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Penalties And Dangers Of Texting While Driving: When =) Turns To X(
You're stuck in a traffic jam two miles from your exit. You've been sitting in the same spot for over 15 minutes and you're beginning to get extremely irritated. You look in your rearview mirror and see that the man behind you is focused on his phone. You look to your right and notice the driver is taking pictures of the traffic with her phone. You figure, why not? You take your phone out of your briefcase and log into Facebook to pass the time.
You update your status and play a round of Candy Crush. Meanwhile, you've moved another five feet. As you start your second game, your car is violently pushed forward into the back of an SUV. You hold your brakes, but the car behind you continues to push you deeper into the SUV's bumper.
You drop your phone and attempt to swerve. Finally the car behind you stops. You look in your rearview mirror and see the driver's phone on the dashboard and the driver with his head in his hands. Apparently, he couldn't text and inch forward at the same time.
3 Common Types Of Hospital Negligence
When we're ill, most of us would like to try to get better without going to the hospital. However, sometimes our illnesses or injuries require medical expertise that can only be provided to us as an inpatient at a hospital. Though we're not eager to go, we don't expect that going to the hospital will cause us harm. We don't expect that hospital negligence will cause us to suffer an injury.However, hospital negligence in Virginia and Washington D.C. harms patients each year. There are many ways in which a hospital can be negligent. Here are three that we encourage every patient to be aware of:
- Infections: a hospital-acquired infection is often both preventable and deadly. It is particularly dangerous for a person who is already ill to acquire an infection. These serious consequences could often have been easily prevented if hospital equipment was properly cleaned, if personnel washed their hands regularly, and if tubes and other devices were inserted in sterile environments.
What You Should Know About Cerebral Palsy Birth Injuries
Cerebral palsy is the term used to describe a range of disorders affecting the brain and nervous system that lead to movement problems. Cerebral palsy affects muscle control, muscle coordination, muscle tone, reflex, posture, and balance. It can also impact fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and oral motor functioning. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated that cerebral palsy occurs in approximately 1 of every 303 children. Some cases are milder than others, but all that suffer with this disorder lead an altered life and there is no cure. Unfortunately, many of the families that are learning to deal with cerebral palsy must do so because of another person's negligence.
Cerebral palsy is often preventable and caused by a traumatic injury before, during, or after the birthing process. The signs, however, are not always recognizable until a child is slightly older and the physical or cognitive impairments are more obvious to the parents.
As your child ages, there are a number of indications that may suggest he or she has cerebral palsy. Some of these are outward and obvious, whereas others will only become apparent upon close medical examination. The following are common symptoms:
Startling Number Of Medical Mistakes May Have You Second-Guessing Your Doctor
You've just been involved in a serious collision on 495. A tractor trailer side swiped your vehicle, causing your car to flip on its side. To make matters worse, other cars on the road were unable to stop and hit your car as well, causing you major injuries. The ambulance was called and is transporting you to Inova Fairfax Hospital.
Along with pain, you begin to feel a sense of relief, knowing you're getting care from talented and experienced medical professionals. However, if you knew the truth about those whom you trust with your life, you may feel differently.
Startling Facts About Medical Mistakes
People die every day because of medical mistakes. Often, these mistakes are preventable. Lack of experience, poor working conditions, not enough sleep, and pressure to work too quickly are some of the reasons why. According to the Journal of Patient Safety, incidents of medical mistakes are on the rise. Before you put your life in another doctor's hands, take a look at these shocking numbers:
Treating Spinal Cord Injuries
Suffering a spinal cord injury isn't always obvious. This is why it is critical that anyone who suffers damage to the head, neck, spine or pelvis should be looked at thoroughly for possible spinal cord damage. Because spinal cord injuries can lead to life-changing injuries such as partial or complete paralysis or even death, it is critical that people with spinal cord injuries and their families understand what's involved in treating these types of traumatic injuries.
Because spinal cord injuries often leave people without vital functions, immediate treatment is needed for survival and to minimize nerve cells from dying to prevent further damage. Comprehensive treatment can include emergency medical care, medication, surgery, physical therapy, and rehabilitation.
- Emergency medical care can begin at the scene of a car accident. When paramedics arrive, they will assess injuries and determine if they need to stabilize a person's head and neck with a brace and backboard and transport the individual to the hospital. A person's heat rate, blood pressure, and breathing will be monitored and doctors will work to stabilize the individual in order to prevent additional injuries. Certain imaging and diagnostic tests such as an MRI or CT scan will be ordered. Additionally, the spine may need to be realigned to reduce pressure being put on the spinal cord.
