SUV Strikes and Kills 5 Year-Old Boy

On the afternoon of April 5, 2013, a sports utility vehicle crashed into a 5 year-old Azusa boy. The collision occurred near Arrow Highway around 1:30 PM. The 5 year-old boy was walking with his father and 3 year-old sister who was in a stroller. According to the police sergeant, the boy darted into the street.

Unfortunately, a driver in a Jeep Cherokee failed to see the boy and swerved. However, the driver was unable to avoid him and hit him. The jeep then collided into a curb. The boy was thrown several feet due to the impact. Neither the father nor sister was injured. The boy was taken to a nearby medical center by helicopter in critical condition. He later died at the hospital due to his injuries. 

Contributing Factors and Causes

Every day, numerous pedestrians are injured due to traffic accidents. Pedestrian injuries can take place as a result of numerous factors such as:

•          Location type: if you are walking in a busier and crowded street
•          Time of occurrence: if you are walking at night time and it is difficult to see crossing pedestrians
•          Driving under the influence: if a driver is impaired due to alcohol or drugs and injures a pedestrian as a result
•          Rate of speed: if the driver of the vehicle is unable to stop quickly enough due to accelerating at high speeds

Pedestrian Statistics

Read the following statistics to understand the gravity and harm that pedestrians face today:

•          According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 4,280 pedestrians died in car accidents in 2010- this is a 4% increase from the number of deaths reported in 2009.
•          It is estimated that in 2010 alone, about 70,000 pedestrians were injured. Of those, about 14,000 were children age 14 and younger.

Pedestrians suffer injury frequently due to car accidents. As pedestrians, we must remember to always be conscious of nearby vehicles and look both ways before crossing the street. Drivers should also remember to refrain from texting while driving or being inattentive to the road as this may also cause accidents injuring pedestrians.

Personal Injury Attorney

If you or someone you know suffered a pedestrian injury due to another driver, you should contact a personal injury attorney immediately. A personal injury attorney will work to earn you monetary compensation for your pain and suffering. 

Pedestrians are at Serious Risk of Pedestrian Accidents

When you renew your license at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), they like to remind you that driving your automobile is a privilege, not a right.  They also like to remind you that you need to be diligent in order to prevent auto accidents.  In order to prevent accidents, we place the blame squarely on drivers who are operating these machines that weigh tons. But do pedestrians have a duty to take certain steps to protect themselves from accidents as well?

Every year, there are thousands of auto accidents across the United States.  Of those, when a car tangles with a pedestrian, it can cause devastation for a pedestrian.  Pedestrian accidents can be horrific, life altering, and even fatal.  Despite this harsh reality, many pedestrians take a cavalier attitude about their safety, assuming that they won't experience a pedestrian accident.  Unfortunately, the reality is that they could potentially experience a pedestrian accident at any moment that could end their life. 

The Danger of Pedestrian Accidents

As pedestrians, we often stride confidently into intersections, secure in the knowledge that we have the right of way.  But ask yourself if having that right of way will save your life and protect you from a pedestrian accident.  We do not live in a protective bubble and cannot protect ourselves adequately from distracted drivers who may run a light, gun their car, lose control of the vehicle, or worse. When pedestrians experience an accident with a vehicle, they could experience the following injuries:

• back and neck injury
• spinal cord and disc injuries
• severe burns
• amputation
• internal organ damage
• internal bleeding
• broken bones, fractures
• paralysis, paraplegia, quadriplegia
• death

Pedestrian accidents can be horrific.  Often, these injuries could grow worse over time as well. In order to protect oneself, pedestrians are encouraged to be smart and try to protect themselves by not taking unnecessary risks, to watch where you're walking, wear light clothing at night, and to follow the rules of the road. 

If you have suffered a pedestrian accident, your entire life could have been forever altered.  Your injuries could be severe and lasting. You should seek immediate medical care and talk to a skilled personal injury attorney.  When you consult with a personal injury attorney, you can trust that your pedestrian accident will be treated with the sensitivity and care that it deserves. Obtain the relief you need from your pedestrian accident. 

FDA Rejects Potential Menopause Drugs to Protect Women

When it comes to menopause, women are offered few options to obtain relief from hot flashes and hormonal changes which can wreak havoc on the body.  Recently, 2 medications were introduced that offered hope for non- hormonal treatment of hot flashes.  But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has shot them down.  The FDA's advisory committee for reproductive health drugs found that these 2 drugs offered little benefit over a placebo, only marginally reducing hot flashes in patients.  It seems menopausal women are going to have to obtain relief elsewhere- with home remedies, herbal supplements, or hormonal therapy.  However, are menopausal women at risk for injury from existing treatments?  Is there a need for better treatments that won't cause injury? 

