Item: Flaxman Law Group
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Author: Clara Barman

Are Multi-Family Group Treatment and Gene Therapy New Options for Spinal Cord Injury Patients in Homestead and Other Communities?

Published on: May 29, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

In the United States, about 12,000 people each year suffer serious spinal cord injuries. In Florida and in Homestead, slip and fall accidents, sports injuries, violence, and traffic collisions tend to cause the most spinal cord injuries, although these injuries can result from other causes as well. Young men tend to have the highest rates of this type of injury.

For spinal cord injury patients in Homestead and Florida, the road to recovery is often challenging, painful, and expensive. Patients with this type of injury often need rehabilitation, pain management solutions, surgery, and other treatment. Traditionally, patients with some kinds of spinal cord trauma have not been able to recover full mobility but each year new research has uncovered exciting new options for patients. In addition to helping patients recover mobility, some research has been focused on improving quality of life for spinal injury patients.

A new upcoming research study by St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute and Washington State University Spokane will examine whether multi-family group treatment would help improve quality of life for patients who have sustained spinal cord trauma. Multi-family group treatment is often used to treat schizophrenia and other conditions. However, researchers were curious whether the treatment option would also help with the emotional trauma faced by spinal cord injury patients and their caregivers and families.

As part of the study, 32 patients and their caregivers will be either given general information about spinal cord injury support or will be given multi-family group treatment, which includes coping strategies, support, and customized education. Both groups will be studied for six months to see how quality of life, engagement in treatment, relationships, and physical and emotional health fare after the treatments. Researchers believe that multi-family group treatment will help spinal trauma patients, especially those patients with a more recent injury.

Another study, from Imperial College London, has found that genetic therapy can help patients by repairing the spinal cord. Researchers are optimistic that gene therapy could eventually be used to repair nerve damage for both brain injury patients and spinal cord injury patients. The study isolated a protein that was important for the regrowth of nerves. The protein, P300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF), improved the number of nerve fibers that regrew in mice with spinal cord trauma when it was injected into the mice.

Although these treatment options may only be available in the future, the current options for patients with spinal related personal injury in Homestead or Florida tends to focus on rehabilitation and on dealing with symptoms. In these cases, it is important to secure fair compensation and financial resources in order to increase the likelihood that a patient will be able to afford quality medical care. Unfortunately, spinal cord injury treatment in Florida tends to be very expensive. In many cases, victims who have been injured in a traffic accident in Homestead or another city or have sustained a spinal cord injury in another way seek the help of a personal injury attorney in their community in order to launch a legal claim or in order to seek compensation so that they can afford quality medical care.

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Preventing Waste Truck Accidents in Hollywood and Other Florida Cities

Published on: May 29, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Waste trucks or garbage trucks help keep city streets clean and help dispose of trash and debris from homes, businesses, and construction sites. Unfortunately, these types of trucks can also cause collisions and injuries. These types of trucks can cause pedestrian and back over injuries, for example, if pedestrians or children approach the rear of the vehicle. These types of trucks can also cause workplace injuries in Hollywood and other Florida cities if city workers or other workers get caught in compactors or other components of the truck.

There are many reasons why waste truck accidents in Hollywood and other Florida cities are so common:

•Waste trucks and garbage trucks tend to be very large vehicles, with multiple blind spots
•Waste trucks and garbage trucks make frequent stops and starts, increasing the likelihood of accidents and injuries
•Garbage trucks can become very heavy when they carry full loads, making them more difficult to control and possibly leading to injuries
•Waste trucks and garbage trucks may have compactors which can cause crushing injuries
•Dump trucks and garbage trucks often arrive at work sites and construction sites, where they may drive near other vehicles, forklifts, and pedestrians, increasing the likelihood of an accident
•Garbage trucks and dump trucks can drop debris on the road, causing secondary accidents
There are safety features on board waste trucks which are intended to reduce the likelihood of accidents. For example, most garbage trucks are driven by at least two workers, to ensure that one person can drive while another person takes care of gathering debris or other items that must be removed. Garbage trucks and waste trucks also have audible signals so that when they back up pedestrians and other motorists can be aware of their location.

