Even though it was devised to help save lives by preventing car crashes, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) hasn't given its blessing to the new lane-keeping technology.
The agency feels that additional research needs to be conducted. Sometime earlier, NHTSA investigators found performance problems with other similar systems previously developed. Toyota introduced similar technology in its 2010 Prius, calling it "Lane Keep Assist," and Lexus and Mercedes also developed similar systems.
It is expected that drivers in Kentucky and throughout the U.S. will see "lane centering" technology within a decade that will allow the vehicle to simply steer itself.
Source: New York Times, "Trying to nudge drowsy drivers" Randall Stross, Jan. 21, 2012
]]>The pediatrician "just missed everything," the complaint charges, with the ultimate result being that the young boy -- seven years old in November 2009 and at the time of his multiple visits to the doctor's office -- suffered "catastrophic consequences" including fever, respiratory failure, coma, impaired speech and hearing, seizures and brain damage.
The boy was initially observed with a severe headache, which was in fact membrane inflammation. He was diagnosed with an ear infection. Not improving, he was brought back to see the doctor several times within the next couple days. A third-party assessment of the case and treatment by another doctor concluded that the boy was in "acute distress" from a headache, to the extent that the pediatrician was unable to perform a neurological exam on him.
Ultimately, the boy was sent for an outpatient CAT scan. His legal team says that, instead, and based on his clearly manifested symptoms, he should have been taken immediately to an emergency room for a spinal tap and intravenously administered antibiotics to stop the spread of the meningitis.
The complaint alleges that the delay in treatment was the direct cause of the disease's spread and the boy's loss of vision.
Source: Hartford Courant, "Lawsuit charges that Tolland boy lost his eyesight after doctor failed to diagnose meningitis" Denise Buffa, Jan. 17, 2012
]]>Wrongful death experts note that Toyota will have to go up against nearly 200 lawsuits, including some from Kentucky, alleging that sudden acceleration defects led to accidents and deaths among drivers and passengers. The accidents occurred in 2009 and 2010. Because of the number of lawsuits filed, they have been consolidated and are set to begin in a U.S. district court in California in February 2013.
]]> The first such incident of alleged sudden acceleration concerns a man and woman who died after his vehicle crashed into a stone wall while the vehicle exited an interstate highway in Utah. Two family members who survived the crash said the man tried to push the car's brakes and stop the acceleration. Toyota recently revealed to the court, though, that the black box recorder installed in the vehicle indicates that the driver never actually pushed on the car's breaks.The information has altered the legal approach of Toyota, which had initially taken responsibility for mechanical problems in the vehicles leading to the accelerations. Toyota issued recalls of many vehicles in 2009 and 2010.
Toyota will also argue that there are shutdown systems installed in some of the vehicles that would have ended the sudden acceleration processes if the brakes had been pressed.
Further details regarding the legal strategies of both sides may be yet to come.
Source: Huffington Post, "Toyota sudden acceleration lawsuit defense revealed: Blame the driver" Sharon Silke Carty, Jan. 13, 2012
]]>Toyota's massive recalls concerning its "sudden acceleration" problems resulted in a voluminous number of product callbacks and major headaches for company executives. General Motors has issued multiple recalls over the past several years and recently offered to buy back from purchasers one of its vehicles that has shown a propensity to catch fire following a crash.
]]> Ford now joins the recall queue, with the company announcing that it wants to bring in several of its vehicle models -- popular in Kentucky as in all other states -- for repairs. In total, repairs could be made on as many as 539,000 Ford SUVs and minivans.Ford's Escape SUV has a problem with its antilock brake system, which can result in brake fluid leaks. That can, in turn, cause electrical shorts that lead to fires. Ford's continuing concern with this problem is evident, given that a recall concerning the same defect was issued four years ago.
The problem plaguing two of the company's minivan models is different, and potentially more dangerous. Torque converters in an unknown number of the Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans are defective, causing the vehicles to stall out while moving.
