Author Archives: Morrison Wagner

July 04, 2014 News
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Motorcycle accident kills woman in Queens, New York

New York – A car crash involving a car and motorcycle left the female motorcycle driver dead. She was apparently hit by a car as she was crossing through an intersection. The crash victim was thrown from the bike and suffered a serious head injury. Ambulance and paramedic personnel raced to the scene and found the woman with a multiple injuries, including a traumatic brain injury (TBI). They attempted to treat her severe wounds and transported the victim to the closest hospital emergency room. Hospital officials say that the injury victim was treated for the injuries but died despite best medical efforts. Cause of death appears to be the TBI but further investigation was underway. Trauma specialists explain that a motorcycle accident can cause a variety of life threatening injuries besides a TBI, including spinal injury, internal bleeding, broken bones and arterial hemorrhaging. They say that helmets may prevent some head injuries but not in all circumstances. More serious bike accidents often involve a speeding driver, drunk driving and with reckless drivers. Police would need to examine the circumstances of this car versus motorcycle collision in order to determine who was at fault. See this article for more about this fatal New York bike crash.

Ilustrative photo by Werner Vermaak (originally posted to Flickr as Immobilized Patient) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

June 25, 2014 News
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Construction accident injures bystander on Manhattan street

New York – A woman was injured in a construction accident on a busy sidewalk in Manhattan. According to video evidence close to the accident scene, a woman bystander was struck in the leg by a saw blade that had flown off of a piece of construction machinery. It is still unclear how the accident occurred, with some witnesses reporting that the equipment broke while the saw was cutting a section of the roadway. The victim suffered a laceration and leg injury and then fell during the accident. Workers and other bystanders reported that the entire incident took place so quickly that it left everyone in shock. Some activists believe that the accident possibly occurred due to negligence. They attribute the accident and injuries to a combination of negligent maintenance of the machines along with lack of appropriate closing of the sidewalk and street. Officials say that the street was being dug up in order to fix a broken water main. However, safety codes normally say that dangerous construction sites must be sectioned off from pedestrian and vehicle traffic, as necessary, in order to prevent injury or death. Leaving a hazardous condition open to innocent bystanders See more about the work site accident along with a video here.

Illustrative photo by Ben Franske (Own work) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons

June 18, 2014 News
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Two pedestrian accidents on Long Island involved young children

New York – Two unrelated motor vehicle accidents occurred within hours of each other this past Sunday. The first car accident involved a 6-year-old pedestrian struck by a car in Suffolk County, Long Island. The accident victim in that crash was crossing the street when she was hit by a car. that was driven by an elderly man. Hospital officials report that the young girl died of the injuries from the collision despite their best efforts to revive her.

Suffolk County Police report that only several hours later, a 10-year-old boy was seriously injured in a similar car crash. The boy was crossing the road with his mother when he was struck by a car being driven by a 21-year-old driver. The victim was rushed by a medivac helicopter ambulance to a trauma center. He is undergoing continued treatment for extensive wounds both externally and internally. At this point, it appears that the most serious problem is a head injury, which requires further evaluation to determine if the victim suffered a traumatic brain injury. Police in both cases are continuing their investigation into the causes of the accidents but have not yet issued any tickets or made arrests. Some of the investigations will include an evaluation of the mechanical condition of the vehicles and an assessment to see if speeding may have contributed to the crashes. Read more about these pedestrian accidents here.

Illustrative photo by Michael Rivera (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

June 10, 2014 News
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Walmart truck accident kills one and leaves three others injured

A tractor-trailer accident on the New Jersey Turnpike left one man dead and three passengers with serious injuries. The truck crash occurred when the truck driver failed to stop for slowing traffic. His truck slammed into a van-sized limousine bus, causing the limo to roll over. The crash victims were rushed to area hospitals for emergency treatment. The accident injuries included broken bones, nose and rib fractures and possible internal injuries. Records show that the truck was owned by the discount retail chain, Walmart, and that the driver was an employee. Recent discoveries indicate that the driver of the tractor had not slept in more than a day, contrary to safety guidelines for commercial drivers. Police believe that the tired driver may have caused the collision due to fatigue. This has led to criminal charges being filed against the truck driver who rear-ended the limo. The bus accident is still being investigated in hopes of fully determining the cause of the crash. Some have speculated that the tractor-trailer was speeding due to the fact that it caused a roll-over accident. Meanwhile, road safety experts warn that Walmart trucks have been involved in many accidents, causing hundreds of injuries and many wrongful deaths. Calls have been made to force the company to better train their drivers, enforce safety laws and improve their monitoring of dangerous driving. See further details about the truck versus bus rear-end collision here.