Despite these safety features, however, dump truck accidents can and do occur. These can cause severe injuries in Florida in Hollywood, including spinal cord injuries, head injuries, crushing injuries, and other serious harm.

Garbage truck accidents can be prevented by:

•Teaching children to avoid approaching trucks
•Parking away from the street and on a driveway, especially on garbage day
•Teaching drivers of these trucks to use signals and to check blind spots when backing up
•Educating motorists and pedestrians to use extra caution around garbage trucks as they may make unexpected stops and starts
•Launching educational campaigns to warn drivers and pedestrians of the dangers of blind spots – if you cannot see a garbage truck driver in their mirrors, the truck driver cannot see you.

Unfortunately for people who are injured by waste trucks and garbage trucks, seeking compensation in these cases can be difficult. Although these large trucks can cause severe injuries, some survivors of these collisions find that their claims are undervalued by insurance companies. In addition, these trucks are sometimes owned by municipalities or large corporations that are protected from liability by laws or by powerful insurance companies and their attorneys. It can be intimidating for an individual to face these larger defendants in court. However, working with an experienced personal injury attorney in Hollywood or your community can help you increase the odds of getting justice and compensation in your case.

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New Study Suggests Bicyclists Need to Worry About More Than Just Bicycle Accident Injuries in Homestead or Their Communities

Published on: May 27, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Biking offers a number of benefits, including good exercise and the opportunity for recreation as well as an eco-friendly way of getting around. Bicycle accidents in Homestead and other Florida communities, however, are a major cause for concern. Many parents, especially worry about these crashes causing child injuries in Homestead or their communities.

There is no doubt that bicycle accidents can be very serious. Each year, bicyclists suffer brain injuries in Homestead and their communities as well as other serious injuries. However, new data shows that accidents are not the only cause of concern. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, recently published a study showing that children sustain ten times as many injuries in the groin and kidneys when biking as adult bikers.

The study was based on emergency room data spanning the years 2002 to 2012 and excluded injuries caused by car collisions. During each year studied, about 4000 patients were admitted with bicycle-related injuries to the genitals or kidneys. Men and boys represented about 61 percent of these injuries. In about 70 percent of these injuries, the injuries resulted from contact with the bike. About half of these injuries occurred due to contact with the top tube of the bicycle, which runs from the handlebars to the seat. Close to 30 percent of all the injuries studies were caused by falls from the bike or other incidents. Researchers stated that they didn’t make any safety recommendations based on the data, saying that more research was needed first.
Other safety experts and studies have also concluded that bicycle collisions are not the only causes of bicycle-related injury in Hollywood and Florida. Other causes of bicycle injury can include:

•Skin irritation or lacerations caused by defective bicycle parts of equipment
•Clothing getting caught in bicycle chains
•Injuries caused by excessive time on the bicycle
•Injuries caused by uneven ground
•Falls from a bicycle
Injuries from these types of incidents may not be as dramatic as the injuries caused by a collision with a car, but they can still be serious. Injuries from these types of situations can cause lacerations, fractures, and other potentially serious injuries. They have also led some to recommend everything from airbags on handlebars to differently designed top tubes to athletic cups for riders. So far, most experts agree that the most important things to keep in mind when preventing bicycle injuries is to wear a helmet, improve bicycle skills, and to follow the rules of the road. Injuries can also be prevented by:

•Wearing clothing that will not get caught in the chains
•Choosing a bicycle that is a good fit for the rider
•Keeping a bicycle in good shape
•Taking the bike trails or paths that are appropriate for the biker’s skill level
•Staying visible on the road and using a light to illuminate paths or the road when riding at night

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Agency Weighs in on Safety for Semis, Aims to Reduce Truck Accidents

Published on: May 27, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) conducted a study into trucking accidents and has submitted recommendations based on that research to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The recommendations are meant to specifically male tractor-trailers safer while also preventing accidents involving these vehicles.

