Personal Injury Solicitors Burnley: Prepare For Winter Driving As Early As Possible

With summer officially over, personal injury solicitors Burnley are expecting to see an increase in car crash compensation claimants as winter draws in and the roads become more hazardous. While the weather is still somewhat dry, rain, snow and ice will soon make the roads significantly more dangerous, causing braking distances to increase dramatically and leading to people making compensation claims with no win no fee solicitors Burnley.

As a result, we have come up with a list of safe winter driving tips that could save the life of you, your family and other road users.

- Plan in advance

You should plan your journey particularly carefully in wintry weather. Check traffic reports and maps to ensure you take the safest and most effective routes, and check the weather forecast so you know what to expect.

- Prepare your vehicle

Make sure you have enough petrol for your journey and know where filling stations are, check the oil levels, check that your car will not break down, test your brakes and lights, fill up your screenwash, and check that your electrics and tyres are suitable for the road. No win no fee solicitors Burnley see a lot of cases involving people who did not check their vehicle was ready for the winter.

- Take an emergency kit out

An emergency kit for winter driving should contain a de-icer, an ice scraper, a torch, batteries, blankets, a change of clothes, jump leads, a shovel, boots, a first aid kit, a road atlas and sunglasses to protect your eyes from the glare of the snow. You should start to buy these items now so you are ready for the winter.

- Drive carefully

Drive at a reduced speed that is suitable for the road conditions and do not accellarate or brake harshly. Instead, drop to a lower gear earlier than you normally would and then gently press the brakes.

In snow and ice, braking distances increase by as much as ten times, so keep a close eye on traffic to prevent car accidents with personal injury solicitors Burnley. Keep in mind that while a road may look dry or gritted, there could still be icy patches.

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Posted in Health Care, Personal Injury

What dental negligence claims do Manchester personal injury solicitors see?

Some of the cases personal injury solicitors Manchester deal with relate to dental negligence. Dentists must reach a high standard of skill and professionalism and must take all reasonable steps to ensure their patients do not suffer from avoidable injuries. They go through a lot of training and education to ensure they are knowledgeable about oral health, so people rightly think that they should receive proper and accurate treatment every time they visit the dentist.

Dentist must also invest in insurance, which will pay out compensation when no win no fee solicitors Manchester win in a case, allowing the dentist to continue practicing and allowing those who have been injured by the dentist's negligence to claim compensation and recover their losses.

Some of the most common dental negligence claims personal injury solicitors Manchester see are:

     Misdiagnosis claims and delayed diagnosis claims one of the most common illnesses misdiagnosed in dentistry or missed during check-ups is gum disease. When caught at an early stage, the illness is easily treated, but if it is missed then people can end up losing teeth.

-          Poorly-fitted dentures and fittings

When fittings and dentures are badly fitted, people can end up complaining to no win no fee solicitors Manchester about a range of oral health problems. Claimants can experience scraping and abrasions, gum pain, infections and a range of other problems. Remedying these issues can be expensive.

In rare cases, personal injury solicitors Manchester deal with people who have been infected with contagious diseases due to the negligence of dentists. Unhygienic dental practices, poor sterilisation processes and a range of other failings can lead to these problems.

Making a dental negligence claim

It is a good idea to make a dental negligence claim if you have received substandard dental treatment that has led to injuries or health problems. Repairing shoddy dental work is very pricey, and in some cases it is not even possible. Claiming compensation with no win no fee solicitors Manchester allows people to pay for remedial treatment, understand what happened to cause the negligent treatment, and enables claimants to receive some form of justice. 

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Posted in Health Care, Personal Injury

Making a brain injury claim with personal injury solicitors Bolton

If you've suffered a traumatic brain injury in an accident or incident you were not entirely to blame for, then claiming compensation with a no win no fee solicitor Bolton is a great way to recover your losses and help you get your life back on track. 

Brain injuries can affect every aspect of a person's life, and the cost of rehabilitation and high-quality medical equipment can be prohibitively expensive, but personal injury solicitors Bolton can help people cover these expenses.

Recovery and brain injuries

While recovery is possible for many claimants, it can take a very long time for people to make a full recovery, with other people never returning to health. Generally, children have the best prognosis, and the elderly have the worst - children's brains have a degree of 'elasticity' that adult brains lack, and children can use other parts of the brain to perform the tasks the damaged part would otherwise perform.

