DOES WEARING A COVID-19 FACEMASK INCREASE THE RISK OF INJURY?
COVID-19 facemasks, while limiting the spread of the virus, also limited the peripheral vision of the wearer. On or about March 19, 2020, there was a nearly national COVID-19 lockdown. A facemask was widely required for appearing in public. There is recognition in the medical literature that COVID-19 related mouth-nose masks restrict the visual field, even in persons with normal vision. While the governmental requirement to wear facemasks has relaxed, there remains the possibility of future waves of virus and future requirements of facemask use when in public. Some persons continue to wear a mask in pubic for protection. Many health
AUTO ACCIDENT BROCHURE–WHAT TO DO AT THE SCENE
STOP your car at or near the accident scene. CALL the police if anyone is hurt or dies. Also, call the police if any vehicle is so badly damaged that it must be towed. GET the following information from the other driver or drivers involved in the accident: a) Names and addresses b) Telephone numbers c) Driver’s license numbers d) Registration numbers e) Their insurance company names and policy numbers GET the names and addresses of: a) People involved in the accident b) Witnesses of the accident c) Insured people RENDER AID: Pennsylvania law requires the driver of any vehicle involved in an accident
DISTRACTED DRIVING
Driver error is estimated to cause approximately 95% of all car accidents. Alcohol is involved in approximately 1/3 of all accidents. The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates that more than 1/4 of all auto accidents are caused by distracted driving. This estimate may be very low because of the driver reluctance to admit distraction, lack of witnesses inside the vehicle, lack of cell phone usage records by police and the large number of distractions available to a driver inside their motor vehicle. In five seconds of texting at 55 miles per hour, a car travels the length of a football field.
THE PHANTOM, UNIDENTIFIED OR HIT AND RUN DRIVER
One client was riding her motorcycle on a Nevada road when she ran over an object that had been previously dropped from an unsecured load from an unidentified vehicle. She was seriously injured and life-flighted to a trauma center hospital. Another client was injured when forced off of the roadway and into a tree by a vehicle driving on the wrong side of the road. The negligent driver never stopped and could not be identified. A third client was injured by a person who failed to pay their automobile insurance premium and was driving without any automobile insurance. It was fortunate that each
SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS
“Smile, you’re on Candid Camera” was the gotcha phrase on the long running popular “Candid Camera” television show. This show involved the use of concealed cameras filming ordinary people doing strange things. Today, most cell phones have video cameras that are readily available to the public. This makes it easy to film the injured person and extremely cost effective. Injured persons with accident claims of inability to work, lift, carry or pursue hobbies should be aware of the possibility that insurers will hire investigators to film them without their knowledge. If the film indicates that the injured person has lied or
MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY & VESTIBULAR REHABILITATION THERAPY
Vertigo may occur after an accident involving Mild TBI. Vertigo is a sensation that makes you feel like the world is moving around and that you might lose your balance. The vestibulocochlear nerve is the eighth cranial nerve. It is composed of vestibular fibers and cochlear fibers. The vestibular portion senses changes in the position of the head while managing body balance and eye movement. When this nerve is damaged, it often is unable to heal. Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy is offered at concussion treatment centers to treat symptoms of vertigo, dizziness, vision difficulties and imbalance. This is a specialized exercise program designed
MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY & NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING
An accident victim leaves the emergency room with negative findings on x-rays, CT scans and MRI scans of the brain. The victim continues to suffer from headache, confusion, lack of coordination, memory loss, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, ringing in the ears, sleepiness, and/or excessive fatigue. This person has many subjective symptoms but has no objective evidence of any cognitive defect. A subjective symptom is a symptom that a person says they have. An objective symptom is a symptom that can be measured or verified. An example of the value of objective evidence of mild TBI can be found in the Veterans Administration claims
MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY/CONCUSSION
A 2015 article in the Journal of Psychology and Clinical Psychiatry states that Mild TBI may represent 70-90% of all brain injury cases that require medical attention. After an accident, the injured party visits a hospital emergency room where x-rays, CT-scans and/or MRIs are reported as negative. The literature states that the symptoms usually resolve within 3 months, but that 20-30% of injured persons have symptoms up to 6 months and 10-15% have chronic symptoms. These concussion symptoms may include difficulties: with balance and stabilizing vision; with coordinating eye movements; ability to concentrate or remember; migraine headaches or anxiety. Some of the
PERSONAL DOCUMENTS
The following are some of the personal documents that you should consider having in the event of the unexpected happening: WHY YOU NEED A WILL If you do not have a will and something unexpected happens, your home, money, and other property will be distributed according to a formula fixed by the law of the State in which you are domiciled. Your estate will be managed by someone who might not be the person you trusted to handle your affairs. Your minor children may be placed in the custody of someone you would not have chosen if asked. This law is the same
BRAIN INJURY SEVERITY
Not all brain injuries are the same. They can range from total and complete disability to a spectrum of unpleasant changes. The severity of a brain injury can be assessed by either the Rancho Los Amigos or Glasgow Coma Scale. The Rancho Los Amigos scale ranges from Level 1 (No response to ALL stimuli) to Level 10 (Purposeful Appropriate-responds to all stimulus). The Glasgow Coma Scale ranges from one (does not open eyes, makes no sounds, makes no movement) to fifteen (opens eyes spontaneously, oriented and converses normally, and obeys commands. The Glasgow Coma Scale focuses on eye, verbal and motor. It