Research conducted by the NTSB found a number of troubling facts, including the fact that in most pedestrian accidents involving tractor trailers moving away from a stoplight, truckers were not aware that they had caused a pedestrian accident until other drivers indicated the problem, The NTSB also found that up to 500 fatalities caused by underride accidents involve a broadside collision with the side of a trailer.

The NTSB submitted a number of recommendations based on their research, including:

•Recommending that tractor-trailers add guards along the sides of the trailers to prevent underride accidents
•Recommending that VIN numbers of trailers be included in accident reports
•Recommending that the NHTSA make blind-spot reduction solutions mandatory for tractor trailers
•Recommending that rear underride systems be improved
•Recommending that tractor-trailers with gross weight ratings of more than 26,000 pounds be equipped with visibility enhancement systems to reduce pedestrian accidents and collisions involving smaller vehicles
So far, the NHTSA has not made the requested changes and it could be some time before these changes are made. However, safety experts have been making these recommendations for some time. For example, experts have noted that underride accidents in Miami and other cities could be prevented with correct guards. They have also noted that more needs to be done to prevent pedestrian accidents in Miami as well as trucking collisions in Miami and other cities. It remains to be seen whether the recommendations will be adopted and whether they will have the desired effect of reducing trucking crashes. It is possible that further recommendations will be made in the future as well to improve tractor trailer safety.

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How Larger Trucks Can Translate to More Trucking Crashes in Hollywood and Other Cities

Published on: May 22, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Congress has considered increasing the weight limits allowed for semi-trucks driving on highways. They have also been asked to consider triple trailers and larger tandem trailers. Some in the trucking industry support these measures, saying that the changes would be good for the economy and good for the industry, increasing productivity and customer service as well as being beneficial for the economy. Some industry experts even say that allowing larger trucks on the roads could be safer, since it could potentially mean fewer vehicles on highways and therefore less congestion which could lead to crashes.

Other safety experts, however, argue that larger trucks sharing the roads and highways with smaller vehicles will lead to more trucking collisions in Hollywood and other communities. They note that studies have already shown that heavier and larger trucks have been shown to:

•Have a higher risk of rollovers
•Increase the potential of traffic collisions
•Be harder to control
•Be harder on the roads and highways, possibly leading to secondary accidents caused by road damage
Of course, trucks currently within the weight limits already have some cargo problems. For example, some carry hazardous cargo that can be especially deadly in an accident. Others may not have correctly secured cargo so that there is a danger of debris on the roads or shifting cargo during transport. With overweight trucks, these issues would not disappear and have the potential to become even more problematic.

The larger trailers and triple trailers are another concern, with some experts saying that they amount to trains on the nation’s highways.

Another problem, according to some experts, is that there are already overweight and overloaded trucks on Hollywood and Florida roads and some worry that increasing weight limits will simply encourage even more trucks to exceed weight limits while rewarding those companies already violating the rules.

Driver safety is also a concern. Some motorists are already intimidated by 18-wheelers and other large trucks and these big rigs have many blind spots. Even larger trucks with triple trailers would inevitably have more blind spots and could potentially cause passenger car drivers to be even more timid on the roads, two things that could lead to an increased risk of truck and big rig accidents in Hollywood and other cities.

Fatalities involving larger trucks may also be an issue if larger and heavier trucks are permitted on the roads. One study from Marshall University concluded that larger trucks have a fatal accident rate that is 15.5 percent higher than that of smaller vehicles. A Department of Transportation study also found that trucks with multiple trailers have a fatal accident rate that is 11 percent higher than that of smaller trucks. These two studies suggest that larger and heavier trucks could potentially increase the risk of fatal accidents on our roads.

What do you think? Do you think larger and heavier trucks on the roads would be beneficial or a safety risk?