Recovery can involve physical therapy, speech therapy and intensive psychological assistance, and many people are unable to pay for this. 

Speaking to a no win no fee solicitor Bolton allows them to do so.

Personal injury solicitors Bolton also consider the long-term prognosis of a claimant. People with brain injuries can develop neuron degenerative disorders and are at a higher risk of a range of health problems. New medical treatments or forms of supportive therapy for people with brain damage could also be created in the future, and compensation claims consider the potential cost of these treatments as well.

The effects of brain injuries

No win no fee solicitors Bolton see three different types of damage that brain injuries can cause. These are:

-          Cognitive effects

Some brain injuries affect the way people remember, think and learn, altering the way they perveive the world and making certain tasks difficult.

-          Emotional effects

People can experience problems with their emotions or personality changes when specific regions of the brain are damaged.

-          Communication effects

Some parts of the brain relate to recognising facial expressions, following conversations and speech, and damage to these areas can make it hard for people to communicate.

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Posted in Health Care, Personal Injury

Company Fined and Prosecuted For Dangerous Scaffolding

The dangers posed by unsafe scaffolding are obvious, but personal injury solicitors Manchester still see cases involving falls from height or other accidents on scaffolding. When people fall from height, they can sustain serious injuries, including paralysis and brain damage, and with death a real risk.

A company was recently prosecuted in Trafford Magistrates' Court after the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) determined it had put its employees at risk due to unsafe scaffolding. R Hamer Ltd pled guilty to breaching Work at Height regulations at the hearing on August 30th, and was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £562 in costs.

Scaffolding accident claims with personal injury solicitors Manchester

The case could have easily led to the employees seeing no win no fee solicitors Manchester, with HSE inspector Grayam Barnes saying they could have "easily been seriously injured or killed". He thanked the person who had informed the HSE about the dangerous workplace.

HSE were alerted to the company by a concerned member of the public, who noticed two workers replacing guttering on a Bradshaw house on unsafe scaffolding and in high winds.

When an inspector visited the property on February 1st, they found two men using an unsecured board as a walkway between poorly-erected scaffolding. A man was seen to climb down the scaffolding without using a ladder, there were no toe boards, handrails and edge protection, and no harnesses were being used. A Prohibition Order was immediately enforced.

Scaffolding businesses should not wait until they are prosecuted by the HSE or until they see themselves dealing with no win no fee solicitors Manchester in an accident at work compensation claim. Worker safety should be a key consideration in all businesses, especially those with such obvious risks and well-defined safety regulations.

One of the biggest causes of fatal workplace accidents in the construction sector is falls from height, and companies must do everything they can to ensure these accidents do not occur. If you've been injured in an accident at work, then speak with personal injury solicitors Manchester to claim compensation and recover your losses.

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Posted in Health Care, Personal Injury

Positive thinking 'helps people recover from whiplash'

When people visit personal injury solicitors Bury with whiplash pain, their lawyers will encourage them to think positively about their case and about their injuries. Positive thinking could not only make them more likely to win their compensation claim, but it could also improve their overall wellbeing, helping them to avoid some of the mental and emotional complications that can come with such a painful injury.

And positive thinking has a range of other benefits as well - in fact, research from the University of Alberta's School of Public Health found that whiplash patients who have positive expectation recover from their injuries three times faster than those who do not.

Positive thinking and whiplash injury claims with personal injury solicitors Bury

Researchers examined 6,000 people who had sustained whiplash in a traffic accident to make the discovery, also finding that those who thought positively about their return to work considered themselves to have recovered 42% faster than those who assumed more negative things about returning.

Furthermore, a related investigation into Swedish whiplash victims found that those who did not think they would make a complete recovery were around four times as likely to still feel symptoms of the injury than those who thought otherwise.

Perhaps people had a realistic assessment of their injuries when contemplating their recovery time, but no win no fee solicitors Bury would point to the wealth of other evidence that has correlated positive thinking and faster recoveries from a huge range of other illnesses.

Indeed, while the research team at the University said they were surprised by their discoveries, positive thinking has helped people recover from a huge range of other health problems - in fact, it is a cornerstone of the placebo effect.

