October is National Pedestrian Safety Month, and public safety officials are taking this time to highlight the dangers that pedestrians face as they use the roads. Pedestrian accidents can be incredibly harmful, since a vehicle that weighs thousands of pounds can inflict serious bodily harm on a person, even if the vehicle is traveling at low speeds. In many cases, pedestrian accidents and injuries are caused by drivers who violate traffic laws or otherwise act negligently. Victims of these types of accidents can get legal help from an attorney as they seek financial compensation from a driver who struck them, ensuring that the driver will be held responsible for their actions and that the victim and their family will be able to meet their needs as they recover from their injuries.

Pedestrian Accident Statistics

Over the past 10 years, pedestrian fatalities have increased significantly. The initial analysis of data from 2020 indicates that the total number of pedestrian accident injuries decreased from the previous year. However, the amount of traffic on the roads also decreased in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the rate of pedestrian fatalities for each mile traveled by vehicles throughout the United States actually increased by 20 percent. Studies of data from 2020 also found that:

• Pedestrian accidents are more likely to occur at night, and 75 percent of pedestrian fatalities took place after dark. This is an increasing concern in the fall and winter, especially after the end of Daylight Savings Time. Pedestrians who use the roads in the evenings face significant risks, especially if drivers fail to pay close attention to the road or drive while intoxicated by alcohol or drugs.

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There are multiple types of catastrophic injuries that can result in long-term health issues or permanent impairments. Burn injuries can be especially serious, and they can result in severe pain, complications, scarring and disfigurement, and psychological trauma. By understanding the ways a severe burn injury can impact their health and well-being, victims can pursue compensation that fully addresses the ways they have been affected.

Effects of Moderate or Severe Burn Injuries

Burns are classified into different categories depending on their severity. First-degree burns involve redness of the skin, and they are not usually serious unless they affect a large percentage of a person’s body. Second-degree burns involve redness, blistering, and damage to lower layers of skin. These burns may be considered moderate or severe if they cover more than 10 percent of a person’s body or affect sensitive areas such as the face or hands. Third-degree burns are much more serious, and they may affect all layers of the skin. Fourth-degree burns are even more severe, and they may affect tissues below the skin. Third- or fourth-degree burns will often require hospitalization and surgery, and they can cause permanent scars.

Moderate and severe burn injuries can be very painful, and they can have long-lasting or permanent effects. A person may experience disfiguring scars, as well as restrictions in their range of motion in the areas of the body that were affected. For third- and fourth-degree burns, surgery may be required, and skin grafts may be needed to replace damaged tissue with healthy skin from elsewhere on a person’s body or from a donor. 

A personal injury can affect someone in many ways, and in addition to suffering physical harm, a person may also experience emotional trauma. These issues can linger for years after a person has fully healed from the physical effects of an injury, and they may even impact a victim for the rest of their life. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) commonly affects injury victims, and those who have suffered emotional trauma due to an injury that was caused by someone else will need to understand how they can receive financial compensation that addresses these issues.

Effects of PTSD

Anyone who experiences a traumatic event may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, and this issue may occur following car accidents, assaults, sexual abuse, dog bites, or other cases where a person suffered or witnessed a serious injury. PTSD can affect a person in multiple ways, including:

• Mood disorders - PTSD often involves depression or anxiety, especially if a person experiences disturbing memories or flashbacks. Victims will often struggle to regulate their mood, and they may experience mood swings, irritability, guilt or shame, or feelings of numbness or hopelessness. These issues may lead a person to engage in dangerous or self-destructive behavior, such as substance abuse, and a victim may have suicidal thoughts or take action to harm themselves.

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Nursing homes are supposed to provide a safe environment for people who need assistance meeting their daily needs. Unfortunately, many facilities fail to live up to this responsibility, and residents can suffer serious harm due to nursing home abuse. One issue that has become a concern for many residents and their loved ones is the improper use of sedatives, antipsychotic drugs, and other medications.

Increase in Schizophrenia Diagnoses for Nursing Home Patients

Some nursing home residents suffer from dementia, and there are certain medications that are approved to treat these conditions. Some types of antipsychotic medications may be used for these patients, but these drugs can be dangerous, leading to increased risks of infections, heart disease, falls, among other risks. These drugs have been described as “chemical straitjackets,” since they may be used to sedate patients that nursing home staff members believe are troublesome or disruptive.

To ensure that patients receive the proper treatment and that antipsychotic drugs are not overused, nursing homes are required to report the number of residents who receive these types of medications. However, there is a loophole in this requirement: nursing homes are not required to report the use of antipsychotic drugs for patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, Tourette’s syndrome, or Huntington’s disease. Since 2012, the year the reporting requirements were put in place, the share of nursing home residents diagnosed with schizophrenia has increased by 70%. Even though schizophrenia only affects around one out of every 150 people, around one out of every nine nursing home residents has been diagnosed with this condition.

A rear-end collision is often considered to be a minor type of car accident, especially when compared to a head-on collision or other high-speed accidents. However, rear-end accidents can still be very harmful to the occupants of a vehicle, while also causing extensive damage to a vehicle or other property. Drivers or passengers who suffer injuries can work with an attorney to determine how they can receive compensation from the driver who caused an accident.

Common Injuries in Rear-End Collisions

Even when collisions occur at low speeds, they are likely to place a great deal of stress on a person’s body, which can lead to serious injuries. Passenger vehicles weigh thousands of pounds, and the momentum of a vehicle that strikes another vehicle from behind will be transferred to the vehicle being struck and the people inside it. This can cause a person’s body to be jerked backwards and forwards, leading to injuries such as:

• Whiplash - A collision may cause a person’s head to snap back and forth suddenly. This can put strain on the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the neck, and it may damage the cervical vertebrae or the spinal cord. This type of injury can cause pain and stiffness in the neck, shoulders, and arms, as well as headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. Damage to the spinal cord or the vertebrae in the neck may also cause chronic pain, numbness, or paralysis in different parts of the body, and a person may require surgery or ongoing physical therapy.

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