The post You may be one phone call away from a car wreck first appeared on Hutt Law, P.C..
]]>As you know, it’s illegal to text and drive. However, this doesn’t make everyone put away their phone while driving. These distractions have cost thousands of lives to be lost every year.
Since people are so addicted to their phones, what can be done to reduce the number of accidents caused by distracted driving? Here’s what you should know:
One of the easiest ways to reduce distracted driving is putting away anything that can be interrupting. Having phones visible in the car can tempt people to look at them on long roads or at stop signs.
Alternatively, people can put their phones in the glove box or back seat. This way people won’t immediately feel the need to see if they have any new messages.
Developers have realized the risks of driving while texting. They have also realized it’s hard for people to put their phones down. One of the many settings phones have is a “driving mode”.
“Driving mode” is similar to “silent mode” but for cars. It notifies a caller or messenger when the person they are trying to contact is driving. This lets drivers relax knowing anyone trying to reach them can try again once they are done driving.
Not every driver takes the precautions needed to stay safe on the road. If you were in a motor vehicle accident because of a distracted driver then you may be looking at serious injuries. It may take experienced legal guidance to help you recover your losses.
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]]>The post Why do medical misdiagnoses happen? first appeared on Hutt Law, P.C..
]]>However, it is not uncommon for a doctor to misdiagnose a patient. A misdiagnosis can be quite dangerous as it can lead to catastrophic damages. If you are a victim of medical misdiagnosis, it helps to understand the legal options at your disposal so you can pursue the responsible party for damages.
Basically, a misdiagnosis happens when the healthcare provider gets your injury or illness wrong. Generally speaking, that can affect your health negatively in two different ways: You may not get the treatment you need for your condition, which can make it worse, and you could get treatment for a condition you don’t have, which can be a disaster.
Several factors contribute to this form of medical malpractice. Here are some of them:
Poor training at any level can result in the healthcare provider failing to capture the right skills necessary for providing the expected standard of care. A doctor or a nurse who is not properly trained may lack the skills they need to accurately diagnose their condition.
It is not uncommon for a hospital to be understaffed. Understaffing results in doctor fatigue, and this can easily lead to mistakes such as inaccurate diagnoses of the patients’ conditions.
Wrong test procedures can easily result in missed information, and thus misdiagnosis. Similarly, a primary care physician who relies on their own experience instead of referring a complicated patient to a specialist can easily make a misdiagnosis.
A wrong diagnosis can have far-reaching implications for the patient. Find out how you can pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit if you or someone you know has been victimized.
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]]>The post Understanding the different types of cerebral palsy first appeared on Hutt Law, P.C..
]]>One of the common injuries an infant can sustain during birth is cerebral palsy. Basically, this is a general term used to describe injuries resulting from brain damage following trauma or lack of oxygen. Depending on the extent of damage to the brain, cerebral palsy can range from mild to severe.
Here are the types of cerebral palsy injuries an infant is likely to sustain during birth.
Also known as hypertonic cerebral palsy, this is the most common form of cerebral palsy accounting for over 70% of the cases. Spastic cerebral palsy happens when the infant’s motor cortex is damaged during birth. Some of the symptoms of spastic cerebral palsy may include exaggerated or awkward movements, stiffness on one side of the body or muscle tightening.
Also known as atonic cerebral palsy, this is a rare form of cerebral palsy that accounts for approximately 3% of the cases. This type of cerebral palsy develops when the infant’s cerebellum is damaged during birth. Hypotonic cerebral palsy is characterized by low muscle tone that results in weak and floppy muscles. Infants with this type of cerebral palsy may exhibit the following symptoms: poor balance, feeble muscle and lack of head control.
A birth-related injury can be caused by a number of factors. If your little one’s cerebral palsy is attributable to the healthcare provider’s negligence, you should consider pursuing a birth injury lawsuit against the health care provider.
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]]>The post Top 3 injuries you need to look out for in the workplace first appeared on Hutt Law, P.C..