Is there a Risk of Injury to Consumers

Menopausal women are often at a loss when it comes to treating symptoms such as hot flashes.  Previously, hormonal therapy was considered a life saver.  Doctors would prescribe progesterone and estrogen to menopausal women, providing relief from hot flashes.  However, a study in 2002 entitled the Women's Health Initiative found that the increased use of these hormones could be responsible for increased cardiovascular problems and breast cancer.  This combination hormone therapy has since fallen out of favor among women concerned that they may face these serious injuries. 

Many doctors and advocates for reproductive treatments claim that there is a great need for treatments which will bring menopausal women relief without the risk for injury.  Often, these same advocates cite the ineffectiveness of home remedies and herbal treatments.  Crying out for new medications, these advocates have often pushed the FDA to investigate new medications which could provide relief to menopausal women. However, the FDA takes the strong position that they will not budge on risking injury to consumers in favor of approving only marginally effective medications.

As this continues to develop, reproductive health advocates will continue to monitor treatment options and their safety.  Had the FDA approved drugs due to the pressure of patient advocates and not according to their own safety guidelines, there is a potential that women may have faced a risk for injury. As skilled personal injury attorneys, we would rather the FDA stick to their guns and protect women from injury than to fold to pressure. 

Cancer Patient Misdiagnosed with Asthma

When it comes to health, consumers generally trust that doctors diagnose and treat them accurately.  When a doctor tells you that you've got asthma, something simple, you tend to believe it.  Why would you suspect it to be more?

One woman in Brooklyn had a persistent cough.  Her doctor treated her for over a year for asthma.  However, it was later discovered that she really had lung cancer.  This Brooklyn woman was devastated to learn that her doctor misdiagnosed her with a common ailment instead of a life threatening disease.  

It doesn't seem very fair, but this same woman is the primary caregiver to a child with special needs.  She may not live long enough to see her daughter grow up.  And this is due in part to the negligence of the doctor.  Because of this negligence, a NY court awarded her $625,000 in compensation although her attorneys believe she would have received more had she filed in a court out of state. 

How Doctors' Errors Could Endanger Your Health

Consumers have a reasonable belief that the doctor treating them can competently take their symptoms and diagnose them with an ailment.  They also reasonably believe that a doctor knows how to care for their conditions.  When it comes to light that a doctor may have misdiagnosed a patient, the community is shocked and confidence in that doctor, that hospital, and the medical profession, wanes. 

Yearly, there are thousands of incidents which are generally attributed to doctor negligence. This includes misdiagnosis, surgical errors, treatment errors, and more.  These incidents could severely endanger a patient's health and cause injury, including:

• allergic reactions
• interior organ damage
• tissue damage
• paralysis
• amputation
• death

Depending upon the error, a patient could be at serious risk for a life altering event, including death.  In this case, it's extremely likely that the amount awarded was extremely low considering her limited time left because of the failure to adequately treat her cancer.  If you have similarly experienced negative consequences as the result of a surgeon's error or misdiagnosis, you should call a skilled personal injury attorney for help. 

FL School Shooting Raises Questions of Acceptable Violence and Injury

It used to be that schools were considered some of the safest places, facilities where parents sent their children to learn.  These days, it appears schools are turning into the wild wild west.  After violent school shootings and mass injuries and deaths have ripped through the American consciousness, more violence has happened.  At Florida's Atlantic University, the police have shot and wounded a homeless man who was on the roof of a building and brandishing a knife.

Are Students at Risk of Injury from Violence at School

What's shocking about this police shooting is that it appears to come at the apex to some difficult debates raging in America.  On the one hand, mental health advocates are insisting upon health care options for the mentally ill who are accused of committing the crimes that have injured so many students and teachers. On another hand, debates rage across the country on how best to stop violence in the schools that injure staff and students.  And in various regions, debates on police brutality rage on.  

It seems that in response to a homeless man flailing about with a knife on the roof of a building, shooting the man might have been a bit egregious.  Police are quick to point out that the research facility was on an end of campus that was pretty isolated. They further assert that there was zero danger of injury to staff or students.  If this is so, why did the police shoot the homeless man? Couldn't they have tased him instead to subdue him? Why did they have to injure the homeless man with a bullet wound to subdue him? 

Perhaps what's telling is the apparent overzealous response to potential violence on campus.  The climate around violence on school campuses is super charged, electric.  The thought of parading more injured school children and staff on television is too much for law enforcement to bear.  But did the homeless man with a knife deserve to be shot and injured?

These violent actions are a concern for community members across the nation. As these violent outbursts seem to increase, the answers remain few and the questions grow larger and more numerous.  While we cannot say for certain the causes behind this violent behavior, we can control our responses.  This shooting appeared excessive on many levels and could have injured children.  If you or your loved one suffers an injury on campus, you should immediately call a skilled personal injury attorney to obtain help.

