Hopefully the following incident has never happened to you or someone you know! Unfortunately, when medical professionals are performing procedures, surgical tools can get accidentally left inside of people. A few years ago, Attorney Stoehr settled a case where a surgical sponge was left inside a woman's body. She has a prolonged period of pain that couldn't be explained. After a while, the woman found out that a surgical sponge was left inside her head and had become infected! Another doctor found it during an exploratory surgery, hoping to find a way to relieve her pain, and immediately removed it. She missed a great deal of work and was very sick. Most commonly, sponges, forceps, scissors, and other surgical instruments are among the things that have been found left inside patients' bodies post-surgery.
Deer and Car Crashes
Hunting season is just around the corner. In addition to the start of this season, this time of year also means that deer-related car crashes will most likely increase across our state. Historial data compiled by State Farm Insurance Agency suggests that about 1 in 70 Pennsylvania drivers will hit a deer in the next 12 months. We know that in our area, deer are a common sight. However, you may not know that Pennsylvania has the second highest deer-vehicle collision rate in the entire country (West Virginia has the highest rate).
PA's Distracted Driving Laws
Unfortunately, PA seems relative lenient on distracted driving use compared to other states. This is a dangerous and significant problem when it comes to the safety of drivers on our state's roads. Interestingly enough, PA does not currently have a law that prohibits drivers from using their cell phones while they're driving. Instead, PA only has a texting law that prohibits sending and receiving text messages. This means that drivers can still use social media, take pictures, or use other phone features while driving. Additionally, the fines imposed if you are caught texting while driving are minimal compared to other states. Across the state, over 18,000 citations have been issued over the past five years, and the total amount issued has increased by almost 120%. Almost all people cited were males, and most were in their 20s.
Car Accidents At A Low Speed
Ever wonder if the impacts of a car crash are less if you're moving at a lower speed? Well, research shows that even a low speed collision can lead to large and significant medical issues down the road. For example, you may think that it's safer to drive through neighborhoods and small towns where the speed limit is much lower than on the highways. However, that's not necessarily true. As stated in a Forbes article, "At low speeds, below about 15 miles per hour (m.p.h.), risks are low and increase relatively slowly with small increments in speed. However, as speed increases above 15 m.p.h., small changes in speed yield relatively large increases in risk. The death rate more than doubles for pedestrians when speed increases from 25 to 35 m.p.h." Furthermore, many of these accidents are accounted for by people driving large vehicles (trucks, SUVs, and vans). One theory is that these big cars are harder to see over and, therefore, make the drivers more likely to hit people who are walking nearby.
Regardless of the season, it is very important to pay attention to your surroundings while you are out driving, walking, and biking. If you hit another person or car, you could cause severe and lasting injury, as well as significant psychological and emotional distress to the victim and their families. Victims of accidents injured due to the fault of another may injuries that result in compounded medical bills and significant changes in mobility and ability. Attorney Doug Stoehr is an attorney serving western and central Pennsylvania that handles cases involving victims of personal injury. If you would like to consult with him about your case, please contact our law office.
To read the Forbes article, please go here:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyamohn/2011/09/30/low-driving-speed-can-cause-serious-pedestrian-injury-and-death-report-finds/#1565daa457ff