Illustrative photo by Amanda Bengtson (Flickr: International Wal-Mart Truck) [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

June 03, 2014 News
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Research shows high incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder in child accidents victims

A Swedish medical research study has shown that approximately 30% of children that are involved in an accident, develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The condition is a well-described psychological disorder that leaves victims with a range of symptoms that can even become debilitating. Signs and symptoms of PTSD include nightmares, sleep problems, anxiety, depression, irritability, difficulty concentrating or getting along with others, mood swings, and recurrent thoughts of accidents. Some people develop difficulty breathing, a rapid heartbeat, sweating and phobias of places that resemble the scene of the accident. The diagnosis of the psychological injury usually comes from a psychologist or psychiatrist but can also be made by an astute family doctor, neurologist or trauma specialist. Doctors say that medications and intense therapy are often necessary to treat more severe cases of the disorder. However, specialists say that even more mild cases should be diagnosed and treated appropriately in order to avoid worsening of the condition. PTSD can certainly present differently in children compared to adults. The condition is also not necessarily associated with physical accident injuries. Therefore, experts note that a medical or psychological professional should examine children that were involved in an accident to screen for the condition even if the victim did not suffer outwardly visible physical injury. Trauma specialists explain that events that may cause PTSD can include a car crash, bicycle accident, pedestrian injury, drowning or even a slip and fall accident. They further note that child accident victims may interpret even minor accidents differently than an adult. That may explain the reason for the high incidence of the psychiatric injury in children. See this informative article about post-traumatic stress disorder for more details about the condition.

Illustrative photo by U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael C. Barton [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

May 26, 2014 News
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Serious injury blamed on defective office chair

An office desk chair has been recalled after more than two dozen victims have fallen and been injured, including at least one serious injury. Office Depot, an office furniture and supply store, sold the desk chairs for approximately nine years and have received numerous complaints from injured workers. It is unclear as to how long the manufacturer and retail company have known about the dangers of the faulty product. It has now come to light that the welding on the bottom of the chair can break and cause a fall injury. Reports show that some of the injured victims suffered a head injury, neck and back injuries, broken hip, fractured bones as well as contusions and abrasions from falling off of the broken chair. Consumer protection specialists therefore triggered the product recall, hoping to prevent further accidents and injuries. An accident lawyer in New York explains that injuries arising from a product liability case such as this can lead to several different types of personal injury lawsuits. These may include a negligence lawsuit if the factory that produced the product, or store that sold it, knew that their product was breaking or poorly made. A workman’s compensation lawsuit may need to be filed if the injury occurred at work. In some circumstances the injured victim may need to file for long-term or even permanent disability. Find out more details on the current broken chair recall here.

May 21, 2014 News
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New York ranks 7th highest in dog attack lawsuit payouts

An industry report shows that just one insurance company in New York State paid out $6.4 Million in dog bite attack claims last year. Specialists say that the statistics are similar for other insurance carriers who pay hundreds of millions of dollars to injured victims of assaults by dogs. They explain that very often the dog attack could have been prevented by simply putting the canine on a leash or containing it inside of a fence. However, many dog owners are negligent and create a dangerous condition for others that share the sidewalks, streets and public parks. Public safety activists note that dog owners sometimes think that their dog is safe and well trained while the reality is that even small things can set the animal off, triggering a vicious assault. Even dogs that are on a leash as well as small dogs can pose a threat and require close monitoring, especially while in public. The unsuspecting assault victim, often young children, can suffer severe and evening life threatening injuries in the matter of seconds. Common dog attack injuries include lacerations, cuts, broken bones, head injury or even internal bleeding. The long-term effects of the trauma can lead to infections, brain damage, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dog bite associated diseases and even death.
Police relate that local, state and federal laws regarding dog safety are in place to prevent injuries and wrongful death due to someone being attacked by a dog. In response to inquiries, they answer that owners of dogs that bite someone face fines and personal injury lawsuits. In some circumstances, the owner may face criminal charges for battery, especially if the dog was a known danger or the owner knowingly created a hazardous condition. Homeowner and renter’s insurance policies often contain a third party liability policy that helps cover the cost of a negligence lawsuit and medical bills arising from dog bites. Victims of a dog assault can speak to a qualified personal injury lawyer for further advice. This can include a general passerby, visitor or even a workman injured while at work. Check out more about the frightening reality of dog attacks in New York.