Hope for Brain Injuries

Following a car accident, a brain injury, and especially a traumatic brain injury, can seem like a grim sentence.  How does one put their life back together when they have limited use of their body as a result of a brain injury? Or how do you go on with your life with diminished brain capacity?  Brain injuries like this can be extremely frightening, but there is hope.

One center, Brain Rehabilitation and Injury Network in Cypress, Ca, seeks to reach out to patients with brain injuries to help them to move on and live a more normal life.  One such service the network offers is a cooking class with Colt, a man who has similarly suffered a tragic brain injury.

Colt suffered a car accident, a former high school athlete whose traumatic accident caused his sports trophy to fly into the back of his head, causing a severe brain injury.  Colt has only limited use of the left side of his body as a result.  But cooking with others who have similarly been injured has been some of the best rehabilitation that Colt has ever experienced.

Brain Injuries Can Be Tragic Consequences of an Accident

The reality is that your brain is shielded by very little in your skull. In a severe car accident, there is significant risk that your brain could get knocked around inside your skull.  When this happens, your brain could be injured severely. In such instances, brain injuries could cause a number of consequences including:

• diminished motor skills
• difficulty speaking
• loss of memory
• loss of use of an entire side of your body
• inability to regulate body temperature, to hold one's bowels, etc...
• loss of sense of touch, taste, smell
• difficulty breathing 
• difficulty understanding language
• loss of awareness of big picture/ visionary thinking
• impaired cognitive functions

Brain injuries can be quite severe and living with a brain injury could mean years of potential medical care.  Over time, these costs could add up. If you've suffered a brain injury, you should call a skilled personal injury attorney today in order to gain the compensation you need to pay your medical bills and put your life back together.

Extreme Sport Competitor Nearly Dies, Lesson to Consumers on Danger for Injury

Extreme sports has become wildly popular among sports lovers.  There's something about the thrill of jumps, spins, turns, and the human desire to defy gravity that attracts millions of people to a variety of high energy and high octane sports.  This includes not only snowboarding, surfing, skateboarding, but also higher energy sports such as bmx riding and even snowmobiling.  However, a recent accident at the X Games in Aspen has shown just how dangerous and rife with injury these high octane sports can be.  

Competitor Caleb Moore failed to complete a dare devil spin off of a 70 foot ramp with a 450 pound snowmobile beneath him.  The snowmobile dug into the ramp and Moore flew over the handlebars headfirst into the snow, injuring himself in the process. As a result, his severe injuries have left him fighting for his life in a nearby Colorado hospital. 

The Dangers Extreme Sports Pose 

Extreme sports can be extremely dangerous and rife with injury.  When consumers watch these sports on the television or online and then attempt to recreate these stunts, often they injure themselves severely.  

In Moore's case, viewers only saw him carried off the course, injured with a concussion.  What they may fail to hear later or see later, is that his injuries worsened as he experienced a traumatic brain injury and bleeding around his heart which has necessitated surgery.  Doctors and family members are certain he may succumb to his severe injuries and die.  Moore would be the first death in the history of the X Games. 

When viewers engage in these extreme sports, they could be taking their lives in their hands and risking injuries such as:

• broken bones and fractures
• internal organ damage
• traumatic brain injuries
• back and neck injuries
• spinal cord injuries
• coma
• severe burns
• death

These injuries could be life altering.  If you have been injured in an extreme sport, please get medical help.  And then call a skilled personal injury attorney today.

Super Bowl Sunday Responsible for Huge Gains in Drunk Driving Accidents

Every Super Bowl Sunday, football fans congregate to watch the game, have a couple of drinks, and enjoy their company.  But did you know that this time honored tradition could also be one of your last?  According to the Automobile Club of Southern California, Super Bowl Sunday is also the "Super Bowl" of accidents.  According to their data, Super Bowl Sunday is responsible for 75% more drunk driving related accidents in California.

The Data Supporting the Super Bowl Sunday Statistics

According to the Automobile Club of Southern California, this 75% increase in accidents represents a significant increase from years prior.  In 2004, the organization released a study tracking California drunk driving accidents from 1994 to 2002, finding these accidents were 41% more likely to happen on Super Bowl Sunday.  In a recent update to that study, the Automobile Club of Southern California found that between the years 2002-2011, there were a staggering 642 alcohol- related car crashes in California on game day.  If alcohol were not a significant factor, then there would be approximately 276 fewer car crashes on that Sunday.  It's clear that because of the nature of the big game and the frequency of the hosted parties which included alcohol, there are significantly higher amounts of car crashes. 

