injury lawyer in Houston’
Child Car Safety Seats Recalled Because of Harness Failures
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012
Britax Child Safety is recalling more than 14,000 infant car seats because of a possible risk of harness failure that could expose a child to the injury hazards in an accident. About 14,220 infant car seats are included in the recall which has been announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
According to the company, the recall is linked to a potential defect in the harness adjuster, which can cause the harness to fail to restrain the child. This could cause the harness to become detached from the seat, rendering the straps unable to restrain the child. The National...
Two Workers Injured in Electrical Accident at Texas Biomass Power Plant
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012
At least 2 workers are reported to have been seriously injured in an electrical accident at a biomass power plant in East Texas. The accident occurred at the facility operated by Minnesota-based Fagen Inc. The facility is located in Sacul, about 155 miles northeast of Houston.
According to representatives of the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Department, the accident involved an electrical explosion. No further details are available. The 2 workers sustained serious injuries, and remain in a critical condition. They are likely to be soon transferred to the burn unit at the Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas.
There are no further details...
Workplace Injuries and Fatalities Cost More than Disease
Thursday, January 19th, 2012
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...
Trials Will Probe if Female Sex Hormones Can Help Treat Brain Injury
Wednesday, January 18th, 2012
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...
Eight People Killed in East Texas Accident
Friday, January 6th, 2012
Eight people, including 3 children, were killed in an accident in East Texas last week. The accident occurred when 2 cars collided on US 82 near Annona in a rural area of Texas. Annona is a rural town with a population of less than 300. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the 2 vehicles were involved in a head-on collision. Both vehicles burst into flames. Eight people, including a 29-year-old woman and her 3 children, were killed. The children were aged 8 years, 6 years and 10 months old.
The accident occurred on December 30, and so far,...
Worst Workplace Fatalities of 2011
Thursday, January 5th, 2012
The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health has compiled a list of the worst workplace fatalities that Houston workplace injury lawyers came across last year. The following incidents are included in the list.
- A grain elevator explosion at the Bartlett Crane Co. in Kansas in October which killed 6 workers
- A chemical dust explosion at a Tennessee facility which killed 3 workers
- An electrocution incident at Monsanto Corporation in Illinois that killed 2 teenage workers and injured 8 others
- A manhole accident in North Carolina which killed 2 workers
- An oil rig explosion in Wyoming In August which cost three workers...
Federal Panel Recommends Tough Approach to Sleep Apnea among Truck Drivers
Thursday, December 22nd, 2011
Two federal trucking safety panels have advised the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that the agency should toughen its approach to the diagnosis and treatment of truck drivers who suffer from sleep apnea.
The recommendations were made by the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee and the Medical Review Board. Both committees will also collaborate to produce final recommendations for a rule that will set the standards for the evaluation of drivers for sleep apnea. The recommendations made by the boards could include such conditions as immediate disqualification of a truck driver if he falls asleep at the wheel of a...
Traffic Accident Fatalities Down in 2010, but Distracted Driving on the Rise
Sunday, December 11th, 2011
Last year, traffic accident fatalities hit a record low since 1949, dropping to just over 32,000 deaths. However, distracted driving has evolved into a major factor in traffic accident fatalities.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were a total of 32,885 highway accident fatalities recorded in the country last year. That was a rate of 1. 10 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, a decline from 1.15 fatalities the previous year. However, the agency also recorded an increase in pedestrian and motorcycle accident accidents.
Another fact that really stands out from the data however is that for...
Ban on Hand-Held Cell Phone Use for Truck Drivers Effective Soon
Wednesday, December 7th, 2011
In the next few weeks, a ban on the use of handheld cell phones by commercial truck drivers will go into effect. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has finalized a rule that bans the use of handheld cell phones by commercial truck drivers, except in emergency situations. The rule follows another one on texting while driving for commercial truck and bus drivers.
The rule is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on December 2. It'll go into effect about 30 days after it is published in the Federal Register. Under the rule, commercial truck drivers who use...
Hybrid Cars Safer for Motorists; But Not So Much for Pedestrians
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011
Hybrid vehicles are much safer for occupants than conventional non-hybrid conventional vehicles. However, these vehicles also seem to be involved in more numbers of pedestrian accidents than conventional vehicles.
According to a report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, hybrid vehicles protect their occupants in accidents much better than conventional vehicles do. These vehicles pack greater mass than conventional non-hybrid vehicle, and therefore, can absorb impact better. In fact, these vehicles offer approximately 25% more protection than non-hybrid conventional vehicles.
That's the good news. The bad news is that these vehicles are also involved in more pedestrian...
