Accident & Injury
Driverless cars raise legal questions
Posted in Accident & Injury on May 28, 2013
In 2010, Google announced that it had been conducting research on driverless cars. Using data the company initially collected for Google Maps, the Google Car also integrates cameras, wheel sensors, laser range finders and radar to avoid traffic and other obstacles. Sergey Brin, one of the internet company’s founders, expects the technology to be...
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$58M awarded in fracking related trucking accident
Posted in Accident & Injury on May 22, 2013
With the increase in hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) gas well sites around the country, many are touting the economic boost the industry is forecasted to provide. More well sites mean more jobs. However, it also means an increase in the amount of semis and other large commercial vehicles. The increased traffic has caused concern throughout...
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NTSB Recommends Lowering BAC to .05
Posted in Accident & Injury on May 17, 2013
by Arthur Elk In a report released earlier this week, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended that all 50 states should lower the threshold for drunk driving from .08 to .05 blood alcohol content (BAC). According to the Washington Post, “That’s about one drink for a woman weighing less than 120 pounds, two for...
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Judge OKs $40 million class-action settlement over Skechers shoes
Posted in Accident & Injury on May 14, 2013
By Arthur Elk At Elk & Elk, we’ve been investigating cases involving toning shoes, including Skechers, and false advertising claims made about what the shoes can do. Millions of Americans purchased the shoes, believing that wearing the shoes would firm and sculpt their muscles. Not only were those claims not true, but some customers...
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Lawn mower accidents and injuries to children are preventable
Posted in Accident & Injury on May 11, 2013
As spring and summer bring warmer weather and the grass begins to grow more quickly, our neighborhoods are filled with the sounds of buzzing lawn mowers. Unfortunately, this common task of mowing the lawn can cause significant injury or death for tens of thousands of people across the nation. It’s especially important for parents...
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Deadly crashes caused by drivers on cellphones underreported
Posted in Accident & Injury, Car Accident on May 10, 2013
It should come as no surprise that cellphones are very distracting for drivers, and the consequences can be deadly. It’s also no surprise that the number of fatal cellphone-involved crashes are grossly underreported. The National Safety Council analyzed data from 180 fatal crashes that took place between 2009 and 2011 that resulted in one...
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City of San Francisco sues Monster for targeting young people
Posted in Accident & Injury on May 8, 2013
In the ongoing debate over the safety of caffeine additives, the city attorney of San Francisco is suing Monster Beverage for marketing its energy drinks to children. Dennis Herrera said this week that Monster is the “industry’s worst offender” in regards to the extent to which it targets youth and children. He points to...
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Softball bat recalled due to separation risk
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...
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Friends don’t let friends text and drive
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...
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Doctors routinely prescribing risky meds to older patients
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...
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