Issues associated with pregnancy include anxiety, nausea, fatigue and distraction — factors that could contribute to driver error. In order to avert accidents during pregnancy, a doctor and researcher from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences suggested that women take ever greater care to drive defensively and be alert at all times as their pregnancy progresses. The study went so far as to state that safe driving is a component of good prenatal care.

Although the study is interesting, many find the results to be questionable. It did not account for any other contributing factors, like medical conditions, weather or distracted driving. An E.R. doctor at Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center in Secaucus, New Jersey questioned why the study did not find that the risk of an accident was higher in the first trimester, when many women feel their worst.

Whatever studies show about the statistical risks of driving while pregnant, it is imperative to drive with care. Pay attention to the road. Minimize distractions. Do not drive while feeling sick. Do not drive if you cannot get behind the wheel safely and comfortably.

Lee, Gober and Reyna – If you need a personal injury lawyer or help with an auto accident, motorcycle accident, wrongful death, or burn injury case, contact Lee, Gober and Reyna by visiting http://www.lgrlawfirm.com or calling 512.800.8000

Why? Even if they attempt to break the fall with their arms, seniors still hit their heads, this video study found. In fact, over 60 percent of hospital admissions for TBI are for seniors over the age of 65. That percentage increases for those over 80 years old.

For their 39-month, in-depth look at one particular nursing home, researchers set up cameras in common areas, such as lounges and hallways. They set out to determine how residents fell and which body part took the brunt of the impact. Cameras recorded 227 falls among an average of 133 residents.

In 37 percent of those falls, seniors hit their heads, often on the ground. Extending their arms did not help minimize the impact, since their arm muscles were too weak to offer any kind of support. Many residents also made contact with furniture on the way down or hit the wall. Thirty-three percent who hit their head sustained a range of injuries, including abrasions, bruises, cuts and fractures.

Researchers study mobility biomechanics with the hope that, with enough information, nursing homes can improve the way seniors navigate their environment by changing the layout of a room or by instituting exercise programs that improve seniors’ stability and balance.

So, you may wonder, can nursing homes and hospices be held liable for negligence in a traumatic brain injury lawsuit if they fail to provide a safer environment for residents? After all, the Centers for Disease Control has reported that falls account for approximately 95 percent of serious hip fractures. Learntofall.com has reported that “falls are the leading cause of death due to injury among the elderly,” and American Family Physician has reported that “falls account for 70 percent of accidental deaths in persons 75 years of age and older.”

“These studies and statistics highlight the need for nursing homes to take better precautions and be more vigilant,” says Christopher Mellino, a nursing home negligence attorney in Cleveland. “Making the decision to move a loved one into a home is heartwrenching enough. Filing a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit on that person’s behalf should never have to happen.”

Seniors living in long-term care facilities tend to run a higher risk of falling and hitting their heads than those in other living situations. According to a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, when seniors fall, they almost always hit their heads — even if they throw out their arms to break the fall. The video study was conducted at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, but the results cross borders; the risk is just as great in U.S. elder care facilities.

According to the study’s findings, over 60 percent of hospital admissions for TBIs are for seniors over the age of 65. The incidence rate escalates gradually among more elderly seniors, and then increases more sharply once seniors pass 80 years of age.

Researchers set up cameras in public areas of nursing homes, such as lounges, TV rooms and hallways to take 39-month, in-depth look at falls. They sought to observe the physical mechanics of a senior’s fall and the body parts that took the main brunt of the impact with the ground. Over 133 residents were recorded during their daily lives in the home.

227 falls were ultimately analyzed. In 37 percent of those falls, seniors hit their heads (most frequently on the ground). Although no concussions were noted on any resident’s file in this study, the risk was still treated with caution; concussions can mimic traumatic brain injuries. Surprisingly, most seniors who threw out their arms were not able to minimize the impact in a significant way. Their arm muscles were too weak to offer any kind of mitigating support.

Overall, home residents hit their heads on the floor in 64 percent of the videos examined. 16 percent made contact with furniture and 13 percent hit a wall. 33 percent of those who hit their heads on any of the above sustained a full range of injuries, from cuts and bruises to fractures.

With enough study of mobility biomechanics, homes hope to change the way seniors navigate their environments. Analysis might help medical professionals design room layouts that improve mobility or exercise programs focused on stability and balance.
Now that the results of such studies have been published, will it be considered negligence if nursing homes and long-term care facilities do not improve environment safety? For example, most homes currently have hard surface flooring, such as linoleum or tile, to facilitate cleaning. Should they be expected to use compliant flooring that cushions a fall and helps avert head injuries instead? Falls account for approximately 95 percent of serious hip fractures and other debilitating, potentially life-shortening injuries. Any step towards safety and protection is a positive one.

It’s food for thought, but on first consideration, it does seem that nursing homes may face personal injury lawsuits if they do not provide a safe environment when they know of, or should know of, suggested improvements.

Learn more at http://www.christophermellino.com.