New York — A man who went on a roller coaster ride in an amusement park in New York died during a horrible accident. He was thrown from the amusement park ride and was pronounced dead from his injuries. The victim was a veteran of the U.S. Army and had returned from the Iraq war after suffering a serious injury from a roadside bomb. The man had both legs amputated due to the battle injury but was given prosthetic legs before visiting the amusement park. Officials were unclear if the man’s war injury was related to his fall from the roller coaster ride. Investigators were checking the safety and mechanical repair records of the ride. Reports noted that it was also not clear if the disabled man should have been permitted to go on the ride safely. Some public advocates warn that amusement parks are not always care-free and safe. Another amusement park death reported by the New York Post earlier this summer involved a young girl who fell from a Ferris wheel. Last month inflatable bounce houses injured 13 people in Long Island, New York. Safety experts say that children’s can appear safe but require strict precautions and inspections as well as proper maintenance. Negligent maintenance or improper safety rules can easily lead to disaster. Personal injury lawyers say that injuries and deaths related to negligent repair or not following of basic safety rules can lead to an injury lawsuit or even wrongful death lawsuit. Check out the latest details on the recent roller coaster accident here.

New York — Police in New York City report that an auxiliary police chief struck and killed a pedestrian in a motor vehicle accident involving a police department van. Apparently, the auxiliary police officer, who is 85 years old, pushed the gas pedal of the van by mistake instead of the brake. His van lurched forward and hit another police car. His van also ran on to the sidewalk and hit a pedestrian in the Chinatown, NY area of the city. The pedestrian victim was crushed and rushed to the hospital but declared dead in the emergency room. Auxiliary police members warn that there are no qualifying driving tests administered to older drivers that are members of the department. Some say that the accident and wrongful death could have been prevented if proper testing was performed and determined if the senior citizen officer was capable of driving an emergency vehicle. An accident lawyer noted that this opens the department and the city to negligence lawsuits and a wrongful death lawsuit. Find out more about this tragic car accident here.

New York — A young woman was struck and killed in a New York City subway accident. Officials say the woman fell on to the subway tracks after she passed out. Some believed that the woman fainted due to the extreme heat. Transportation safety investigators reportedly took samples of blood from the train conductor to routinely look for alcohol or drugs that could have contributed to the train accident. An accident lawyer in New York explained that the woman’s death may have been prevented if proper safety precautions were in place. A wrongful death lawsuit may be filed if proper safety devices and precautions were not in place. For example, some public advocates have suggested that train platforms should have safety rails installed to prevent passengers from falling on to the tracks below. This would also prevent passengers from being hit and injured by objects protruding from the subway as it speeds passed. Investigators will have to further assess the specific circumstances that led to this woman’s death before determining if anything could have been done to prevent it. Some passengers and regular commuters complain that subway stations and platforms are extremely hot and not well ventilated. They say that better fans and even air conditioners should be installed to prevent the passengers from overheating and fainting, especially during the sweltering summer months. You can read more about this tragic subway accident here.

Doctors have studied and treated head injury patient for thousands of years. Now, some scientists are looking at computer software that may help treat some of these patients who have suffered a brain injury. Brain injuries can be caused but trauma, surgery, or other causes. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be caused by a car accident, battle wound, work injury or an assault. The investigators have teamed up with the United States Department of Defense to research the use of their software programs for retraining and treating TBI patients. The Department of Defense is interested in treatment of soldiers returning from battle who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. However, doctors also note that this research will benefit other head injury victims, regardless of the cause of their brain injury. Neurologists say that a mild traumatic brain injury, sometimes referred to as a concussion, can lead to a post concussion disorder (PCD). A PCD can cause varying symptoms, including memory loss or other cognitive problems, personality changes, mood swings, depression and anxiety. They note that more severe injury can cause similar symptoms with varying degrees of overlap. Researchers will see if the short-term benefits that they have studied so far will translate in to the long-term improvements that accident and injury victims require. Check out this article for more on the computer software treatment of traumatic brain injury patients.

New York — Heavy winds blew several bounce houses out of control, injuring 13 bystanders. The carnival style jumping castles were set up on a soccer field of a Long Island, New York school as a fun activity in association with the soccer team. Witnesses say that the blow up castles crashed down to the ground and injured the children who were in the area. Safety inspectors and police were investigating the scene to determine if the company that provided the moonwalk bounce house was properly licensed. It was also unclear if the inflatable rides were properly tied down and secured for the windy weather. Some safety experts say that these types of events should only be allowed to be held outside during calm weather to prevent these types of mass injuries. They say that many children and even adults are injured when proper safety procedures are not followed at carnival and fairs. Operators can face charges and lawsuits for negligence if they did not take the necessary safety precautions when setting up and running the event. Check out this site for more info on the fly away inflatable rides with a video.

