Syracuse Personal Injury Law Blog

U at Buffalo study highlights SUV crash risks

Published on: May 24, 2013 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

When you’re shopping for a new ride, many vehicle manufacturers will tout high crash ratings as a reason to invest in a certain model of car. These ratings are meant to give you an indication of how well your new car will fare should you become involved in a vehicle accident and, therefore, your chances of escaping without serious injury or death.

However, a recent study out of our home state of New York suggests that these crash ratings are not always as reliable a predictor or safety as we might like to think. This is particularly true when a car collides with a heavier, larger vehicle like a sport utility vehicle. In those accidents, a passenger car driver is more likely to die or become seriously injured, regardless of their car’s crash rating.

The study from the University at Buffalo found that in head-on collisions between cars and SUVs, the drivers of cars were almost 10 times more likely to die if the SUV had a better crash rating than the car – and, alarmingly, more than four times more likely to die if their crash rating beat the SUVs.

Brain injury basics

Published on: May 16, 2013 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

Last week we talked about some recent changes the National Collegiate Athletic Association made to its rules for college football. These changes have already decreased the number of concussions sustained by collegiate players but, like any contact sport, football still carries its share of risks.

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) usually occurs when a person receives a jolt or blow to the head that disrupts his or her normal brain functioning. These injuries are also commonly referred to as concussions, a fairly common occurrence in sports like football. But even if players frequently shrug them off and get back in the game, brain injuries should not be ignored as a public health problem.

About 1.7 million TBIs occur each year as a result of injury. The severity of these injuries can range from a slight, brief change in brain function to lasting amnesia or even death. Common symptoms include headaches, nausea or vomiting, memory loss, confusion, dizziness or sluggishness.

NCAA changes rules to prevent brain injuries

Published on: May 13, 2013 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

Over the past several years the worlds of professional, collegiate and youth football have all come under scrutiny because of concern over the high incidence of severe brain injuries in football players. Some states have responded by passing laws to require more oversight of youth practices and safety, while the NFL has faced a number of workers’ compensation lawsuits by injured players.

Now the National Collegiate Athletic Association is stepping up their role in the fight against traumatic brain injury. The NCAA has made several changes to its rules that representatives hope will decrease the number of brain injuries sustained by collegiate players and lead the way for safety in all football organizations.

For example, under new rules players are ejected from play if they make contact with a defenseless opposing player above the shoulders. Most traumatic brain injuries come as a result of a blow or jolt to the head so the organization hopes that this rule will cause players to be more careful.

Distracted driving: Stigmatized, illegal, but still common

Published on: May 4, 2013 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

In New York, it is against the law for drivers to text while driving. It is also a primary offense for drivers to talk on a handheld phone. Those are relatively strict distracted driving laws in comparison to other states. A recent survey that The Conusmer Reports National Research Center conducted, however, suggests that laws in the U.S. overall are not scaring drivers from relying on their cellphones while driving.

Put yourself in the shoes of the 1,000 plus susbjects who were surveyed for the study. In the past 30 days, have you seen someone talking on a handheld device while driving? Have you seen someone texting and driving? If you answer yes to those questions, you are not alone, and that is a scary reality in terms of traffic safety.

On average, more than 3,000 people are killed annually in distracted driving-related accidents in the country. Thousands others are injured, all because of the widespread addiction that people have to their cell phones and other technological devices.

Family is victorious in New York birth injury lawsuit

Published on: April 25, 2013 | By Jeff DeFrancisco

There is nothing quite like the excitement of expecting a child. Just as there is excitement, however, there are many fears and worries, fears that all parents hope will never come true. For a New York family who gave birth to their daughter 10 years ago, they are just getting some closure after their fear became reality in the delivery room.

The New York couple’s baby was born and then determined to be suffering from cerebral palsy. Today, at the age of 10, the child can’t walk or feed herself. The picture that her parents had of the life for their child was forever changed when, they argue, medical professionals failed to properly do their jobs upon the baby’s delivery.

According to the plaintiffs’ allegations in the medical malpractice lawsuit, medical workers failed to notice that their baby wasn’t getting oxygen after delivery. The lack of oxygen commonly leads to cerebral palsy or another type of serious brain injury.