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The Deadly Personal Injury in Homestead and Other Cities: Kidney Injury

Published on: May 22, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

A new study has examined the prevalence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and has found that it is more prevalent and more deadly than previously thought. According to a new study, reported in The Independent and Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, about 1000 people a month, on average, die due to this preventable injury. In many cases, acute kidney injury is caused by problems in hospital care or caused by medical malpractice in Homestead and other cities.

Acute kidney injury results in fast decline of kidney function. Left untreated, it can lead to organ failure and fatality. The condition can develop as a result of damage to the kidney tissue or decreased blood flow to the kidneys. It can result due to inflammation, ingestion of a toxic substance, crush injury, urinary tract obstruction, or other causes. In a hospital or long-term care facility, it can occur due to medical error or medical neglect in Homestead or other cities. For example, a patient may be showing signs of infection but may not be treated in time or may be given the wrong medication, leading to the condition. Pharmacy negligence in Homestead and other cities can also lead to acute kidney injury as well as other complications.

It is important to detect and treat AKI injury quickly to prevent kidney failure and fatalities. Caught early, AKI can be managed with fluids, renal replacement therapy, diuretics, and medication. The aim is to help patients recover kidney function. In some cases, however, the AKI cannot be treated entirely and patients have their kidney function permanently damaged. In these cases, kidney transplant or dialysis treatment may be needed. Patients who need dialysis due to AKI may need it for the rest of their lives and patients who have experienced permanent damage as a result of kidney injury may have a shorter life expectancy as well.

Since kidney injury is so serious, it is not surprising that it is also extremely expensive for patients. In 2011, these injuries resulted in 498,000 hospitalizations and $4.7 billion in medical costs, up from 98,000 hospitalizations in 1997. For patients who have suffered this type of personal injury in Homestead or another Florida community, the costs can be considerable and medical insurance may cover only some of the hospital and medical bills. For someone who has sustained permanent kidney injury, lifelong higher medical costs are often a real concern. If the kidney injury was caused by misdiagnosis, medical malpractice, or medical neglect, however, it is possible for the patient to pursue a legal claim in order to seek compensation for these costs.

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Cargo Problems and Trucking Collisions: What’s the Connection?

Published on: May 20, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

If you’ve seen debris on the roads in Hollywood or your city, you already know that cargo problems can translate to big problems on the roads. The reality is that 18-wheelers and other commercial trucks carry huge amounts of cargo across state lines, across the city, and across the country each day. Businesses and customers rely on big rigs and other trucks to keep the economy going and to deliver everything from food products to industrial chemicals. Unfortunately, in some cases cargo problems can lead to truck accidents in Hollywood and other cities. The biggest problems with cargo tend to be:

1) Overweight cargo. Overloaded and overweight trucks in Hollywood and other communities are a big risk on the roads. In fact, there are federal guidelines that strictly limit how much cargo commercial trucks can carry. Weight scales along highways are meant to make sure that truckers and truck carriers abide by these rules, but in some cases truckers and companies break these rules in order to save money by having to make fewer trips. Overweight cargo can cause drivers to lose control of their tractor trailers and can lead to rollovers and other serious accidents. Heavy cargo can place additional pressure on brake systems and tires, leading to tire blowouts and brake failure in Hollywood and other communities. In addition, overweight cargo can cause damage to roads and bridges, eventually contributing to car and motorcycle crashes caused by poor road conditions.

2) Incorrectly secured cargo. Truck drivers are responsible for ensuring that their cargo is correctly loaded and secured. This can mean using ropes or tarps to keep the cargo in place and to prevent it from shifting. Incorrectly secured cargo can shift during transport, increasing the risk of rollovers and other crashes.

3) Secondary accidents caused by cargo. When cargo is not correctly secured, it can spill out onto streets and highways, causing secondary car accidents. Some cargo can become flammable or dangerous when spilled, posing a danger for pedestrians and anyone in an area.

