Month: August 2016

On Aug. 22, the FDA announced that it was going to allow two devices to be marketed as tests aimed to diagnose cognitive function after a brain injury. They are called the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) and ImPACT Pediatric. They are designed to allow doctors in Maryland and around the country to diagnose the signs and symptoms of a head injury as part of an overall diagnostic process. On their own, these devices are not designed to diagnose a concussion or any other head injury. However, they collect

Continue reading Products may help diagnose concussions…

Previously, we looked briefly at the federal hours of service rules, which are largely aimed at preventing truck drivers from driving without adequate rest. The rules, of course, cannot guarantee that commercial drivers have sufficient rest to safely operate a commercial vehicle, but they go a long way toward doing so. Employers must also do their part to monitor employees and individual drivers are still responsible for exercising reasonable care. Drowsy or fatigued driving, of course, is not a problem exclusively with commercial drivers, even if commercial drivers are particularly

Continue reading Nonprofit compares drowsy driving impairment to alcohol intoxication…

Maryland residents may assume that if they are successful in a personal injury lawsuit, they will automatically get 100 percent of the damages that are awarded by the jury. Their assumption would be wrong, however, if they bear some degree of fault for the incident. Injuries suffered in a slip and fall accident at a private home or a business are often the fault of the property owner. However, when the plaintiff had some responsibility, the amount of the recovery will depend in part on state law. A few states

Continue reading Premises liability claims can be complicated…

It is against the law to drive without insurance in all 50 states. Still, approximately one in 10 motorists in Virginia is without valid insurance, according to research by the Insurance Research Counsel. Drivers who are uninsured often simply fail to secure insurance, have a lapsed policy, or may be driving on a suspended or revoked license. Victims of a hit-and-run are also dealing with uninsured motorist issues. The takeaway is that if you are in an accident through no fault of your own, there is a significant possibility the

Continue reading Your legal options when hit by an uninsured driver…

In our previous post, we began looking at the federal hours of service rules and provided a brief summary of the rules for property-carrying passengers. As we noted, the primary aim of the hours of service rules is to ensure truckers are adequately rested behind the wheel. The hours of service rules cannot guarantee truckers are adequately rested on the job, of course, but they make it much more likely than if the industry was left to its own devices. Truckers put in long hours on the road and can easily

Continue reading What are the federal “hours of service” rules and why do they matter to truck accident victims? P.2…

Truck safety is an issue that everybody should be concerned about, because all of us are potentially at risk when truck drivers and employers are careless with matters of safety. While there are a number of safety regulations the trucking industry is bound by, increased attention has been given in recent years to the so-called hours of service rules. The hours of service rules, which are administered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, are aimed at ensuring truck drivers have adequate rest while they are behind the wheel. Driver

Continue reading What are the federal “hours of service” rules and why do they matter to truck accident victims?…

A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, refers to brain dysfunction that develops due to a violent blow to the head. TBIs may commonly occur as a result of a car accident, fall, or severe sports injury. Due to the serious complications that can result from head trauma, there is currently a significant amount of research being done regarding the possible causes and treatment of TBIs. For example, the University of Cincinnati Medical Center will soon begin to study secondary injuries which may occur after suffering a blow to the head.

Continue reading A traumatic brain injury may lead to secondary injuries…