The Danger of Drunk Driving Accidents

Drunk driving accidents can be extremely dangerous to not only the driver of the vehicle, but also to other motorists.  When a driver gets behind the wheel of an automobile after drinking, he or she takes others' lives in their hands.  Even if the drunk driver doesn't kill other motorists, he or she runs the risk of injuring others including: 

• broken bones, fractures
• internal organ damage
• severe burns
• traumatic brain injury
• spinal cord injury
• back injury
• blindness
• paraplegia
• quadriplegia
• coma
• death

Drunk driving accidents can change someone's life in the blink of an eye.  This game day, make sure you have a sober driver or a cab lined up if you drink.  If you are the victim of a drunk driving accident, please get medical attention on scene.  And call a skilled personal injury attorney to preserve your rights and to obtain the compensation you deserve.  

Study Reveals Less Invasive Cancer Treatments Prolong Patient Life

To many women, when they hear a diagnosis of breast cancer, they immediately become fearful that it's a death sentence.  This can lead to hasty decision making and confusion over which is a better treatment for the disease. A new study released by researchers at Duke University covering a 10 year span has identified that less radical treatments could in fact be better for women's health and survival rates overall.  


Duke's Study Focusing on Women's Cancer Survival Rates

Duke's researchers conducted quite a lengthy study on cancer survival rates among approximately 112,154 women with cancer. Depending upon the treatment selected, women experienced differing survival rates.  

This study concluded that merely having a lumpectomy to remove the cancerous cells instead of a radical mastectomy can increase a patient's odds of survival by as much as 13-19%.  These women were also found to be 1/5 less likely to die of other causes such as heart disease.  This finding is contrary to what doctors often tell patients, often opting to advise women that removing the entire breast would offer patients a better chance of survival if they got rid of all the potentially affected tissue. 

The researchers at Duke had hoped that this study would open up doctors to pursuing less radical and potentially less invasive treatments.  As debate opens up around these treatments, these researchers are advocating radiotherapy as an alternative to radical mastectomy. Perhaps this treatment can increase the odds of surviving cancer beyond the 5 year mark, which is at 80% today. 

If you're concerned about cancer treatments, you should consult your physician regarding your best treatment.  If you feel you have been advised wrong, you might want to call a skilled personal injury attorney for the help you need.

Snowsports like Skiing and Snowboarding Put You at Risk for Injury

Every winter season, millions of people will grab their warm clothes and hit the mountains across America in order to ski, snowboard, or even tube down the snowy mountain.  But as fun as participating in these sports can be, they can also be quite dangerous.  Every year, thousands of people injure themselves in a variety of ways, either due to their own negligence, or due to unsafe conditions, negligent actions of others, or due to failures of their equipment. 

How are People at Risk for Injury Doing Snow Sports

As snowboarding has become more popular over the years, it has attracted more youth to the sport and many adults.  Rates of participation in snowboarding have gone up while skiing participation has gone down.  As expected, given these differences, rates of skiing injuries have halved.  However, snowboarding injuries have doubled from 3.37 injuries per 1,000 visits in 1990 to 7 injuries in 1,000 visits in 2001.

When people are injured participating in snow sports, they commonly experience the following injuries:

·         Head injuries, concussions

·         Broken bones and fractures, including the common mid tibia fracture

·         Knee injuries, including torn ACL’s

·         Spinal cord injuries

·         Back and neck injuries

·         Suffocation due to falling into deep snow banks

·         Death

When participants die during snow sports activities, this commonly occurs on faster runs where the average speed of skiers and snowboarders varies between 25mph to 45mph.  Often, other snowboarders or skiers lack the kind of control that is necessary to ensure the safety of others and instead negligently create accidents that could kill someone. 

How You Can Try to Prevent Injuries

If you’re going to go skiing or snowboarding, there are a number of ways you can try to ensure both your own safety and the safety of others on the mountain.  It is important to think about safety as you could literally end someone’s life, including your own, if you don’t take the proper precautions.  These include:

·         Checking that your gear is working properly

·         Taking lessons if you are not sure of how to operate the equipment

·         Resting on the side of the mountain instead of in the middle of a run

·         Paying close attention to where you are going and where people in front of you are going

·         Not stabbing people with poles and other parts of your gear

·         Reducing your speed to ensure safety on the mountain

·         Ensuring you don’t drink too much or use drugs before getting on the mountain

·         Use the lap bar on the chair lift

·         Don’t attempt to use the chair lift in an unsafe manner

·         Staying on the path and not wandering off path into heavily forested areas or rocky areas

Winter sports can be extremely fun and satisfying, but they also represent many opportunities for injuries.  If you’ve suffered an injury engaging in these fun sports, you may be entitled to compensation.  Call a skilled personal injury attorney today to find out.

