Item: Flaxman Law Group
Rating: 5
Author: Clara Barman

First Aid for a Florida Spinal Cord Injury

Published on: December 26, 2007 | By Flaxman Law Group

If you have been in a car accident or have witnessed a slip and fall accident or other accident in which someone may have sustained a back injury, spinal cord injury, or neck injury, it is important that you avoid moving the patient. Serious complications can occur if you try to move someone with a spinal cord injury. In fact, permanent paralysis could occur. Instead, you should:

1) Evaluate the situation. The victim may have a spinal cord injury if he or she exhibits the following symptoms:

*Severe pain in the back or neck area.

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Florida Spinal Cord Injury

Published on: December 19, 2007 | By Flaxman Law Group

More than 250 000 people in the US today live with spinal cord injuries. In most cases, the injuries are a result of trauma. In fact, 44% of all spinal cord injuries are caused by automobile accidents alone. Sports and violence are also very common causes of these injuries. 8% of spinal cord injuries are caused by sports, and 60% of sport-related injuries are caused by diving accidents. In persons over the age of 45, slip and fall accidents are in fact more likely to cause spinal cord injuries than automobile accidents. More than 80% of spinal cord injury victims are men.

Patients with a spinal cord injury usually have a loss of sensation and partial or full paralysis. Many also experience bladder and bowel complications. Spinal cord injuries also often have many additional complications. For example, men’s fertility is often affected by this type of injury. If the spinal cord injury occurs high on the body, the patient may have difficulty with normal respiration. Other complications include high blood pressure, low blood pressure, chronic pain, problems with body temperature, and an inability to sweat in the area where the injury occurred and below that level. In addition, a patient can experience acute emotional suffering, depression, and other upheavals during the treatment of a spinal cord injury.

Although more treatments are available today, many people are affected by a spinal cord injury for the rest of their lives. Many cannot return to work, while others require home care or extended hospital stays. Most patients require years of rehabilitative work and many never recover motor skills fully. A spinal cord injury simply affects every area of a person’s life, often permanently. The costs associated with this sort of injury are also very high, especially in cases where a patient needs care at home. Nevertheless, medicine has allowed many spinal cord injury patients to survive. Five decades ago, most patients with this type of injury were not expected to survive.

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Understanding The Types Of Brain Injury

Published on: December 5, 2007 | By Flaxman Law Group

In Florida and across the country, brain injuries occur every day. As a result of slip and fall accidents, car accidents, construction accidents, industrial accidents, and other types of unfortunate events, brain injuries affect thousands of victims every year. Just as each individual is different, so too, the ways that the brain reacts to injury vary. In general, brain injuries can be divided into various types:

*Traumatic brain injuries. These types of injuries occur when an outside force impacts the head in such a powerful way that the brain moves within the skull. Since the brain is made up of soft tissue, when the brain impacts against the inside of the skull, damage can occur. In addition, traumatic brain injury can also occur when an outside force impacts the head strongly enough to crack the skull and directly injure the brain. These types of brain injuries are often the result of physical violence, firearms, car accidents, falls, and other serious injuries.

*Shaken baby syndrome. In this type of brain injury, the head is shaken so hard that the brain moves rapidly back and forth, damaging brain tissue and ripping apart the fibers. Although physical violence is most often the cause, adults can get this injury too, often as a result of violence or car accidents. This type of injury is also considered a traumatic brain injury.

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Symptoms Of Traumatic Brain Injury

Published on: November 21, 2007 | By Flaxman Law Group

Someone who has sustained an impact to the head, as a result of a slip and fall accident, for example, or as a result of a car accident or construction site accident, may be in danger of experiencing traumatic brain injury. In this type of injury, the brain has impacted against the inside of the skull so hard that brain damage has resulted. In some cases, the skull has actually split open and the brain has become damaged as a result of direct impact with an outside force. However, even in cases where someone does not display any obvious symptoms of injury to the head, traumatic brain injury can occur. If you have witnessed an accident in which someone has bumped their head and displays the following symptoms, contact 911 immediately, since this is a medical emergency:

1) Loss of consciousness. 911 should be dialled immediately if the victim loses consciousness. In some cases, it may be impossible to determine whether a victim has lost consciousness or has slipped into a comatose state, so getting an expert medical opinion is a must. However, it is important to note that just because someone remains conscious does not mean that they have not sustained brain injury. In many concussion pieces, a victim remains fully awake and alert at all times.