The New York Post reports that a young girl fell from the Ferris wheel of a New Jersey amusement park this weekend. The eleven year old girl fell while the amusement park ride was on its way up but it is unclear why she fell. Some speculate that she fell due to inadequate safety equipment in the car she was riding in. Safety advocates say that some rides provide proper seatbelts and safety cages to keep people inside the car. However, other rides do not provide this type of protection. They report that many injuries occur due to improper safety equipment and protocols to prevent such injury or death. Amusement park injuries and carnival accidents may occur when proper safety precautions are not considered or implemented. Parents assume that events and locations like these are inherently safe for their children. Some Ferris wheel cars are enclosed to prevent falls but apparently the cars in this case were open, with a minimal door to protect the occupants. The accident victim in this Ferris wheel accident was taken to the emergency department and died in the hospital due to her severe injuries. Investigators were looking in to the inspection and maintenance records as well as the safety equipment installed at the time of the deadly accident. The amusement park was closed to allow safety inspectors to further investigate the cause of the accident. Find out more details about this deadly accident here.

A lawsuit has been filed against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based on their actions and inactions involving the use of antibiotics in animal feed. The practice of adding antibiotics in to the food supply given to animals dates back many years now. However, public advocates say that the FDA’s approval of this practice should have ended a long time ago. They claim that the FDA has had knowledge of the dangers involved with allowing this to go on. Scientists say that the feeding of antibiotics to animals that are not sick creates antibiotic resistance. They say that FDA officials have been aware of the antibiotic resistance that they were creating but did nothing about it. This negligence, they say, now costs consumers money, their health, and even their lives. Some patients who need antibiotics have found them to be ineffective and part of this can be attributed to the resistance that built up by feeding antibiotics to healthy animals according to scientists. The primary complaint noted by those filing the negligence lawsuit is that the FDA knew that they were allowing this threat to the public health as early as 1977 but did nothing to prevent it. Some believe the agency has committed a form of malpractice. They say this is similar to medical malpractice of a doctor who unnecessarily prescribes medications to unsuspecting patients. It is another example of a dangerous condition created by someone or even an entire agency who are tasked with protecting people. Find out details on the FDA malpractice lawsuit here.

New York — An elevator accident caused multiple injuries in Manhattan, New York this past week. The elevator crash occurred while about 24 workers were aboard, injuring at least 22 of the workmen. Officials reported that some of the injured sustained serious injury when the elevator fell 4 floors. They explained that they were unsure of why the accident occurred but investigators were inspecting the accident scene. It was unclear if the elevator had undergone the necessary and required inspections and maintenance. Fire department and ambulance personnel treated and transported the victims with the work injuries to area hospitals within New York City. A workers comp lawyer noted that the injured workers would need to see doctors for follow up and further work up before the full extent of the injuries could be determined. A trauma specialist agreed that some injuries, including those from a work injury, may not fully present themselves until days or weeks after the accident or injury. Injuries that may be expected from this elevator injury can include head injury with or without concussion, neck and back injury, spinal damage, broken bones, and internal organ injury. Emergency medical personnel at the scene reported that they needed to immobilize some of the injured on backboards in order to protect their spine, due to concerns of possible spinal injury. More on the Manhattan, New York elevator injury is available here with video.

Researchers have discovered that some osteoporosis drugs that are commonly prescribed by doctors may actually cause serious bone problems. The scientists studying these medications – including Fosomax, Actonel, Boniva, and Reclast – say that the medicines may cause patients to break a bone. Increased fractures of a thigh bone have been identified in women who take these medications for a long time. Patient advocates say that this is very concerning because these patients are specifically being given the drugs in order to improve their bone health. In fact, the patients who are prescribed the medications are already at risk for bone problems and can’t afford to take a medicine that may worsen the problem or even add a new problem. Studies are continuing but some public health workers wonder why the medications are still being marketed and sold with little to no warnings about the current research and risks. They say that when consumer health is at risk the drug makers and doctors have a responsibility to discuss these serious risks with unsuspecting consumers. A medical malpractice lawyer in New York points out that drug manufacturers and doctors who do not warn and discuss these dangers with their patients are acting negligent. This type of negligence can quickly lead to a medical malpractice lawsuit. A negligent drug company or negligent doctor can be held responsible if their patient suffers without having been given all relevant risks, side effects and options. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the primary governmental organization responsible to decide if the medications should be recalled and pulled off of pharmacy shelves. Catch more on the possible health risks and research on current osteoporosis medicines here.

Occupational medicine doctors have long known that there are some common jobs that can cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). They say that some of these professions or work sites are more likely to cause the disease than others. In fact, some work health and safety experts note that some of these links have been scientifically proven and defined. COPD is a group of lung diseases that can cause difficulty breathing and shortness of breath. The most common type of COPD is called emphysema. Emphysema and other types of COPD are commonly thought to be caused only by smoking but doctors say a dangerous work condition can set it off or exacerbate the problem. Specific jobs that are commonly associated with COPD are coal mine workers, industrial and some types of factory workers, concrete workers, and those who work with cotton fibers. Public health professionals say other jobs can cause the disease and this should be discussed with your doctor. They also note that COPD is only one disease or illness caused by work. Other work related illnesses can include anemia, burns, other work injury, or even cancers. A workers comp lawyer in New York explained that the cause of an illness or injury is not always so clear at first. Some workers find that they require an advocate to fight on their behalf to receive the proper treatment and insurance coverage. Check out more on COPD illnesses caused by work exposure here.