Horse Back Riding Injuries Send Over 78,000 to Hospital Per Year

This past weekend, the office had a field trip to go horseback riding.  For at least one person, this was their first time ever mounting a horse.  Concerned, our coworker sheepishly asked about rates of horseback riding injuries.  It turns out that it's not pretty.  Every year, there are approximately 75,000 visits to the emergency room as a result of horseback riding injuries.  Considering over 7 million Americans ride horses every year, these rates of accident seem to be quite disturbing.

What are the Risks of Horse Back Riding Injuries?

Horseback riding can be fun, but it can also be dangerous.  When you mount a horse, you're up to 15 feet off the ground on a live animal who weighs in near 1000 pounds.  Horses can be unpredictable and can spook easily, prompting injuries. Commonly, horseback riding injuries are characterized by the following statistics:

• in 2007, 78,279 people were sent to the emergency room with horseback riding injuries
• 15% were due to head injuries, the leading cause of death
• 5% were concussions, which is double what most sports rate
• 41% were treated for sprains
• 33.3% fractured or dislocated something
• 40% were bruised
• an estimated 100 deaths per year

Often, stables offer horseback rides but can neglect to offer riders a helmet to protect themselves.  Given these rates of injury, it is a smart idea to use a helmet when you ride. Consider these ways to protect yourself from injuries when you're on a horse.

Prevent Head Injuries Next Time Your Ride a Horse

Head injuries account for approximately 60% of horseback riding deaths every year.  To protect riders, the Equestrian Medical Safety Association recommends the following safety tips:

• Wear a properly fitted helmet while on a horse
• Wear a protective vest
• Ensure stirrups fit properly
• Wear closed toe shoes, preferably boots
• Never walk behind a horse
• Keep your horse a safe distance from any horses in front of it
• Do not make sudden movements or noises near a horse

If you have suffered a horseback riding injury, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.  To determine whether you are eligible, please call a skilled personal injury attorney. 

New Study Suggests Americans at Higher Rate for Injury, Death Due to Lifestyle

Americans live in a society where food and healthcare are readily available.  But would it surprise you to learn that didn't mean Americans were necessarily any healthier than people in other countries?  A new study from the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine asserts Americans are less healthy than 16 other nations, including Japan, Canada, Australia, Britain, France, Portugal, Italy and Germany.  

Researchers identified multiple areas where Americans' health was remarkably poorer at almost every age.  According to the report, we have higher rates of infant mortality, die younger from diabetes and heart disease, are more likely to be murdered or die from a gun, and do poorer in areas such as AIDS, drug abuse, obesity, lung disease, and disabilities.  

What Our Poor Health Means

Poor health can translate to a variety of different outcomes from mortality rates to budget problems.  Healthcare spending is at an all time high, with approximately $8,600 spent per person per year in America.  Yet despite these figures, we are no healthier nor are we any safer from accidents, disease, or disorders. 

In the study, researchers identified:

• Americans are 7 times more likely to be murdered than peers in other countries
• Americans are 20 times more likely to be killed by a gun
• Americans have higher infant mortality rates with 32.7 deaths per 100,000 people compared with peers in other countries with half that rate
• American men live the shortest lives than their counterparts, only living 75.6 years on average
• American women live to be 81 on average, shorter than their counterparts in other countries

What's surprising is that we don't face all of these issues as widespread health issues.  Rarely will you hear of accidents and fatalities associated with crime being lumped in with healthcare. 

Ways to Improve Our Health

Researchers feel that Americans need to get serious about their health.  This includes eating healthier, exercising more, and shifting cultural norms so we are safer from violent crime and accidents.  It seems like a nearly impossible feat when you lump it all together.  How would something like this be accomplished?  If you're looking for advice and help towards living a healthier life, you should ask your doctor for recommendations on lifestyle adjustments.  If you're concerned about an injury sustained in an accident, you should contact a personal injury lawyer to help you and to help send a message that we as Americans need to take our safety more seriously. 

When People with Medical Conditions Drive, You Could Be at Risk

Over the weekend, a man died at the wheel of his vehicle when he suffered a heart problem, causing him to plow his car into a local CVS.  His wife, the passenger in the vehicle, is in stable condition.  Following a trip to the pharmacy, the car suddenly accelerated into the building of CVS when the driver suffered cardiac arrest.

This begs the question, at 77 years old, when you're plagued with health problems, should you still be driving?  Are you a danger to yourself and others on the road or are these occurrences just freak accidents?

Medical Conditions Could Endanger Your Life and Innocent Victims

When drivers with medical conditions take to the road, they could be ticking time bombs.  What if they suffer from cardiac arrest while behind the wheel of a large automobile?  That could be a ton of steel that is heading right for pedestrians, businesses, and other cars.