2) Thin watery liquid coming out of the nose or years. This can actually be spinal fluid leaking from the victim.

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Florida Brain Injury Facts

Published on: November 14, 2007 | By Flaxman Law Group

According to the CDC, brain injuries are most often caused when a jolt or blow to the head causes a mild brain injury known as a concussion. The CDC advises that anyone who has suffered a blow to head to look out for symptoms of a concussion, which can include:

1) Difficulty concentrating, remembering things, or making decisions.

2) Fatigue and headaches

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Tips to Reduce Slip and Fall Accidents in Florida

Published on: April 7, 2007 | By Flaxman Law Group

For the elderly, slip and fall or trip and fall accidents can be fatal. Each year, across the United States, more than one third of all adults 65 years of age and older have at least one fall. Unfortunately, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths among older adults. According to the CDC, more than 13 700 elderly persons died from injuries related to falls in 2003 alone. That same year, 1.8 million were treated in hospital for injuries related to slip and fall accidents. Over the past ten years, the number of fatal slip and fall accidents among the elderly has increased significantly.

According to the CDC, persons over the age of 65 and caregivers can reduce the possibility of slip and fall accidents by:

1. Taking part in a regular, doctor-supervised exercise program. Exercise increases strength and agility and reduces the possibility of falls and personal injury. Exercise has also been proven effective in delaying the effects of osteoporosis, a disease that can weaken bones and so can lead to more serious injuries in the event of a fall.

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Slip and Fall Accidents – Is Your Property a Hazard?

Published on: February 15, 2007 | By Flaxman Law Group

Homeowners and business owners alike have a responsibility to ensure that their premises are safe for visitors and guests. If you own a business and a customer slips and falls in your store or office, you could be held liable for any damages or injuries incurred. Even if you do not own your own business, if a delivery person or guest slips and falls in your home, you could be legally liable.

Many people do not think about slip and fall accidents, but these accidents cause serious injuries and even deaths each year. In most cases, it is important to prove liability in slip and fall accidents. Just because someone sustains an injury on someone else’s property, this does not immediately mean a strong case. Both visitors and home and business owners are responsible for safety. However, business owners and home owners are responsible for maintaining reasonably safe conditions. By being careful about the condition of your property, you can reduce accidents and can keep your loved ones safe as well.

The biggest contributor to slip and fall accidents are precipitation accumulations. Florida does not see much snow or ice, but even a thin layer of frost on the ground can be slippery and can lead to personal injury. Water inside and outside the building can also prove a danger to visitors. The law does not require business or homeowners to immediately remove any ice, snow, or rain, but owners are often found liable if property conditions result in unnatural accumulations of precipitation. For example, if a leaky roof results in water on the floor or if a badly installed drain leads to a puddle on the sidewalk, these conditions may mean a lawsuit if someone does slip and fall on the property.

Another potential hazard in a slip and fall accident is poor lighting. Inadequate lighting indoors or outdoors can lead to tripping and falling, especially if there is any unevenness of the floor or ground as well as poor light. If a homeowner or business owner knows they have poor lighting but fails to correct this, he or she may be held liable in the event of a slip and fall accident.

Surfaces pose another danger. If floors, parking lots, or walkways on your property are obstructed or are in poor condition, you may be held liable if someone slips and falls as a result. Business and home owners are responsible for filling cracks and evening out irregularities to prevent accidents. The one exception to this is public property – such as sidewalks – which is often the responsibility of the municipality. However, you can help prevent accidents and keep yourself safer by reporting any sidewalk unevenness or dangers to your city promptly.

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