEAVING AFTER COLLIDING IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

The driver initially fled the scene of the accident. This potentially criminal action is commonly called a hit-and-run accident. The driver didn’t automatically report the accident and he didn’t wait for D.C. police to arrive at the scene. Washington, D. C. law refers to the event as a “leaving after colliding” event. When this type of accident occurs, the driver must 1) stop to ensure that emergency assistance is called, as needed, and 2) identify himself or herself to law enforcement officers, as well as the injured person.

• In this example, if the driver is a first-time violator, he faces a maximum 180 days in jail, plus a maximum $1,000 fine.

• If he was involved in a leaving while colliding accident before, he’s subject to a maximum 12-month jail term plus $2,500 fine. 

CONSIDERATIONS IN THE EXAMPLE

In this example, the driver didn’t stop to contact emergency assistance, didn’t identify himself to witnesses, and didn’t wait for officers to arrive at the scene. Fortunately, witnesses of the accident were able to describe the vehicle to police. Several hours after the accident, the driver contacted police and admitted to the hit and run accident that killed the child. He later turned himself in to police in Prince George’s County.

WRONGFUL DEATH IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

District of Columbia Code Section 16-2701 says wrongful death is an injury that leads to the death of an individual, caused by wrongful act, neglect, or default of another party. In D.C., the definition of wrongful death says that the action that caused death would have been the possible basis for a personal injury claim if the injured party had lived. Next of kin, such as parents in this example, may file a wrongful death claim against the negligent driver and his insurer. If the plaintiff is awarded damages, the insurer distributes them to the parent(s) or next of kin in a proportionate manner according to the loss suffered.

If you or someone you love has suffered serious bodily injury or wrongful death as a result of a negligent driver in Washington, D.C., contact an experienced, compassionate personal injury law firm now. Contact The Abelson Law Firm to discuss your case now.