Posted in Health & Wellness on May 7, 2013

Do you know how dangerous tanning beds are? Did you know that they increase your risk of melanoma by nearly 75 percent? We are in the middle of peak tanning season, as teenage girls and young women get ready for prom and summer weddings. However, tanning beds could soon be the latest products to...

Posted in Health & Wellness on May 4, 2013

Most of us enjoy a morning coffee to get the day started, or a bottle of Mountain Dew to help get through the afternoon. Caffeine is part of most of our lives and generally is not thought of as being dangerous. But it can be dangerous if it is used in excess, especially in...

Posted in Accident & Injury, Product Liability on May 3, 2013

Unless you wear a suit of armor like Robert Downey Jr. in “Iron Man 3,” there is always a risk of injury when you play sports. Having an aluminum bat split in two and flying into the stands is not something anyone expects to happen, but it has been happening and has prompted a...

Posted in Probate & Estate Planning on May 1, 2013

Experts estimate that only 40 percent of Americans have a living will. Last month, we asked our readers if they had a living will, and their responses fell within that estimate – at 43 percent. A living will is a very powerful and important document that will help make sure your wishes are followed...

Posted in Accident & Injury, Car Accident, Health & Wellness on April 30, 2013

By Arthur Elk Often, when we talk about peer pressure, it is in a negative light. But peer pressure can have a positive spin, too. In the battle to get teens to stop texting and driving, it appears that peer pressure may be the greatest weapon. According to a new national survey conducted by...

Posted in Accident & Injury, Drug & Medical Devices on April 30, 2013

Senior citizens, are you taking of the 110 drugs doctors say you should avoid? A new report shows that doctors in the U.S. are too frequently prescribing potentially harmful drugs to older patients. The study, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, found that one out of every five senior citizens receiving Medicare...

Posted in Drug & Medical Devices on April 29, 2013

The contraceptive drugs Yasmin and Yaz have been associated with a number of serious, potentially fatal side effects. These include heart attacks, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, blood clots, gallbladder issues and stroke. Thousands of lawsuits have been filed against Bayer, the manufacturer of the contraceptives. Last month, Bayer agreed to pay $24 million...

Posted in Car Accident on April 26, 2013

Earlier this week, a study was released that found that hands-free texting was just as dangerous as manual texting. Now the federal government is taking more steps to crack down on distracted drivers. It’s easy to get distracted by all the devices in our vehicles. Your GPS is talking to you. You have to...

Posted in Medical Malpractice on April 24, 2013

By Arthur Elk In the new Will Smith movie “After Earth,” we see a picture of what the Earth might look like 1,000 years in the future. While it’s fun to imagine what the future might be like, at Elk & Elk, we are here right now to help our clients get their lives...

Posted in Medical Malpractice on April 24, 2013

Did you know that an estimated 40,000 to 80,000 Americans die each year from missed medical diagnoses? A new study has found that diagnostic errors are the main source of successful malpractice claims and are the most common, most costly and most dangerous of medical mistakes. If you or a loved one has suffered...