]]>One of the best ways to reduce incidents of workplace-related accidents is to understand the common injuries you are likely to suffer should these accidents happen. Depending on the nature of the workplace, here are the top three injuries you need to look out for in the workplace.
Most slip-and-fall accidents in the workplace are caused by wet floors, loose cables, poorly lit areas and uneven floors. Slip-and-fall accidents can result in serious injuries such as broken bones, head injuries, spinal cord injuries, cuts and abrasions, soft tissue injuries, and shoulder and neck injuries.
Muscle strains occur when you sit for an extended period in the same position thus causing a strain on the back and neck muscles. They also happen when a worker lifts, pulls or pushes heavy objects. Muscle strains resulting from heavy lifting, pulling or pushing tend to be common in factories and construction sites.
Also known as repetitive stress injuries (RSI), repetitive motion injuries, as the name suggests, are temporary or permanent injuries that develop when the nerves, muscles, tendons and ligaments are subjected to the same motion over and over. RSIs usually develop over time and are characterized by weakness, pain or tingling in the affected area. Repetitive motion activities like typing can strain the muscles and tendons in the hands resulting in pain and discomfort.
Workplace injuries can happen to anyone, and at any time. Find out how you can pursue a workers’ compensation claim if you are hurt while at work.
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]]>The post Why pedestrian accidents are so dangerous first appeared on Hutt Law, P.C..
]]>The statistics back this up. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association pedestrian accidents are becoming more common. In 2010, for example, pedestrian fatalities made up 13% of all traffic fatalities. By 2019, this number had jumped to 17%. This just underscores the high risk and how often these impacts lead to severe injuries and fatalities.
There are a lot of things pedestrians can do to try to stay safe. These include:
It’s certainly true that all of this can help, but nothing guarantees that you’ll be safe. As a pedestrian, whether you’re walking your dog or going for a run, you’re always at risk. You can do everything perfectly, crossing the road at the right time while wearing bright clothes and staying in the crosswalk. However, you could still be hit by a negligent driver who’s looking at their phone or speeding. If you are injured or if a loved one passes away in such a crash, then you need to know what legal options you have to seek compensation for expenses and damages.
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]]>The post The high cost of a spinal cord injury first appeared on Hutt Law, P.C..
]]>Annually, spinal cord injuries cost this country around $9.7 billion. Around 17,000 spinal cord injuries occur each year in the United States. Understanding a little about these injuries is important.
Spinal cord injuries are classified as either complete or incomplete. A complete injury means that there aren’t any nerve pathways that are connected at the site of the damage. An incomplete injury involves nerve pathways that are still connected.
When a person has a complete injury, they don’t have feeling or movement below the area of the injury. There is at least a little movement or feeling below the injury if it’s incomplete. Naturally, victims with incomplete spinal cord injuries are more likely to have a better prognosis for future recovery.
Prompt medical care is important because it’s likely going to help reduce residual damage that occurs as the result of inflammation and the body’s reactions to the damage.
Anyone who’s suffered a spinal cord injury will need considerable medical care throughout the rest of their life. This can be costly, so they may opt to pursue a claim for compensation that can help them to cover those expenses. This can also help them to cover the loss of income that they’re experiencing because missed wages can be included in the claim. Getting started as quickly as possible is important because laws in New York limit how much time you have to get your case filed.
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]]>The post Checks to make before setting off in your car first appeared on Hutt Law, P.C..
]]>Yet leaving in such a rush can decrease your safety once you are out amongst the mad morning traffic. Allowing yourself an extra few minutes is all it takes to reduce some of the dangers. Here are some examples of what you could do with a couple of minutes to spare:
How long does it take to walk around your car and glance at the tires to ensure they are properly inflated? A few seconds. Yet many motorists fail to do this. Tires are your only point of contact with the road, so keeping them at the correct pressure is crucial. A blowout as you travel could cause you to lose control.
Modern vehicle electrics are much more reliable than in old vehicles, where bumps in the road could cause your connections to come apart. Yet bulbs and fuses can still blow. If other road users cannot see your intentions, they are more likely to crash into you.
