Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a major upgrade in the area of whistleblower enforcement. According to OSHA’s announcement, the Office of the Whistleblower Protection Program now reports directly to the Labor Department’s Office of the Assistant Secretary. Previously, the program reported to the Director...
Read MoreBrain Injury and Car Crashes: Level 1 Trauma Centers are Vital
Federal officials consider traumatic brain injury (TBI) a serious public health problem in the United States. Brain injuries lead to thousands of deaths and cases of permanent disability every year across the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The level of...
Read MoreIs Your Child at Risk of Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy is the term given to a group of motor conditions that affect a child’s body during development. The term “cerebral” refers to the brain and “palsy” refers to movement disorder. When an infant’s brain suffers damage during pregnancy or childbirth, cerebral palsy can result. In...
Read MoreAre Liability Waivers Ironclad?
Many recreational activities involve a certain risk of injury. Operators of recreational equipment, like amusement park rides, usually have people sign a liability waiver. The liability waiver intentionally relinquishes or abandons a legal right or claim against the operator in the event of injury. Essentially, it says you accept the risk and agree not...
Read MoreWhat Makes a Drug Defective?
Our blog post on Wednesday illustrated how common prescription drug use is in the United States. American’s dependence on prescription drugs has become a large profit base for drug manufacturers. When drug makers put profit above patient safety, defective drugs make their way onto the market. A prescription...
Read MoreCan You Refuse to Work in a Dangerous Work Environment?
Do you know what to do if a dangerous condition exists at your workplace? In addition to bringing the unsafe or unhealthy condition to your employer’s attention, the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) advises that under some circumstances, you have a legal right to refuse to work in an environment that could cause...
Read MoreWhat’s the Difference Between a Claim and a Lawsuit?
You might hear the terms “personal injury claim” and "personal injury lawsuit” used interchangeably by some people. However, there is a significant difference between the two phrases. A personal injury claim involves you and the party at fault and/or the faulty party’s insurance company as you work out payment for your injuries. A personal...
Read MoreWho is at the Most Risk for a Drunken Driving Accident?
Each day, almost 30 people die in the United States in motor vehicle crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers. This adds up to an annual cost of over $51 billion, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the CDC, there are three groups of people most at risk for injuries and...
Read MoreTort Reform in Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
The argument over tort reform often centers on medical malpractice lawsuits against doctors and other health care providers. When a patient suffers injuries by a doctor’s negligent acts, he or she can recover damages for medical bills, lost wages, pain, and suffering, emotional distress, and punitive...
Read MoreHigh Speed Collision Critically Injures Maryland Infant
An 18-month-old girl is in critical condition after an auto accident on Maryland’s Coastal Highway late last month. As reported at mdcoastdispatch.com, the infant was in a car with her mother when a pickup truck rear-ended their vehicle. The mother escaped the car crash with only a fractured arm. According to the report, the...
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