In accidents such as these, victims could suffer a wide variety of injuries, including:

• broken bones and fractures
• severe burns
• road rash
• paraplegia or quadriplegia
• traumatic brain injury
• back and spine injury
• death

With these kinds of risks, is it responsible to let people with known potentially life altering health problems behind the wheel of a large automobile?  At what point are state regulators or lawmakers supposed to step in?  And can that law be applied to everyone, or on a case by case basis?

If You've Been Injured

If you've been in an injury with a driver who had a health problem, your injuries may entitle you to compensation.  Was this driver careless in their operation of the vehicle?  Should they have gotten behind the wheel on medication, or without medication?  When you call an experienced personal injury attorney, they will fight for justice and to obtain you the relief you deserve. 

Family of Teen Who Overdosed at Rave Wins $190K

In 2010, the large commercial rave, Electric Daisy Carnival was held at the Coliseum in downtown Los Angeles across the street from the University of Southern California, and miles away from local hospitals.  At the rave, which attracted over 150,000 attendees, a 15 year old girl died of an ecstasy overdose.  That child was Sasha Rodriguez, a teenager who snuck out of her house to attend the wild rave.  

At the rave, there were thousands of people, many of whom were not only indulging in illicit drugs, but also selling these drugs to teenagers.  The event was supposed to be 16 and over, but Sasha was not carded and was let into the event with her ticket in hand. According to her grieving family, they feel the venue and the concert promoters should have known their daughter was at risk for injury and should have taken steps to protect her.  Instead, their daughter overdosed on an illicit narcotic and died at a hospital nearby.

In a lawsuit against the venue and the promoter, the family obtained a judgment of $190,000 for their daughter's tragic death.  The promoters and venue are understandably upset, but still claim they are not responsible, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times. With this judgment, it begs the question, are these venues and promoters responsible for the health and welfare of their attendees? And will they continue to be held liable for concertgoers' injuries at these events? 

Are Raves Dangerous to the Public

According to members of the Los Angeles Police Department, local doctors, and even members of federal regulation bureaus, these raves are hotbeds for illicit drugs.  As a member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention observed while tagging along with paramedics that day, many of the festival attendees' eyes were as big as "dinner plates," signalling that they had ingested ecstasy, an illegal narcotic made of mdma. As a nearby doctor observed, their emergency room had filled with teenagers in skimpy outfits who were tragically ill and could soon find themselves brain dead from the drug. 

 At this rave, thousands of people were listening to music and partying.  And a portion of the crowd was also doing illicit drugs.  You could argue that this 15 year old was in danger of injury from:

• drug pushers
• grabby boys
• violence that had broken out 
• ingesting spiked drinks
• being trampled by the crowd in the initial push to get in

This rave was wildly condemned in the media for a multitude of undesirable behaviors.  This included popular YouTube videos showing kids nearly trampled to death trying to get in the front gate.  Bloody teenagers were being pulled off the ground by security guards. This also included condemnations of rampant drug use by authorities and parents alike.  

Are Venues Liable for Your Injuries

In this lawsuit, the venue and promoters were found liable for the teenager's death.  Could this establish a pattern where venues and promoters might similarly be held liable for concertgoers' injuries? If you have been injured at a rave or a concert, you should seek out the help of a skilled personal injury attorney to determine whether or not you might be eligible for compensation for those injuries. 

Bizarre Train Death Poses Question Whether We Need Barriers Between Trains

New York has had some bizarre accidents and attacks, but a recent incident is causing people to shake their heads in awe.  Apparently, a woman rose from a bench in the subway system to shove a man walking by onto the train tracks.  The man was of course pinned beneath the train and died.

But without a woman to question, there is only speculation.  Was this on purpose? Was this the act of a deranged or mentally ill woman?  There are just no answers to explain what happened.

As leaders debate whether this can be traced to policy changes which emptied out psychiatric wards onto the streets, it's clear that something needs to be done to create a barrier between the trains and people on the platforms.  According to the Washington Post, there are many individuals who find themselves on train tracks every year due to accidents like losing balance and falling.

Should there be a barrier between the train and the platform?

Millions of people use the New York subway system on a yearly basis without incident.  But to the unlucky few who have an accident and fall onto those tracks, a barrier of some sort may be the thing to save their lives.  Imagine if there were a rising concrete wall that separated the platform and the tracks below.  Small children, elderly, those of us who don't have good balance could all rest a little easier knowing there was something there to catch us and prevent us from hurling over the edge and onto the tracks.

Train deaths are excruciating.  Not only do people get pinned beneath tons of metal, they are burned, mangled, and mauled.  The stress to the body is immense. If these kinds of accidents are preventable, shouldn't the City at least try?

