Defective Children’s Toys Seized at Houston Port

Posted on January 25th, 2012 by

Federal consumer safety investigators have seized more than 25,000 defective children’s toys at the Port of Houston, more than any other consumer product imported into this country.  Those toys included a number of hazards, ranging from choking and strangulation hazards to lead poisoning risks.

The approximately 25,000 toys that were seized were part of 117,000 foreign products that were seized at the Port of Houston between 2010 and 2011.  These recalled products included lighters, mattresses, and electronic devices.

The Port of Houston is one of the busiest ports in the country, and not surprisingly, 19 federal investigators have been assigned to the Port to seize defective shipments.

The toys that were seized included toy guns, helicopters, cars, trucks and dolls.  The hazards that were associated with the shipments included lead poisoning hazards.  Some of the toys were found to contain far too high lead concentration levels.

Exposure to high concentrations of lead has been linked to neurological difficulties, learning disabilities, and brain damage.  Additionally, many toys were seized because they had high phthalate levels.  These are toxic chemicals that have been linked to genital abnormalities and reproductive disorders in male children.  Inspectors also seized many shipments of toys, because these contained small and detachable parts that could pose a potential choking hazard to a child.

If you have been injured by the use of a defective product in the Houston area, you may have rights to compensation for your losses.  Consult with an experienced Houston product liability lawyer at Vujasinovic and Beckcom for a free evaluation of your case.

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Texas Scientists Testing Spinal Cord Injury Drug On Dogs

Posted on January 22nd, 2012 by

Scientists at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine are scheduled to begin testing an exciting new spinal cord injury treatment on dogs.  If the tests are successful, as Galveston car accident lawyers hope they will be, then tests on human beings will be the next step.

The dogs included in the study will be those with short legs and long torso like daschunds, which have been found to be at a slightly higher risk of spinal cord injury. The first phase of testing has already been completed on mice at the University Of California in San Francisco.  Those tests have been found to be successful.  Mice that had suffered paralysis in their hind limbs began to show signs of movement, and were able to take some steps on their own just three days after being administered the drug.  It’s now the turn of the Texas researchers to conduct the same testing on dogs.

The drug will not cure spinal cord damage.  What it will do however is restrict the amount of cell damage that takes place after a person suffers a spinal cord injury.  A protein called matrix metalloproteinase-9 is released in the blood in large numbers when a person suffers a spinal injury, and this protein has a destructive effect on cells in the spinal area.  What the drug does is inhibit the functioning of this protein, thereby protecting important cells and pathways that would otherwise be damaged by the protein.

If you have suffered a spinal cord injury in a car accident or workplace accident or any other accident in the Galveston region, contact a Galveston personal injury lawyer at Vujasinovic and Beckcom for an evaluation of your case.

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Patients with Anxiety, Depression Less Likely to Recover Fully after Orthopedic Surgery

Posted on January 22nd, 2012 by

Doctors have a word of caution for auto accident and workplace accident victims in the Houston area who may be in line for orthopedic surgery.  Patients who suffer from anxiety, low-grade depression, and other signs of poor emotional health may have much lower chance of recovering completely after they undergo an orthopedic surgery to treat fractures and other injuries.

In fact according to some orthopedic surgeons, while medical science has advanced to the point where a patient’s quality of life can be dramatically improved after surgery, the patient’s emotional health does play a critical role in determining the quality of functioning after the surgery.

Doctors often advise surgery for patients who sustain hip injuries, knee injuries, shoulder injuries and other types of injuries in workplace or auto accidents in Houston.  In fact, for some types of fractures like hip fractures, surgery is highly recommended as a means of controlling inflammation, and accelerating the process of recovery.  Patients who suffer from signs of low-grade depression, or suffer from anxiety related disorders, or who simply have poor coping skills may not see a return to the level of function as before the injury.

The National Institutes of Health is currently conducting a study to test the benefits of emotional health programs for patients undergoing joint replacement surgery.  This current study involves a total of 200 patients.  The aim is to find out if an emotionally rehabilitation program along with physical rehabilitation, can help foster a more complete recovery.

If you have been injured in an auto accident in Houston, speak with an experienced Houston car accident lawyer at Vujasinovic and Beckcom.

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Workplace Injuries and Fatalities Cost More than Disease

Posted on January 19th, 2012 by

This shouldn’t come as news to any Houston workplace injury lawyer.  According to a new study, the economic cost of workplace injuries and deaths in the United States is much greater than the total cost for all types of cancers, and the total cost from diseases like diabetes.

The researchers gathered data from 2007 on occupational injuries and illnesses and the resulting economic costs to workers, including agricultural and self-employed workers.  According to the study funded by the National Institute for Patient Safety and Health, job-related injuries and deaths in the United States account for approximately $250 billion in economic costs every year.  That is approximately $31 billion more than the cost of all types of cancers every year.  It is also $76 billion more than the cost of diabetes annually.