4) Hazardous cargo. When trucks transport bio-hazardous materials, toxic chemicals, or flammable products, they need to abide by certain additional rules for keeping this cargo safe. Some cargo is simply more dangerous because it poses a risk of explosion, fires, or toxic exposure. When a truck carrying this type of cargo is involved in an accident, it can lead to environmental disaster or it can mean that an entire area of a highway or city needs to be evacuated because of the danger of fire or toxic exposure.

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Brain Injuries Among Jailed Youth Higher Than Expected, According to New Study

Published on: May 20, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Brain injuries can occur anywhere. In Miami, car accidents, workplace injuries, slip and fall accidents, and other incidents can all lead to brain trauma. These injuries can cause cognitive problems, memory loss, vision challenges, and even mobility issues, among other symptoms. According to a new study, however, a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) can also be linked to juvenile incarceration.

The new study, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, has found that about half of teens between the ages of 16 to 18 newly admitted to jail in New York City were found to have a history of brain trauma. As part of the study, about 84 female and 300 male inmates were evaluated for TBI in 2012. About 55% of the TBI came from assault, according to the study. Researchers concluded that the rate of injuries among the juvenile group was considerably higher than the rate of TBI among the general population of teens. The rate of brain injury was also higher than researchers had predicted.

Although scientists noted that more studies need to be done, the research does suggest that one of the effects of brain injury in Miami and other communities could lead to personality changes and other long-term effects.

Statistics already show that brain injury is a huge problem. About 162 out of 100 000 hospitalizations for people under the age of 24 were for brain injury between 2009 and 2010. About 4,064 out of 100,000 emergency room visits for the same age group were related to brain injury. The latest study could suggest that more needs to be done to ensure that youth get correct diagnosis and support after suffering a serious head injury, since misdiagnosis in Miami and lack of access to care could have serious and long-term consequences.

Right now, scientists have noted an alarming increase in the number of brain injuries among youth. In addition, scientists have found that after a concussion young patients suffer from emotional and cognitive changes. Most patients can recover from these symptoms, but repeated concussions and injuries can lead to long-term injury and consequences. Unfortunately, since there are still so many questions about brain injuries and so much that is not known, it is possible that children are misdiagnosed or not given the help they need unless they show obvious symptoms of head injury. This can mean that the rate of TBI among youth may be underreported.

There is more research available about adult TBI survivors than about youthful patients. In adults, serious brain injury has been linked to decision-making issues, cognitive challenges, memory loss, aggression, emotional disorders, and other serious consequences.

Researchers of the latest study caution against making assumptions and especially point out that no link can be made between traumatic brain injury and a propensity for criminal behavior. However, they do note that their findings suggest that youth have a higher rate of TBI than previously thought and that more needs to be done to understand and treat this injury. They also note that a minor who has suffered a serious injury as a result of assault and then undergoes the additional trauma of incarceration may need additional support and even medical treatment to prevent further trauma.

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New Research to Help Improve Outcomes for Brain Injury Patients in Miami and Other Cities

Published on: May 15, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Brain injury patients in Miami and other cities often face serious and long-term consequences as a result of their injuries. Some patients, for example, face mobility or memory problems while others have their cognitive issues. Now, researchers from the University of California at Berkeley, University of the Negev, and Charité-University Medicine have found a new option that might eventually help people who develop epilepsy after brain injury.

Epilepsy is not an uncommon problem for patients who have been in a car accident in Miami or other city or have otherwise suffered a serious brain injury. In fact, one tenth to one fifth of epilepsy cases result from traumatic brain injury.

The new research was conducted on rats and found that a medication known as Cozaar or losartan could help prevent epileptic attacks in some cases. For patients who already have epilepsy, the medication could help prevent further brain damage. Currently, Cozaar is an FDA-approved medicine used to treat high blood pressure and has not yet been approved for brain injury or epileptic patients. Researchers will need to conduct further animal trials before conducting human testing. Human testing may start within a few years and the drug already seems promising for treating epilepsy in brain trauma cases.

