Among the general population the elderly are often considered to be at the highest risk for slip and fall accidents due to a lack of balance and strength resulting from old age. However, a Purdue University study has found that young adults tend to fall more often than expected. Researchers asked 94 undergraduate college students…
Jury Decides in fFvor of Florida Community Center in Slip and Fall Case
A community center was cleared from liability in February for a slip and fall lawsuit filed by a Florida woman. She was seeking damages of $850,000. Mildred Golbois sued the Jewish Community Centers of South Broward Inc. (JCC) after an alleged fall in 2011. She claimed she slipped on spilled juice while sampling refreshments on…
Chloe’s Law, Aimed at Preventin Drowning Deaths in Car Crashes, Passes House Panel
A Florida bill aimed at preventing drowning deaths in car accidents has passed its first House committee. The bill is named “Chloe’s law” after Chloe Arenas, a University of Central Florida student who died last year when her vehicle ran off the road and into a retention pond. The bill is aimed at installing guardrails…
Florida Penalties for Refusing a Breathalyzer Could Get Harsher
In an effort to reduce drunk driving, which causes many car accidents, a Florida lawmaker has introduced legislation to increase the penalties for refusing to take a Breathalyzer test. At present, a person who is suspected of impaired driving and refuses a breath, urine or blood test can have their driver’s license suspended for one…
Study Suggests Babies Born on Weekends Have a Higher Risk of Death
Researchers in England have found that babies born during weekends have a slightly higher risk of dying within their first seven days in comparison to those born on weekdays. Imperial College London scientists analyzed 1.3 million births across English National Health Service hospitals between April 2010 and March 2012. Their findings showed the death rate…
Impaired Driving a Factor in Many Car Accidents
In the United States, almost 30 people die every day in car accidents caused by drunk drivers. This is the equivalent of a fatality every 51 minutes. Alcohol-related collisions have an annual cost of more than $59 billion. Drunk driving is of particular concern during the holidays. Nearly half of all highway deaths on Jan….
Study Says Inducing Labor for Large Babies May Prevent Shoulder Dystocia
Induced labor may help reduce the chances of shoulder dystocia for pregnant women giving birth to larger-than-average babies. Earlier in 2015, researchers at Geneva University Hospitals in Switzerland studied labor induction as an option to decrease the risk of shoulder dystocia during delivery. They found that one case of shoulder dystocia was prevented for every…
How Parents Can Prevent Children From Slipping and Falling
Although every parent wants to protect their child from harm, falling down is a natural part of life for active kids while growing up. However, children can also be vulnerable to slip-and-fall accidents that can result in serious injuries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls are the most common cause of…
Safety Commission to Require Labels Identifying Slip Resistance of Floors
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is considering new regulations that would require floor manufacturers to label the degree of slip resistance in their flooring. The CPSC proposed the rules in response to safety advocates who said the measure would prevent slip-and-fall accidents among elderly people. Floor manufacturers are currently not required to indicate the…
Woman Wins 366 Thousand Dollars in Orlando Slip-and-Fall Lawsuit
A woman in Winter Springs, Florida, was awarded $366,000 in a lawsuit against the city of Orlando after she suffered serious injuries in a slip-and-fall accident. Mary Ann Schwabe, 66, tripped over a curb when returning home from an Orlando Magic basketball game on Nov. 12, 2010. She was walking back to her car with…
Doctors Warn Obesity Could Lead to Pregnancy Complications
Health experts are urging pregnant women to eat healthy and exercise in order to combat obesity and reduce the pregnancy risks associated with it. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), more than 50 percent of the nation’s childbearing-age women are obese, overweight or have chronic diseases when becoming pregnant. Obese women…
Study Finds Pharmacist Workload Affects Error Rate
Pharmacists are more likely to make errors when they have more orders to fill, a new study found. The study, published in American Journal of Health-Systems Pharmacy, was authored by researchers from the University of Houston College of Pharmacy and pharmacists at Houston Methodist Hospital. The researchers reviewed medication errors that happened over a one-year…
Florida Supreme Court Assesses Fee Limits in Birth Injury Case
The Florida Supreme Court is assessing a cerebral palsy lawsuit that has raised questions about whether there should be caps on attorney fees in birth injury cases. The case involves a child diagnosed with a debilitating form of cerebral palsy that has left him wheelchair-bound and in need of constant care. The child’s mother alleged…
Safety Features are Highlights of New Car Models
At a new car show in Tampa, Florida, safety technology took center stage. Automakers displayed their newest car and truck models, highlighting safety features that could prevent car accidents and save lives. Automatic braking systems are one such feature currently available on several models. The technology senses impending collisions with obstacles in front of the…
Florida Parents Sue GlaxoSmithKline for Son’s Birth Injuries
A Florida couple filed a personal injury lawsuit against pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) on Nov. 6. They alleged that their son suffered birth injuries after his mother was prescribed Zofran, a GSK drug, during her pregnancy. The lawsuit claims negligence and intentional misrepresentation on GSK’s part, among other charges. The couple is seeking compensatory and…
Report Finds High Number of Premature Births in Florida
A new study shows that although Florida’s premature birth rate has improved since four years ago, the state still has a high number of such births every year. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, Florida’s premature birth rate has dropped from 13.6 percent in 2013 to 9.9 percent in 2014. The March of…
How to Prevent Slip and Fall Accidents During the Holiday Season
The holiday season is a busy time of year that tends to involve activities such as celebrating with friends and family, shopping for gifts and putting up decorations. However, the festivities also bring with them the risk of slip-and-fall accidents that can cause serious injuries. There are a number of precautions people can take to…
Florida Court Allows Facebook Photos as Evidence in Slip-and-Fall Case
In a slip-and-fall case from earlier this year, a Florida court ruled that Facebook users can have no reasonable expectation of privacy for the photos they post online. The decision has a significant impact on people who file slip-and-fall claims in the state as an increasing number of judges are compelling plaintiffs to produce social…
Study Finds Prevalence of Flat Head Syndrome Among Babies With Brachial Plexus Injuries
Babies with brachial plexus palsy may be at a higher risk of developing plagiocephaly, or flat head syndrome, a condition that causes an infant’s head to be misshapen. Brachial plexus palsy is a birth injury that results in weakness or the loss of movement in a baby’s arm due to the collection of nerves around…
Researchers Question Underlying Cause of Cerebral Palsy
A new study has found that cerebral palsy occurs mostly due to prenatal factors such as birth defects rather than birth asphyxia and other potential causes often thought to be responsible. The research was published in the September 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers from the National Institutes of Health and…