That’s not all.  According to the study, the cost of occupational fatalities has increased by nearly $50 billion since 1992.  That was the last year that a study into the costs of workplace fatalities was conducted.

According to the results, there were a total of 8,564,600 fatal and nonfatal workplace injuries, and these cost the economy $192 billion.  There were also 516,100 fatal and nonfatal workplace-related illnesses or occupational illnesses, which cost the economy $58 billion.

The researchers want the data to be used by employers to review their workplace safety measures, and to investigate the potential for improvements in workplace safety.  The federal administration also needs to review these statistics to see how employers can save more lives in worker fatalities every year, and make workplaces safer.

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Trials Will Probe if Female Sex Hormones Can Help Treat Brain Injury

Posted on January 18th, 2012 by

Clinical trials into the effect of female sex hormone progesterone on brain injury continue.  In the UK, researchers have just begun trials to see whether the hormone can help speed up recovery after a traumatic brain injury.  Initial trials in the United States have already yielded promising results.

At least one trial in the United States found that the death rate after a brain injury was 30% among patients who were given a placebo after the injury.  However, in persons who were administered the female progesterone hormones, the death rate was about 13%.

Several such trials are being conducted across the world in Europe, America, and South America.  In the United Kingdom, trials have begun at 5 hospitals where doctors will use the progesterone approach to treat patients who have suffered a brain injury in car accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, workplace accidents, slip and fall accidents or violent assaults.

The study will include more than 1,200 people all over the world.  Persons in the trial will be given an intravenous infusion of progesterone, and the effects of the treatment will be compared with another group of people.  Results of the trial are not expected for at least the next 2 or 3 years.  However, some initial results have been very encouraging, and this is the reason why Pasadena brain injury lawyers hope that progesterone hormones will be the next big breakthrough in brain injury treatment.

If you have suffered a traumatic brain injury in an accident in the Pasadena area, speak to a Pasadena brain injury lawyer at Vujasinovic and Beckcom. Initial consultations are free.

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Study Finds Brain Adapts Quickly to Immobilized Arm after Injury

Posted on January 18th, 2012 by

According to a study that has just been published in the Journal Neurorology, the brain of a person who has suffered an arm injury or has lost his arm, begins to adapt to the circumstances, as quickly as within 2 weeks after the injury.  It’s why persons, who suffer an arm or hand fracture or any other injury that prevents them from using their arm or hand, are quickly able to learn how to perform routine tasks using their uninjured arm.

According to researchers, certain areas of the brain that are needed to compensate for the injury begin to increase in size after the injury.  Researchers based their findings on a study of a small sample of 10 subjects.  These persons were all right-handed, and had suffered a right arm injury.  The subjects were monitored over 2 weeks.  When the researchers investigated the volunteers’ ability to use their uninjured left hand 2 days after the injury and compared it with 2 weeks after the injury, they found that the right-hander could move the left hand fairly well and use it for certain activities.

Those results were confirmed by brain scans, the first of which was taken just 2 days after the injury and the second taken 2 weeks after the injury.  The scans found an increase in the size of the brain area responsible for activities linked to the use of the left-hand, and a decrease in the size in the area of the brain responsible for the activity in the right hand.

These are intriguing results, and the researchers want to build further on these findings, by investigating whether the results can be used to develop therapies that benefit persons who have lost an arm in a workplace accident or auto accident.

Arm or hand injuries can occur during workplace accidents, falls and automobile accidents.  If you have suffered an arm or hand injury in the Houston area, speak with a skilled and experienced Houston personal injury lawyer at Vujasinovic and Beckcom. Initial consultations are free.

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Fiery Houston UPS Truck Accident Traced to Distracted Driver

Posted on January 16th, 2012 by

A truck accident involving a UPS tractor-trailer last week is being blamed on a distracted driver.  Fortunately, the accident did not result in any injuries, although it did cause an explosion and fire.

According to news reports, the UPS 18-wheeler was traveling northbound on Interstate 45 on its way from Houston to Dallas, when the driver reached out for something in the cab.  He was momentarily distracted, and this resulted in the truck swerving near a construction area, and hitting the end of a guardrail.  The truck then jackknifed and burst into flames.

The driver of the truck suffered injuries, and was taken to the hospital.  He’s reported to be in a stable condition.  Fortunately, there were no other vehicles involved in this accident, and no other injuries were reported. The accident however did result in the closure of the freeway for several hours as the wreck was cleared.

It’s extremely fortunate that no other vehicle was involved in this particular accident.  The consequences for smaller passenger vehicles involved in an accident with a tractor-trailer are very often serious.