Researchers are excited by the new study, since treatment options may be limited for brain injury patients who have suffered epilepsy as a result of head trauma. Right now, patients who have seizures and other issues related to epilepsy after being in a motorcycle accident in Miami or another accident are usually given medication to treat symptoms. That medication can cause serious side effects and does not eliminate epilepsy. The new drug therapy, if it is shown effective, has the potential to stop the development of epilepsy after a concussion or head trauma and it may have fewer side effects when compared with current treatments.

In the study, about 60 percent of rats given Cozaar failed to develop any seizures after a traumatic brain injury, where all rats would usually develop epilepsy. Even in the 40 percent of rats that did experience seizures, researchers noted that rats given the drug had about one-quarter the number of seizures common with rats not given any drug therapy. The rats only needed the medication for about three weeks after the injury to prevent the development of seizures.

The drug may work because it enters the blood-brain barrier, which can become disrupted in a traumatic brain injury. In a health person, the blood-brain barrier keeps any dangerous bacteria or drugs from entering the brain and it prevents any brain chemicals from entering the blood. After a serious brain injury, this layer of protection can be disrupted, according to researchers, and this can lead to the development of epilepsy.

Researchers have developed an MRI protocol to diagnose whether the blood-brain barrier has been compromised so that patients can be given drug therapy right away to prevent the development of seizures. According to the researchers, the blood-brain barrier will heal within a few weeks, so the medication should be administered quickly after the injury and should to only be administered for a short while.

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Construction Sites are the Scene of Many Trucking Accidents in Hollywood and other Cities

Published on: May 15, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Construction sites rely on heavy machinery, including trucks, in order to complete jobs. Unfortunately, the heavy equipment and especially the trucks on construction sites can easily lead to crashes and severe injuries. In fact, traffic accidents are a leading cause of construction site accidents and injury in Hollywood and other communities.

These types of accidents tend to affect not only workers, but they can also affect pedestrians who happen to be walking in the area, passenger cars trying to drive through construction sites, and anyone else who is in the area. Unfortunately, one of the things that makes construction sites so dangerous is the fact that many types of vehicles are combined with pedestrians or individual workers who need to walk around the site. The area surrounding a construction site can also include local traffic that needs to make its way through a construction site or even pedestrians who are trying to get around the construction site in order to get to their destinations. There is a lot of room for possible injuries in this type of situation.

Construction sites typically have several types of vehicles and trucks on site, including:

•Cranes
•Cement trucks
•Forklifts
•Passenger vehicles
•Dump trucks
•Commercial trucks carrying heavy equipment, supplies, or machinery
All of these trucks pose their own unique risks and dangers.

Many construction site accidents involving trucks are in fact preventable. There are many things that can be done to prevent trucking accidents on construction sites:

•Proper training of workers
•Proper signage and barriers for pedestrians and drivers in the area
•Proper supervision
•Correct use of signals on trucks
•Correct use of detours for local traffic
When construction companies are negligent in providing a safe workplace and site, work injuries in Hollywood and Florida can easily occur. Negligence on construction sites can also affect local traffic, leading to traffic collisions and pedestrian accidents.

Have you been injured when driving or walking through a construction site? If so, you will want to get answers about what has caused your injuries. Did the company involved take reasonable precautions to keep the area safe? Were the operators of trucks and other heavy equipment on the site careful and mindful of traffic and pedestrians in the area? If not and you have been injured as a result, you may have a legal claim that allows you to seek compensation for your financial losses.

If you have been injured on the job because of a construction site accident, you may be able to claim workers compensation benefits in Hollywood or your community. However, you may be concerned whether these benefits will cover your lost wages, medical bills, and other expenses. To get answers, you will want to consult with a personal injury attorney to get legal advice. In addition to workers compensation benefits, you may have other options for having your lost income, medical costs, and other expenses covered.

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