In other words, a driver can simply lose the ability to continue moving forward or to reverse, without any warning, while the engine is engaged. Ford acknowledges the obvious danger, but states a vehicle without "motive" power can still be steered off the road and stopped.
Source: Reuters, "Ford recalls 539,000 minivans, SUVs worldwide" Jan. 11, 2012
]]>According to a recent review, car accidents in which veterans were involved increased by 13 percent for those deployed in an overseas tour of duty from 2007 to 2010. The insurance industry and the armed services are working to create educational groups and conduct further research. Statistics show that 48 soldiers died in car accidents last year, the highest number in the past three years.
]]> The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Pentagon have cooperatively launched a seven-session program, along with clinical trials, for veterans returning from deployment. The focus of the program is on educating the soldiers as to why they are triggered to display overly defensive or dangerously aggressive driving that could cause a car accident.The highest percentages fell with the veterans of the Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars. However, unique circumstances surrounded veterans returning from Iraq or Afghanistan. Soldiers, including those from Kentucky, were trained to drive closer to the middle of the road because of fears of roadside bombs. Other veterans reported constantly combing the roadside for danger, or speeding up at intersections in an effort to avoid gunfire.
Although incidents of problematic driving dropped among veterans home longer than six months, the dangers and anxieties associated with war and driver training during the insurgency could still present themselves occasionally for veterans back on domestic roadways.
Source; New York Times, "Back from war, fear and danger fill driver's seat" James Dao, Jan. 10, 2012
]]>The dialogue that has resulted is of relevance in Kentucky and elsewhere throughout the country, as it speaks to the window of opportunity available for plaintiffs to bring lawsuits, as well as the need for medical professionals to be held accountable for mistakes that cause death and injuries to patients.
]]> The Connecticut legislation was heavily backed by insurance companies and the medical profession, with advocates saying it was desperately needed to close the door on frivolous claims. The law inserted an addendum into existing law requiring that every malpractice claim be accompanied by an opinion from a medical expert called a certificate of merit that confirms that a claim is valid and being brought in good faith.Backers of the law say that it has worked admirably as a screening process.
Critics from across a diverse spectrum of interests, conversely, decry the legislation, stating that it chills lawsuits and bars a number of meritorious claims.
Opponents include some of the very legislators who passed the law, who now say that it was drafted too narrowly. They want to see another bill drafted.
"I don't think anyone should be barred from the courthouse doors before the merits are heard," says one Republican state senator.
The Center for Justice and Democracy has also weighed in concerning the oft-advanced argument that the law lowers insurance rates.
Patently, it does not, the center notes in a report stating that rate levels owe almost exclusively to the economy and insurers' financial performance.
"The certificate of merit is weeding out legitimate cases," says the center's executive director.
Source: Claims Journal, "Connecticut law nixing legitimate malpractice lawsuits" Dave Collins, Jan. 10, 2012
]]>Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, "Engineering a cure for hospital inefficiencies" Mark Taylor, Dec. 30, 2011
]]>Such multiple and massive crash scenarios have been playing out repeatedly in recent days. Despite the sheer amount of bent and tangled metal featuring in each instance, fatalities have been few. No driver or passenger died in the Kentucky crash or in a recent pileup that occurred in Texas. A Louisiana collision resulted in two fatalities and scores of people being sent to local hospitals.
]]> New Orleans motorists brought about the first mass-crash story when more than 40 vehicles collided on an interstate highway near New Orleans in late December. Heavy smoke and fog were centrally contributing factors in that mishap, with officials now stating that hundreds of burned out and otherwise inoperative streetlights also played a role.Heavy fog, too, was cited in the Texas crash last week, which entangled nearly 80 vehicles. More than 50 people were injured in that mass accident, and state troopers handed out tickets to 18 drivers.
The Kentucky accident occurred last Monday at about 12:30 p.m. on the southbound lane of I-75, near the Crittenden exit.
Wintry weather was an obvious cause, with visibility being poor and icy conditions resulting in vehicles losing traction and slamming into each other.
"It was just like dominoes," said one witness to the accident. "And it was just a white out."