Illustrative photo by Karen Arnold [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

May 12, 2014 News
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Police arrest man accused of hit-and-run car accident on Long Island

New York – The driver of a sport utility vehicle (SUV) crashed into a car, causing serious accident injuries to the other driver and unknown injuries to the passenger. Police report that the man driving the SUV had been arrested in the past as a drunk driver and convicted a few years ago. The charges against him include fleeing the scene of an accident with personal injuries and allegedly driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He apparently bypassed the installed breathalyzer device in his car that was intended to prevent additional drunk driving incidents. Road safety specialists say that driving while intoxicated or impaired increases the danger of a motor vehicle collision, including a pedestrian accident or bicycle accident. Public wellbeing activists have complained that the courts and government have been negligent in effectively keeping drunk or dangerous drivers off of the roads. Some have pointed out that installing a breathalyzer system in a convicted drunk driver’s car is not enough. These systems are too easy to bypass and a driver can also simply use a different car. They note that reckless drivers should be dealt with harshly, including putting them in jail, in order to protect the welfare of everyone else on the roads. An accident lawyer in New York City explains that the driver of the SUV will likely face both criminal charges as well as a personal injury lawsuit. However, the possibility of further charges or lawsuits cannot be excluded pending investigation of the circumstances surrounding the SUV accident. More about the car crash can be found here.

Illustrative photo by U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Patrick J. Cook [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

May 07, 2014 News
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Queens subway accident injures at least 19 passengers

New York – A train accident occurred on Friday, as the F train made its way toward Manhattan and then Brooklyn. The train derailed in Queens, NY when investigators say that a rail broke. Several subway cars collided into each other and slammed into the walls, injuring at least 19 victims and trapping approximately 1,000 passengers in the tunnels. Reports have indicated that the broken train rail may have just been installed as recently as March. It was apparently put in to replace an older rail that had a crack in it. The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) engineering and safety experts are trying to determine how many other subway rails have been replaced from the same batch as this one. Transportation safety activists have expressed concern regarding the subway system’s safety record keeping and organization, worrying if negligence maintenance may have played a role in this train crash. Some have contended that several dangers and hazardous conditions have been ignored in the past by engineers and the administration.

Experts say that the broken rail that caused the collision needs to be examined by unbiased engineers in order to determine the cause. They say that defective design, inferior manufacturing materials or techniques or even faulty installation of the tracks could have led to the accident. Meanwhile, time is of the essence since there are possibly many more of these train tracks from the same batch that have been installed throughout the MTA system. To prevent further injuries or deaths, advocates have demanded that the administration urgently investigate the matter and stop using the potentially faulty rails pending a full analysis. Read more about the subway crash and current inquiry here.

Illustrative photo by Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York (NYCT_3396Uploaded by tm) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

May 01, 2014 News
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Study shows misdiagnosis occurs regularly in doctor’s offices

A new research article published in a well-respected medical journal shows that doctors misdiagnose about 12 million adults every year in outpatient clinics and private offices. This is in addition to the hospital patients that are misdiagnosed by doctors on a regular basis. Even more concerning, the investigators explain that approximately 50% of the identified medical mistakes have the possibility to cause serious damage or illness, including wrongful death. A medical malpractice lawyer in New York City notes that he has worked with many victims of hospital errors and doctor’s mistakes. These cases of failure to diagnose often leave patients suffering with more severe illness, disability and pain. Even small delays in diagnosis can lead to catastrophic health consequences, such as spreading of a cancer or an infectious disease. These delays or failures can be attributed to many causes, such as inattentiveness by healthcare providers, illegible handwriting, poor continuing education, or even a facility that is trying to cut corners in order to save money. Patient care activists explain that doctor and nursing carelessness is a well-known problem that needs to be addressed more aggressively by private medical offices, public health clinics and hospitals alike. They say that proper oversight, education and full practice protocols are needed to improve the quality and safety of healthcare while preventing repeated medical negligence. See this article for more about the outpatient misdiagnosis study.

Illustrative photo by DoD [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons