Americans suffer about two million concussions annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). A concussion is a mild form of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and is usually a “closed head” injury. What does that mean? Basically, concussions are most commonly caused by blunt trauma or a strong…
Distracted driving is one of the biggest safety issues we face today. Distractions existed before the advent of smart phones and social media, they just weren’t as compelling. Eating while driving, changing the radio station, and talking to passengers are all forms of distraction, but they don’t elicit the same…
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that used to be a key component of many industrial and construction products. Unfortunately, asbestos also happens to be highly-carcinogenic. Mesothelioma is a slow-growing type of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Although this carcinogenic substance has been mostly-banned since the early 1980s, exposure…
Slip and fall accidents are one of the most common, and costly, workplace accidents. About $70 billion is spent annually on compensation and medical costs related to on-the-job slip and fall accidents. But people don’t only fall at work. Each year, fifty percent of all accidental deaths in the home…
The frequency of traumatic brain injury (TBI) for Americans is eight times greater than that of breast cancer, spinal-cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and AIDS combined. TBI is a serious, and potentially-life threatening medical condition that affects an estimated 1.7 million people annually. Of those, about 275,000 will require hospitalization, and…
Moments after being reprimanded by one of his professors at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 25-year old Han Nguyen committed suicide. Nguyen had been struggling with depression, according to his attorney, but the prestigious university failed to get him the treatment he required. Could MIT be liable for a…
In November 2013, Suzanne Barnum was injured when she tripped over a pallet jack in a Home Depot store in Joliet, Illinois. As a result, she is suing both Home Depot and an outside vendor for her injuries. In this particular case, the question of who left the pallet jack…
A little girl suffered a fatal fall on a Carnival cruise ship last week, raising questions about whether cruises are safe for young children. Zion Smith, an eight-year-old from the Bahamas, was waiting with her family to disembark the ship. Smith and her brother were leaning on an upper-deck railing…
Hundreds of thousands of people in the United States have what are known as “metal-on-metal” hip implants. These all-metal implants were thought to be stronger and provide better range of motion than their ceramic and plastic counterparts. Although all-metal hip implants may be more durable, they are definitely not safer.…
Last month a fatal charter bus accident killed three people in Queens, New York. This tragedy has called attention to a glaring, and growing, problem. Thousands of private bus companies with countless violations and terrible safety records continue to operate in the United States every day. While public transportation is…