Accidents are unfortunately an unavoidable fact of life.  If you have suffered an accident, you should consult a skilled personal injury attorney to determine whether or not you can collect compensation for your injuries.

Unlicensed Dentist Arrested in CA for Putting Patient Lives at Risk

Apparently dental care is a booming industry, including to those who are practicing unlicensed dentistry. In a recent article in the Huffington Post, a Moorpark, California man has been accused of practicing unlicensed dentistry from his apartment bathroom.

After a month long investigation, authorities recently arrested William Escobar for claims that the man gave anesthesia injections and dental cleanings to people from his bathroom.  This all came about because one of his customers complained to authorities following what he felt was unusual swelling in his gums.

The Dangers of Unlicensed Dentistry

Authorities claim that when they entered the suspect's apartment, they found an array of dental equipment and medications from the dentist's chair to anesthesia and even orthodontic equipment.  Authorities are now hoping to add charges of illegal orthodontics to the charges of felony practice of dentistry without a license, misdemeanor furnishing of  dangerous drugs and possession of needles.  Authorities are seeking the help of additional patients.

Dentistry may be expensive, but it requires years of medical training in order to extract teeth, work with bodily fluids, and to know what to do in the event a patient has a reaction to drugs used. By practicing without a license, these illegal street dentists put patients' lives at risk in the following ways:

• bacterial or fungal infections
• contamination
• passing of diseases through bodily fluids
• allergic reactions
• damage to a patient's teeth, gums, jaw
• death

Patients who survived these illicit dental appointments should count themselves lucky that they weren't infected with deadly bacteria or that they didn't experience allergic reactions or death.  When it comes to paying for expensive dentistry work, the answer should be to seek insurance, not to trust your life to an unlicensed and unskilled charlatan.

If You Have Been Injured

When community members take these kinds of heavily regulated health care practices and take them underground, patients can suffer.  Patients may suffer a range of symptoms, some of which can forever change someone's life or end it altogether. If you have seen an unregistered dentist and suffered harm, you may be able to collect compensation for your injuries.  Call a skilled personal injury attorney today for help.

Honda Announces Major Recall of US Vehicles

The folks over at Honda have been busy. Last October, they issued a massive recall of over half a million Honda Accords due to concerns over fire risks in engines.  Now, Honda has announced another massive recall wherein they plan to recall over 871,000 vehicles for a potential parking security defect.  According to Honda, there's a potential that when people place the car in park, it may still roll away.

To Honda's credit, they have responded with quick recalls after only 2 minor reports of injuries associated with these potential car defects.  But does this kind of response indicate prior knowledge of the problems?  Or is it indicative of a car company who is consumer focused despite what will be a hefty price tag for the car maker? 

Recall Details- Affected Vehicles

Honda is recalling nearly a million cars world wide.  This includes:

• 347,244 Honda Odysseys
• 276,850 Honda Passports (years 2003-2004)
• 247,179 Acura MDX's (years 2003-2006)

According to the car maker, 807,000 of these vehicles are located in the United States and the rest are located in Canada.  Car owners are encouraged to call their dealership for more information about the recall and to see if their vehicle is included in the recall list. 

Based upon the car maker's investigation, this issue could be potentially serious.  Honda released information which stated when the car's transmission wasn't in park, the interlock device could become worn enough where the key could be removed. Therefore, if the transmission was not parked and the driver had not put up the parking break, the vehicle could potentially roll into the street and cause a car crash. 

If You've Been Injured and Need Legal Info

In a country with strict product liability laws, these recalls seem prudent.  In the United States, our product liability laws allow for unlimited liability damages whereas many Asian countries like China and Japan have strict liability laws limiting the amount of compensation an injured victim may receive.

If you've been injured by this potential defect, call a skilled personal injury and product liability attorney.  An experienced lawyer can help you to determine whether or not you have a case and what you might be able to expect from your lawsuit.  

Unlicensed Dentistry Puts Patients Lives at Risk

The next time you see a dental practice advertising deals which appear too good to be true, it very may well be true.  Recently, in Pennsylvania, two women were arrested for running an underground unlicensed dentistry that took in many patients, who were unaware that the practice was not licensed. This potentially deadly operation was brought to an end by authorities based on patient complaints. 

The duo were the dental assistant and the receptionist for a licensed dentist in the area.  However, they had a side business that the licensed dentist was not aware of- an unlicensed dentist practice catering to uninsured patients at night.  After the office closed for the day, the duo would get to work performing the same services their licensed boss performed during the day.

How Patients Were at Risk

Patients were put at risk because the women performing their dental work were not licensed to do so with the necessary schooling, training, and hours with patients.  What's truly scary is that one of these two women had no medical or dental training whatsoever.  This is shocking, considering these women were performing procedures which carried potential risk to patients that their licensed boss had spent years perfecting as a licensed professional. 