Multi-car pileups were also reported last Monday in Indiana and Pennsylvania.
Source: Digital Journal, "Wintry weather causes 41-car pileup in Kentucky" Leigh Goessl, Jan 3, 2012
]]>Individuals who are critical of the new rule point out that regulating cell phones ignores other distracting behavior such as eating and drinking or putting on makeup while driving. Nevertheless, most drivers do not object to the new law.
At least one driver has suggested that the new restrictions should apply to drivers of "four-wheeler" non-commercial vehicles. "People need to stay off their phones," he said. Some states have enacted similar restrictions; however, the new rule, implemented by the U.S. Department of Transportation, applies only to commercial truck drivers and bus drivers.
Source: GoDanRiver, "New cell phone rules for truckers, bus drivers take effect January 3rd" Mike Nelson, Dec. 29, 2011
]]>In a stark case of failure to diagnose a disease, a positive hepatitis C test that was obtained prior to transplantation of organs and tissue was incorrectly misread as negative.
Failure to catch the infection resulted in nearly 20 implants from the donor, with several dire consequences being realized.
]]> A 41-year-old male and a 46-year-old woman both received kidney transplants at Jewish Hospital in Louisville. They were diagnosed with the hepatitis C virus after subsequent tissue analysis -- a nucleic acid test -- was undertaken on a piece of the donor's blood vessel, which confirmed the virus.Additional victims of the medical error have also suffered as a consequence. A male patient received a liver from the donor, and a child in Massachusetts was diagnosed with the infection following a cardiopulmonary patch procedure last year.
Health authorities cite to the mistake and outcome as a reason why tighter controls and enhanced communication are needed in the transplantation area. A statement from the Centers for Disease Control calls for "the need for rapid communication between transplant centers, organ procurement organizations, tissue banks and public health authorities."
Treatment for hepatitis C involves antiviral medication. A Kentucky epidemiologist says that about one to two percent of all state residents have chronic hepatitis C.
Source: Lexington Herald Leader, "Organs and tissue from Kentucky donor give hepatitis C to three patients" Cheryl Truman, Dec. 23, 2011
]]>Car accident experts note that the study observed drivers on the road and counted those who were visibly holding a cell phone up to their ear while driving. They also kept track of drivers clearly using a mobile electronic device to compose a text message while operating a motor vehicle.
]]> The study concluded that about one in every 20 drivers on the road in Kentucky and other states is talking on a cell phone at any given time, and about one in every 100 is texting. That amounts to 13.5 million drivers in the United States who are distracted by mobile phones while driving during daylight hours. Those numbers are on the rise, despite laws discouraging the use of cell phones while driving.All states have outlawed texting while operating a motor vehicle, and some states have banned entirely the use of hand-held phones while behind the steering wheel. Hands-free cell phones are still allowed.
The NHTSA also blamed 10 percent of all roadway fatalities last year -- more than 3,000 deaths in total -- on distracted driving caused by mobile electronic devices. The organization believes that the actual numbers are much higher, but a lack of evidence in some cases made it difficult to accurately assign a cause.
The study could be beneficial in helping to monitor trends among drivers, and it could prompt further changes to how mobile phone use while driving is governed and combated.
Source: CNN, "Millions of drivers won't hang up, study shows" Mike M. Ahlers, Dec. 8. 2011
]]>Truck accident experts note that truck drivers must also take a 30-minute break after eight straight hours of driving. Truck drivers are allowed to take that 30-minute break whenever they choose during their work day.
]]> Previously, truck drivers were allowed to drive up to 82 hours in a single week. The revised rules drop this limit to 70 hours. Drivers are also required to stay off the roads between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. in order to encourage sleep -- but this restriction is less stringent than the five-hour window that was previously enforced.Lastly, the FMCSA has changed how it defines "on-duty time." Previously, on-duty time was defined as any time spent in a truck other than when using the sleeper. New rules allow for rest time while parked, even if the driver is not occupying the sleeper.
