Archive

Government moves to include sleep apnea in truck driver tests

Two study groups with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration this week approved recommendations that commercial truck drivers should be screened for obstructive sleep apnea before being allowed to drive. Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. Signs you may have sleep apnea include loud snoring and feeling… read more

Exploding e-cigarettes: What you need to know

Millions of people switched to e-cigarettes or “vapes” in recent years to continue delivering nicotine, but with minimal danger to themselves. Now they are learning that this “safe alternative” can severely burn or poison them. E-cigarettes are regulated by The Food and Drug Administration – but only when they are sold for therapeutic benefit. For… read more

Were you harmed by an exploding Samsung phone?

Samsung’s Note 7 smartphones are blowing up and causing severe physical and property damage. The company is recalling these phones, including replacement phones, and now it is shutting down the entire Note 7 line. But for those who have been injured by a Note 7 explosion, it’s too late. What kinds of injuries? Most injuries… read more

Patients At Risk From Open-Heart Surgery Devices

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned recently that a spate of infections across the United States and Europe could be attributed to contaminated medical devices used in open-heart surgeries, according to STAT News. At least 11 patients in the U.S. were infected with bacteria from a heater-cooler device designed to maintain patients’… read more

Traffic Deaths Up 10% In First Half Of 2016

Some alarming news from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: traffic deaths are up by 10.4% this year, compared to the same point in 2015 while maintaining a steady rise, according to a recent article by the New York Times. The numbers released also show that Americans drove about 50 billiion more miles so far… read more

‘The Road to Zero’ – A 30-year goal of zero traffic deaths

Zero traffic fatalities — that’s the ambitious goal set this past week by the Transportation Department. Zero, zip, nada. That’s a bold ambition, given that we have been seeing record numbers of deaths the past two years. Last year was the bloodiest year since 1966, and this year is expected to be 10 percent worse…. read more

Five common symptoms and causes of traumatic brain injury

Brain injuries can occur from pure accident to someone else’s negligence or malicious intent. They can even arise from the hazards of a job. Such injuries range from mild to severe and have a variety of symptoms that are physical, psychological or sensory for which the effects can materialize gradually or suddenly. In some cases,… read more

More Than One-Third Of Animal Collisions Occur In Autumn

More than one third (36 percent) of all auto claims that involve animal collisions on U.S. highways occur between the months of September and November, according to PRNewsWire. The spike is in part due to animal migration patterns, particularly of larger animals like deer and elk. In particular, there is a 67% increase in animal… read more

Should Phone Makers Work To Curb Texting While Driving?

Since smart phones have become omnipresent, the conundrum of solving the distracted driving problem has existed. Too often, news stories will emerge of distracted teens or adults texting while driving, causing, at best, a minor fender bender, and at worst, a serious accident with fatalities. States across the nation have reacted, passing laws to punish… read more