Indiana Injury Lawyer Blog

Bicycle riders in Indiana share the road with many passenger cars, delivery vans, and large trucks. This traffic increases the risk of serious personal injury to the rider. To ensure a fun afternoon on a bicycle continues in safety, all riders should take a few simple precautions when they hit the road.

As Indiana personal injury attorneys, we believe visibility is of utmost importance for any bicycle rider. The ability to see potential dangers and to be seen by automobile and truck drivers can prevent serious injuries for the bike rider.

Continue reading "Indianapolis Bicyclists Avoid Serious Injuries by Following Simple Steps (III of III)" »

Just in time for Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in May comes an announcement by the Governors’ Highway Safety Association that there has been a substantial drop in the number of motorcycle fatalities nationwide.

According to data from the first nine months of 2009, there is expected to be a decline of more than 10% in fatality rates, the first time a decline like this has been recorded in the past 11 years. Indiana also recorded a drop in motorcycle accident fatalities last year. There were 108 motorcycle crash deaths here in 2009, a drop of four deaths from 2008.

Continue reading "Fewer People Died in Motorcycle Accidents in Indiana in 2009" »

Indiana bicycle riders have enjoyed many sunny days of wonderful two-wheeled riding this spring. But for every hour spent on the bike, the rider runs an increased risk of injury.

Perhaps the biggest risk for any bicycle rider is falling off the bike. A rider’s head has no protection from a fall except the bicycle helmet. This complex device made of foam and plastic is designed to absorb much of the impact that a rider would experience if a fall were to occur. Worn correctly, a helmet can help prevent life-threatening head injuries.

Continue reading "Simple Steps Can Reduce Indiana Bicycle Injuries (Part II of III)" »

The numbers of patients who contracted certain kinds of potentially deadly infections while in hospital, actually increased over last year. According to a study by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, overall patient safety ratings have improved across the nation, but there has been an increase in blood stream infections and urinary tract infections.

According to the report,
• The rate of bloodstream infections increased at a rate of 8%.
• Urinary tract infections increased at a rate of 4%.
• There was no change in the rate of bloodstream infections caused through catheters placed in central veins.
• There was a 12% drop in the rates of postoperative pneumonia. This was the only good news on the list.

Continue reading "Increase in Hospital Infection Rates In Spite Of Control Measures" »

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is looking at the problem of driver fatigue very seriously. In the latest move designed to reduce the number of tired, drowsy and simply fatigued truckers plying our highways, the agency has passed a rule that requires electronic on-board recorders (EOBR's) to be installed on trucks of carriers that frequently violate the Hours of Service rule.

The new rule will take effect from June 1, 2012. It will require a carrier found to be in violation of the work hour rules more than 10% of the time in a single compliance review, to have the EOBRs installed in all its trucks. The recorders must be synchronized with the truck’s engine to record precise and accurate data. The device must record the truck driver name, location, duty status, date and time. After an accident, the data can be accessed through the device, helping rule out or confirm the role of driver fatigue as a role in the accident.

Continue reading "New Federal Rule Will Require Electronic On-Board Recorders for Certain Carriers" »

For the first time, Thompson Reuters has included hospital readmission rates as one of the criteria for inclusion in its annual Top 100 Hospitals list.

However, measuring post-discharge care and dealing with factors that can contribute to a person being re-admitted into a hospital, have proved to be very complex and challenging. Hospitals that have included post-discharge care as part of their overall patient safety efforts, have found that there are a range of factors responsible for readmissions. For instance, readmission rates may be higher when an elderly patient is living alone. Many readmissions every year are traced to medication errors. Besides, a person who suffers from multiple medical conditions, could be at a higher risk of readmission.

Continue reading "Post-Discharge Care Gains Prominence As a Measure of Patient Safety" »