The FMCSA states that further research and analysis will be performed to determine if other changes to truck driver regulations can further improve driving safety for truck drivers and other vehicles on the road. The newly installed 11-hour limit will also be evaluated to make sure it is an effective regulation.
Companies that allow their drivers to break these rules can face considerable fines -- as much as $11,000 per offense for the truck company itself and up to $2,750 for drivers.
Source: Trucking Info, "Final HOS rules retain 11-hour driving limit" Dec. 22, 2011
]]>That finding comes courtesy of a national health survey that essentially provides a "state of health" analysis of the country across a broad range of factors.
]]> The most recent version of that report -- entitled 2011 America's Health Rankings -- underscores that, in Kentucky and elsewhere across the country, there has been virtually no improvement in health from earlier years. The medical experts authoring the report note that gains achieved in certain areas -- such as fewer smokers overall, a decrease in preventable hospitalizations and fewer cardiovascular deaths -- are offset equally by more childhood poverty across the country and increased incidents of obesity and diabetes.A physician closely associated with the study calls the upward-trending numbers related to obesity and diabetes "alarming" and says that there is a high likelihood that they will "put further strain on our country's already strained health care resources."
And thus it is critical that medical staff identify and accurately diagnose conditions such as diabetes. As we have indicated in past blog posts -- and for a number of reasons, ranging from medical record snafus to outright mistakes in evaluation -- that is not always happening.
The report ranks Kentucky 44th in overall health among the states, with a high rate of smokers and problem areas of pollution. Vermont residents are deemed to be the healthiest in the nation, with Mississippi residents ranking last.
Source: Medical News Today, "Obesity and diabetes undermining America's overall health" Dec. 8, 2011
Fox 19, "Tri-State ranks low in national health survey" Dec. 6, 2011
]]>Birth injury experts from Kentucky and across the nation have noted the case and the two critical errors that were especially cited in the jury's decision to award such a large sum of money.
]]> The first error involved the doctor electing to use a vacuum to help bring the baby through the birth canal, which the plaintiffs argued was an unnecessary measure that created unnecessary stress on the child.Complications arose when the baby's shoulder got stuck on the mother's pelvic bone. The second major error committed by the obstetrician was pulling down on the baby's head to dislodge the arm and bring the baby through -- this action, which was described by the plaintiffs as a panic move on the part of the doctor, led to extreme nerve damage that rendered the arm useless.
There are several approaches doctors typically use to deal with a shoulder stuck behind the mother's pelvic bone, known medically as shoulder dystocia. But the doctor did not resort to either of these proven practices, instead making an impulsive decision that injured the baby.
Part of the urgency resulted from a concern that the baby could suffocate from a lack of oxygen in the birth canal. Lowered oxygen levels can lead to brain damage and even death, but there was no indication during this specific birthing process that the baby's oxygen levels were at risk.
Source: Omaha World-Herald, "$1.8 million awarded in birth injury" Todd Cooper, Nov. 24, 2011
]]>Every year there are 1.5 million accidents relating to bad weather, which account for about 7,000 deaths nationwide. Winters in Kentucky always have snow and ice, and this creates perilous driving conditions and potential dangers to all Kentucky drivers.
]]> Traffic cameras and weather reports are excellent at providing information concerning weather conditions, such as temperature and current precipitation, but they are not able to warn the public about specific dangers on specific roads, such as ice and snow.Scientists at the Vaisala Group in Colorado have been working on technology that will do just that. Researchers will likely soon be able to imbed a sensor into the roads that will measure and detect the accumulation of ice and snow on them, using infrared lasers. Computers will then evaluate the data and categorize a road as green, yellow or red, depending on the hazards that are confronting drivers in real time. If the road is deemed dangerous, the driver will know to take an alternative route to his or her destination.
The technology being developed by environmental engineers is promising and, provided it can be widely employed on roads and highways in Kentucky and elsewhere throughout the nation, motorists will see a dramatic decrease in traffic accidents relating to bad weather conditions.
Source: Ivanhoe Broadcast News, "Safe or slippery -- Detecting dangerous roads" Dec. 2011
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