Emergency Room Errors: Common Causes Of Medical Malpractice Claims
Emergency rooms are often chaotic places. Patients are rushed in to get urgent care for their serious injuries or illnesses. Thus, doctors and nurses are moving fast to treat patients' needs and perform emergency procedures. But because of the fast-paced environment that accompanies emergency rooms, errors are often made that can cause patients further injuries and harm.
The truth of the matter is that doctors aren't the only ones who make critical errors in the emergency room (ER). Mistakes are often made by paramedics, nurses, technicians, surgeons, anesthesiologists, or other medical staff involved in a patient's care. Some of the most common errors that happen in emergency rooms include misdiagnosis, delay in diagnosis, surgical errors, anesthesia errors, medication mistakes, and improper discharging of patients. Unfortunately, there are many reasons why such emergency room errors are made.
Common Causes of Emergency Room Errors
In the hustle and bustle of a busy ER, mistakes are often a result. Some of the reasons mistakes occur are the following:
Treatment And Care Options For Various Spinal Cord Injuries
According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, nearly 300,000 people in the United States are living with some kind of spinal cord injury (SCI). Every year, an additional 12,500 new sufferers are seen in American hospitals and emergency rooms, making SCI awareness extremely important. Your spinal cord is the communication center for your body, controlling muscles, tendons, and body movement, so any type of injury can be functionally catastrophic.
To understand the extent of an SCI, you must first understand the spinal cord. Your spinal cord is made up of nerves, muscles, and vertebrae that transmit neural signals from your brain to different parts of your body. If this transmission is interrupted, your brain will be unable to communicate with certain parts of your body. This interruption can cause paraplegia (paralysis of the legs and lower body) or quadriplegia (paralysis of all four limbs) depending on where the transmission was interrupted.
Three Treatment Sets for Three Injury Types
Types Of Damages Victims Of Car Accidents Are Able To Collect
Most people who have sustained damage to their vehicles or physical injuries know how fast their losses can add up after a crash. From property damage to medical expenses and lost wages, car accidents can be costly. This is why victims of collisions often file personal injury claims in order to recoup their losses.
The goal of filing a personal injury claim after a car accident is to get the at-fault driver to pay you "damages," which essentially means making a financial recovery for your injuries and other losses related to the crash. In this article, we will outline what types of damages are available following an auto accident, what damages injured victims can expect to recover in a personal injury claim, and how those damages are determined.
"Damages" is the legal term for a monetary award that victims are entitled to for their losses. There are two types of compensatory damages: economic and non-economic damages.
What Are Economic Damages?
Paralysis From Spinal Cord Injury Depends On Location Of Damage
According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, nearly 12,000 new cases of spinal cord injuries (SCI) are diagnosed each year. Although not all SCIs are severe enough to cause permanent damage, the chance that an SCI could lead to partial or complete paralysis is quite high.
So what exactly is paralysis? How does an SCI cause paralysis?
Types of Paralyzing SCIs
Paralysis is defined as the loss of muscle function and control. Although paralysis can occur as a result of many factors, spinal cord injuries are responsible for more than 25% of paralysis cases.
Ever since the beloved actor and original Superman Christopher Reeve sustained a traumatic spinal cord injury from falling off his horse in 1995, support for SCI paralysis research has grown tremendously. His foundation, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, estimates that over 1.2 million people suffer from SCI paralysis in the United States as a result of the following injury types:
The Many Disabling Injuries Caused By Infection
When medical care is needed, whether at a hospital, clinic, outpatient facility, or nursing home, patients trust that they will receive proper care. Unfortunately, sometimes a patient's safety is put at risk due to improper care. When steps are missed, equipment is contaminated, or medical negligence occurs at any level, patients can contract an infection.
Infections acquired at heath care facilities can include both hospital and nonhospital settings, including:
- Hospitals. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were approximately 722,000 hospital-associated infections that led to 75,000 patient deaths in 2011. Sometimes the infection occurs as a result of contaminated equipment during a surgical procedure, and other times an infection can originate from a medical professional or an undetermined source.
- Nursing homes. The source of the infection at nursing homes sometimes occurs from bed linens or other infected patients; however, staff members can also spread the infection to patients. Unfortunately, nursing homes vary in their infection control standards, which increases a patient's risk for contracting an infection. When nursing home patients acquire an infection, it can be very serious since they are older and their bodies are frail.
703-591-0067
10513 Judicial Drive, Suite 200, Fairfax, VA 22030
703-591-0067
From our office in Fairfax, Shevlin Smith, P.C. serves clients throughout Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., including Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, Ashburn, Burke, Centreville, Dale City, Fair Oaks, Leesburg, Manassas, McLean, Oakton, Reston, Springfield, and Woodbridge, as well as Fairfax County, Arlington County, Fauquier County, Loudoun County, and Prince William County.
Results listed are not a guarantee or indication of future case results.
