Maryland Car Accident Lawyers: Teens Who Text and Drive Blame Parents

A recent study suggests that teens who engage in risky behavior behind the wheel may be doing so for an unlikely reason – because they think their parents expect them to. The findings are the result of a survey conducted by Liberty Mutual Insurance in partnership with Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD.) The study focused on teen’s attitudes and behaviors behind the wheel. Surprisingly, teens reported feeling that their parents, more than anyone else, expect immediate responses to their text messages, even while driving. Today’s teens are under an enormous amount of pressure to stay constantly connected with the world around them. The study revealed the dangers that this hyper-connectivity can bring, including fatigue and technology use while driving. More than half of teens surveyed reported texting while driving in order to update their parents, and nearly one in five teens said their parents expect a text response within one minute, even if they are driving. However
http://www.lthlaw.com/maryland-car-accident-lawyers-teens-who-text-and-drive-blame-parents/

Maryland Medical Product Liability Lawyers Discuss Security Issues Linked to Medical Devices

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising healthcare facilities to stop using certain medical devices because of a cybersecurity risk. The FDA warned that devices linked to the Internet are vulnerable to hackers that could potentially gain access to the device, creating a serious risk of harm to patients. Specific warnings were issued to hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities using Hospira’s Symbiq medication infusion pump. The device is used to deliver medications directly into the bloodstream of patients over extended periods of time. Experts claim that hackers could potentially gain unauthorized access to the device’s settings and change the dosage the pump delivers, which could lead to an over- or under-infusion of critical patient therapies. The FDA has been aware of security vulnerabilities in medical devices for some time now. In 2012, the United States Government Accountability Office issued a report focused on the growing concern of security threats to med
http://www.bestmarylandmalpracticelawyers.com/maryland-medical-product-liability-lawyers-security-issues-linked-medical-devices/

Maryland Personal Injury Lawyers: Older Adults More Pain Post-Car Crash

There are nearly 36 million licensed drivers aged 65 and older in the United States, according to the most recent data provided by the CDC. In 2012, more than 5,560 older adults were killed and more than 214,000 were injured in car crashes, making car accidents the second leading cause of trauma after falls for older Americans. A new study suggests that seniors who sustain relatively minor injuries in car accidents may be at high risk of suffering long term pain that can affect their ability to perform daily activities. Study Overview Car accidents are a significant source of injuries among all populations, but researchers wanted to test the lasting effects of minor car accident injuries on seniors. They recruited 161 patients over the age of 65 who had been evaluated and released from the emergency room after being involved in a car accident. Patients with more severe injuries, such as fractures, major lacerations and brain and spinal injuries were not included in the study. Patients
http://www.lthlaw.com/maryland-personal-injury-lawyers-older-adults-pain-post-car-crash/

Baltimore Workers’ Compensation Lawyers: Casino Workers Risk of Illness from Secondhand Smoke

Secondhand smoke is a known occupational hazard for casino workers. While Maryland laws prohibit smoking indoors, every casino provides at least one designated area where guests smoke outside. Now, some casino owners are pushing regulators to allow smokers to have the best of both worlds, thus creating a potentially hazardous work environment for those employed there. Gambling and smoking have long been linked, and research suggests that gamblers who smoke daily spend more time and more money gambling than non-smokers. This may be why some casino owners are trying to find ways to allow their guests to do both. Horseshoe Casino Baltimore currently boasts eight outdoor smoking terraces where guests can light up while they hit the slots. Horseshoe is currently the only Maryland casino that offers outdoor gaming in smoking areas, but it will soon be joined by at least one other. Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Cumberland is also set to open a new 30-slot gaming and smoking deck this summer. In
http://www.bestmarylandworkerscompensationlawyers.com/2015/08/10/baltimore-workers-compensation-lawyers-casino-workers-risk-illness-secondhand-smoke/

Maryland Truck Accident Lawyers: Insurance for Truck Crashes

A recently proposed bill seeks to overhaul the trucking industry in an effort to increase safety on our nation’s highways.  The new bill, titled the Truck Safety Act, was introduced before Congress by Senator Cory Booker in mid-July 2015. The goal is to replace outdated standards with newer, more modern standards of truck safety. The bill addresses minimum insurance requirements, driver pay and crash avoidance technology. Higher Minimum Insurance Insurance minimums have not moved since being set at $750,000 back in 1980. That figure is the equivalent of more than two million dollars in today’s economy. The idea was that high premiums would discourage trucking companies from engaging in negligent practices or employing reckless drivers. In today’s standards, that figure is only enough to cover a fraction of a truck accident victim’s medical costs. The Truck Safety Act would double the minimum insurance coverage requirements from $750,000 to $1.5 million. The bill also includes
http://www.bestmarylandtruckaccidentlawyers.com/2015/08/04/maryland-truck-accident-lawyers-insurance-truck-crashes/

Baltimore Workers’ Compensation Lawyers: New Guidelines Address Misclassification of Workers

Debate over whether certain workers qualify as employees or independent contractors is nothing new. Employers and workers alike have struggled with this issue for decades. But with a flood of new sharing-economy jobs entering the market, the need for better clarification has never been more urgent. The Department of Labor has issued new guidance that has the potential to create shockwaves for a number of sharing-economy companies. The goal is to bring some much-needed clarification to as to who qualifies as an employee versus an independent contractor. The move follows a wave of lawsuits against a number of start-ups including ride-sharing firms Uber and Lyft, and other gig businesses like Handy and Crowdflower. The Department of Labor released the new directive in response to growing criticism from labor unions and activists who claim that companies like Uber exploit workers for their own benefit. Many argue that by misclassifying workers as independent contractors rather than employ
http://www.bestmarylandworkerscompensationlawyers.com/2015/08/04/baltimore-workers-compensation-lawyers-new-guidelines-address-misclassification-workers/

Maryland Medical Malpractice Lawyers: Anesthesiologist Ordered to Pay $500,000

A Virginia man has been awarded $500,000 after learning that he was mocked and ridiculed by medical staff while undergoing a surgical procedure. An audio recording captured the cruel exchange between the anesthesiologist, gastroenterologist and medical assistant as the sedated man underwent a colonoscopy, unaware of the verbal attack being launched at him. The man had originally intended to only record the post-op instructions from his doctors. He hit record on his smartphone and placed it into his pocket, not knowing that his clothes and other personal items would be in the operating room with him. When he played back the recording on his way home, he was shocked to hear the torrent of insults thrown at him as he lay defenseless on the operating table. Dr. Tiffany Ingham, then part of the Aisthesis anesthesia practice in Bethesda, Maryland, was working at the Reston, Virginia medical suite the day the man’s colonoscopy was being performed. Shortly after he drifted off to sleep, Ing
http://www.lthlaw.com/maryland-medical-malpractice-lawyers-anesthesiologist-ordered-to-pay-500000/