The duo were brazen in their patient care; they did not keep records nor did they keep receipts for their cash only business.  They also:

• did not ask patients about drug allergies
• did not take xrays
• injected numbing medications
• pulled teeth
• performed root canals
• put braces on patients, including young patient

As one patient told authorities, their treatment left him in excruciating pain for nearly an hour.  What's worse is their treatments could have spread infection or created deadly health problems for patients.  

Unlicensed health care is a huge problem and can be deadly for patients looking for a deal. If you encounter such a scam, you should seek the help of authorities and call a skilled personal injury lawyer.  These kinds of unlicensed health care operations could leave patients with lasting health problems and financial distress as a result.  

Tis the Season for Mall Shootings?

Tis the season for a mall shooting?  As shoppers across America prepare to deck the halls and find that ugly sweater for the holiday party, there have been a disturbing amount of increased violence at the mall.  Specifically, there have been rising incidents of mall shootings.  From Oregon to right here in our own little Orange County, CA bubble, there have been disturbing incidents where people have grabbed their gun and hit the mall.

In our own little suburban oasis in Orange County, a gunman opened fire outside of a Macy's at the Fashion Island mall in Newport Beach.  Shooting over 50 bullets, shoppers went running to take cover.  For hours, there were shoppers trapped inside department stores as the police obtained control over the situation.  The mall was completely evacuated.  And the next day, shoppers continued undeterred.

What Do You Do in a Mall Shooting?

Incidents like this call to question how you can protect yourself in a violent situation.  What do you do if someone walks into a mall and opens fire?  According to the local Newport Beach police department, shoppers are encouraged to do the following:

• run away
• take shelter and hide
• call 911 from a safe place
• do not attempt to subdue the shooter

Thankfully, in our own local mall shooting, armed police officers subdued the suspect quickly.  However, as the mall was searched, cleared, and evacuated, shoppers waited in fear for nearly 2 hours inside stores. 

What Should Be Done in the Future?

The shooting has prompted many Orange County community members to speculate about how we might be able to prevent future violence.  Recommendations have centered upon more roving police in the parking lots, a heavier security presence, and even weapon sniffing dogs.  This mall in particular was down the street from the police department in an affluent area, a regular destination for on duty police officers.  Perhaps a regular and heavier presence is going to be required during the holiday season to ensure shoppers' safety.

In this case, the only injuries were to a woman who was knocked down as shoppers fled. But shoppers who become injured in these situations may have a premises liability claim against the mall.  Injured shoppers are encouraged to call an experienced personal injury lawyer to determine whether they have a case. 

Actos Bladder Cancer Litigation Underway to Offer Patients Relief

Actos litigation is well underway. Federal Judge Rebecca Doherty has consolidated In Re: Actos (Pioglitazone) Products Liability Litigation into multidistrict litigation, which currently has over a thousand plaintiffs suing Takeda Pharmaceuticals and its subsidiaries.  Patients across the United States have filed suit in order to obtain expedited relief. 

At the heart of these lawsuits is a claim that plaintiffs were not alerted to the health risks inherent to taking Actos until too late.  Plaintiffs have asserted that the pharmaceutical giant knew or should have known of the dangers this drug posed to their health.  Many of these patients were shocked to develop life altering conditions after taking their medication, such as bladder cancer. 

What is Actos

Actos is a prescribed daily medication for diabetes type 2.  In conjunction with diet and exercise, Actos is intended to control the insulin resistance by raising the patient's sensitivity to insulin.  

Actos (pioglitazone) accounts for approximately 20% of the diabetes medication prescribed today.  Made by Takeda Pharmaceuticals and distributed by Eli Lilly, this drug has enjoyed massive distribution.  Approved in 1999, Actos accounts for over $5 billion in reported sales per year.  

The Alleged Problem with Actos

Actos was sold as the answer to Avandia, a drug which previously carried significant risks of heart attack.  The problem was that these "safer" claims did not appear to be consistent according to various research studies.  

In 1998, Kaiser Permanente began studying the effects of Actos, believing the statistical data in Actos' clinical trials did not tell the entire story of potential outcomes.  After 10 years, Kaiser published this study, concluding patients taking Actos had a 40% increased risk of developing bladder cancer.

This came as quite a shock to patients, who were already at increased risk of bladder cancer.  High risk patients were advised by the FDA to discuss alternative options with their doctors. 

If You Have Been Harmed

Actos litigation is still active.  If you have taken your Actos medication as prescribed and have later developed bladder cancer, heart failure, or suspicious bone fractures, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.  Patients suffering are encouraged to consult a skilled product liability and personal injury attorney to obtain the relief they need.