If you share a car, it takes a few seconds to adjust the seat, mirrors and steering wheel to your favored positions. Doing this on the move is dangerous.
You should also connect your phone to the charger and select your favorite radio channel before leaving to reduce distractions.
You might not consider these things necessary, yet if you think the roads are full of other morning commuters who have also jumped into their car and driven straight off, you will see that it makes the road a dangerous place. If you are prepared, it reduces the chance of someone (who isn’t) injuring you in a collision.
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]]>The post Pedestrian risks from scaffolding projects first appeared on Hutt Law, P.C..
]]>Pedestrians are theoretically supposed to be protected from anything that may fall from above through the use of scaffolding sheds. These provide a roof over the passageway so that people can walk under the scaffolding.
Needless to say, this is not always a perfect system. For instance, one parent whose child’s school has been under scaffolding for the last seven years said that it gets very crowded and busy in the mornings as everyone tries to bring their children to school. This means that there is an incredible amount of traffic and everyone doesn’t always fit under the scaffolding sheds.
But even in cases where people have space to walk, there is always the potential that something could strike a pedestrian below. This could be debris from the building, power tools, building materials that are being used or something else of this nature.
It’s often impossible to avoid these risks because you simply have to use the sidewalks where the scaffolding is in place. These projects are so ubiquitous that you can’t always find another way around. Most people pass under scaffolds all the time without being hurt, but there are plenty of stories about people being severely injured or even killed when something strikes them from above.
If this does happen to you and you are severely injured, it’s very important that you understand all the legal options at your disposal.
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]]>The post What to avoid after being in a car accident first appeared on Hutt Law, P.C..
]]>While it’s only normal to feel a bit out of it, it’s important to avoid certain mistakes that may hurt your ability to recover compensation from the at-fault party. Knowing what not to do after a car accident is the best way to protect your rights.
After an accident, it’s only natural to feel compassion for others involved (even if it was their fault). Because of this, you may be tempted to say something like, “I’m sorry.” Even if you just mean you are sorry about the situation in general, it can be used as an admission of guilt or fault. Because of this, it is best to keep conversations to a minimum to ensure you don’t say anything that may be used against you to place blame.
Even if the accident isn’t your fault, you should never leave the accident scene until you are cleared to do so by the police. Leaving may make it seem like you have something to hide or that the accident was your fault.
If you don’t feel like you were injured in the accident, you may be tempted to say no to a medical evaluation. You must get checked out and have all injuries documented by a medical professional.
If you want to protect your rights and your ability to recover compensation after a car accident, keep the tips above in mind. Avoiding these mistakes will help you recover what you deserve for the injuries and damages you experience.
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]]>The post 3 common injuries in car wrecks first appeared on Hutt Law, P.C..
]]>Anyone who has signs of an injury should seek medical care after the wreck.
Concussions are a form of traumatic brain injury. While they aren’t considered catastrophic because they’re usually mild, they can lead to challenges like confusion and fatigue. More serious brain injuries are also possible. People think they have to have a blow to the head in the crash to suffer a brain injury. That’s not the case. The jarring movement from the crash can cause one. Concussions and brain injuries can take days or weeks to appear after the crash.
A spinal cord injury is considered catastrophic because the consequences can be permanent. Paralysis is possible but doesn’t always occur. Loss of bladder or bowel control, changes in sexual function, altered sensation, and pain can all stem from a spinal cord injury.
Broken bones might seem like they are minor issues to deal with after a car crash, but these can require surgery and they have a lengthy healing time. They can also greatly impact a person’s ability to earn a living. For example, a broken bone can lead to a manual laborer being unable to do their job duties.
People who are involved in automobile crashes must ensure they get the care they need for their injuries. When the wreck was the result of another person’s negligence, the victim can seek compensation through a personal injury claim. They can file compensation for things like medical care costs and wages they were unable to earn. Time limits apply to these matters so swift action is critical.
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