While distractions are blamed for thousands of passenger vehicle accidents every year, they are also a major factor in accidents involving commercial trucks and 18-wheelers.  Most people tend to think of distractions as those involving cell phones and texting devices.  Any time a truck driver has his concentration and attention taken away from the road, it increases the risk of an accident.  Truckers may be at risk when they’re fiddling with radio channels, using a computer or a GPS device, or snacking at the wheel.

If you have been injured in a UPS truck accident in the Galveston area, speak with an experienced Galveston truck accident lawyer at Vujasinovic and Beckcom.

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Katy Cop Fired after Fatal Drunk Driving Accident

Posted on January 16th, 2012 by

A Katy police officer has been fired after he was involved in a fatal drunk driving accident that killed 2 people last week.  The crash killed a mother and her 12-year-old son.

According to investigations, the police officer was a passenger in the pickup truck that crashed into the car with the mother and son.  The driver of the pickup truck had been driving under the influence.  According to the Katy police chief, he has reason to believe that the police officer had also been intoxicated at the time of the crash.  Although he was riding in the passenger seat, he was the owner of the truck.  The driver of the pickup truck has been charged

The accident occurred when the victims had pulled over to the side of the road after the tire blowout.  As the mother was trying to fix the tire, the pickup truck came barreling down the road, and crashed into the car.  The car burst into flames, killing both the mother and her boy instantly.

It shouldn’t be a surprise to any Houston car accident lawyer that this accident ended with such devastating consequences.  Most alcohol-related car accidents end in catastrophic injuries or wrongful deaths.  These accidents often involve speed, recklessness or aggressive driving, because alcohol affects a motorist’s driving abilities in more ways than one.

If you have been injured in a drunk driving accident in the Houston area, speak with an experienced Houston auto accident lawyer at Vujasinovic and Beckcom.

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Houston Surgeon Develops More Effective Shoulder Surgery Technique

Posted on January 13th, 2012 by

A surgeon in Houston has developed a new, more effective  technique for treating rotator cuff injuries.

Rotator cuff injuries or shoulder injuries can include bursitis, or inflammation of the bursa sacs, tendinitis or inflammation of the tendons in the rotator cuff, and, tendon tears.  These injuries are often caused due to wear and tear.  For instance, workers who perform certain types of activities like lifting or raising their arms overhead over and over again, may be at a greater risk of suffering rotator cuff injuries.  Additionally, these injuries may also occur during a fall accident.

St. Luke’s surgeon Dr. Mark Labbe has developed a technique to treat rotator cuff injury by using a graft to strengthen the repaired muscles.  The technique has been found to be especially useful in treating people who have suffered a large muscle tear.  The surgeons at St. Luke’s believe that the technique is useful in helping persons avoid a recurrence of the injury, and avoid the stiffness and arthritis that typically follows a rotator cuff injury.

The researchers have conducted a study comparing the healing rate of patients who had undergone this new treatment, with patients who had not undergone the procedure.  Among patients who underwent this graft surgery, the healing rate was about 85%, compared to 45% among patients who did not undergo this surgery.

If you have suffered a rotator cuff injury in Pasadena as the result of an auto accident, slip and fall accident or a workplace accident, speak with an experienced Pasadena personal injury lawyer at our firm. Initial consultations are free.

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Increase in Binge Drinking Could Mean More Drunk Driving Accidents

Posted on January 13th, 2012 by

According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, binge drinking among Americans in 2010 was slightly higher than in 2009.  Not only that, the number of drinks being consumed during each episode of binge drinking also increased.

One out of every six Americans reported binge drinking in 2010.  Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that during each binging episode, the average drinks consumed was about 8.

Binge drinking can be defined as the consumption of at least 5 alcohol beverages by adult males, and 4 alcoholic beverages by adult females during a single episode.  It is one of the most reckless drinking practices, and has been often linked to drunk driving accidents in Galveston.  Binge drinking also increases the risks of violence, criminal activity and full-fledged alcoholism.

The study found that young adults, whites, and males, were much more likely to drink excessively.  However, senior citizens above the age of 65 had more drinks during these episodes, an average of about 5.5 drinks per binge.

Among persons between the age of 18 and 24, the risk of binge drinking was exceedingly high, with 20.2% reporting excessive drinking, and drinking more than 9 alcoholic beverages at a time.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, binge drinking is a huge health problem in the United States, and continues to remain a vastly underestimated and neglected one.    As a Galveston car accident lawyer, I am especially concerned about binge drinking in Houston, Galveston and the Harris County area, which has some of the highest drunk driving rates in the country.

If you have been injured in a car accident that you believe was caused by an intoxicated driver, speak with an experienced Galveston car accident attorney at Vujasinovic and Beckcom.

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