So if you seem anxious about your whiplash injuries and personal injury solicitors try to reassure you and alleviate your stress, they might not only be helping your emotional wellbeing, but could also be reducing your recovery times and help you get back to health as quickly as possible.

If you're suffering from whiplash, speak to a no win no fee solicitor Bury to claim compensation!

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Posted in Health Care, Personal Injury

Can a lack of household maintenance lead to personal injury claims?

Poor standards of home maintenance could be putting homeowners at risk of dealing with a personal injury solicitor Blackburn after guests are injured on their premises.

While most compensation claims dealt by a no win no fee solicitor Blackburn are against companies and organisations, some cases are against homeowners, who have failed to ensure their property is safe for guests and the general public.

The recent Halifax Insurance Home Maintenance Monitor found that 11% of all residences in Britain require some major improvements, with around half needing some minor work.

Not only could regular maintenance and improvements reduce the likelihood of a homeowner facing personal injury solicitors Blackburn in court, but dealing with problems early will ensure they do not worsen and will save money in the long-term. Therefore, Halifax advised homeowners to complete the following tasks:

-          Check the loft has enough ventilation and insulation

-          Have the boiler, central heating and gas fire checked by a Gas Safe registered professional every year

-          Call the experts for plumbing, electrical or gas work and check references when choosing a professional

-          Keep an eye out for emerging problems

-          Speak to your insurance company if you are carrying out an extension, conversion or any similar work

-          Check that the roof is in a good condition

-          Clear leaves and debris out of drains and gutters to prevent overflows, blocks or slips and trips

-          Secure gates and outbuilding doors

-          Secure external light fittings

The Halifax research revealed that 23% of people have previously ignored a serious home maintenance issue, with some common excuses including being too busy (41%), fear of causing an injury to themselves or another person (29% and not having the correct tools and equipment (36%).

A no win no fee solicitor Blackburn may deal with a number of cases involving failure to properly repair and maintain a household. Landlords can be liable in compensation claims when they have been informed about domestic repairs but have failed to deal with them, previous homeowners who fail to repair a house can face compensation claims if the current homeowners are injured due to this negligence, and people who have been injured in someone else's residence may also be able to claim compensation against the property owner.

If you want to find out whether or not you can make a compensation claim, contact personal injury solicitors Blackburn now to discuss your case.

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Posted in Health Care, Personal Injury

How Could Hospitals Improve Treatment Standards?

Personal injury solicitors Manchester are very interested in legislative changes to the NHS. A large proportion of personal injury claims relate to mistreatment in hospitals, and the severity of claimants' injuries are frequently serious.

A recent report by Professor Don Berwick echoed many of the thoughts no win no fee solicitors Manchester have about the NHS. Professor Berwick worked intensively to discover some of the key issues in the UK's healthcare system and how medical negligence claims arise, investigating other healthcare systems internationally to inform his understanding.

He made four key findings about the running of hospitals and patient safety. These are:

Patient safety and the quality of patient care should be of paramount importance

Employees should be supported in their personal development, allowing them to improve their capabilities

Carers and patients should feel like they are heard and should be empowered and engaged

Data should be completely transparent

Criminal charges following clinical negligence compensation claims?

While clinical negligence compensation and full investigations into what went wrong is enough for most patients, Professor Berwick suggested that criminal sanctions may be suitable in some instances, suggesting that a number of new offenses should be created that relate to clinical negligence. These would deal with instances of wilful neglect or recklessness, as well as cases in which healthcare organisations obstruct the disclosure of relevant information or withhold this information, and could apply to organisations as well as individuals.

The report stated that these criminal sanctions should only be used rarely and should not be used to punish people for punitive errors. While personal injury solicitors Manchester may be apprehensive about the value of creating new crimes, having potential criminal sanctions against hiding information could help rightful claimants succeed in medical negligence claims. Individual practitioners already face being struck off the register and forbidden to work in the UK, but institutional negligence can frequently go unpunished.

Until healthcare systems become perfect, people will always want to visit a no win no fee solicitor after being the victim of medical negligence. Professor Berwick's suggestions could help to reduce this demand, although it will be impossible to eradicate it.

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What is the law about first aid at work?

Personal injury solicitors Burnley frequently see people with serious injuries that relate to a failure to provide first aid at work. A minor laceration can become infected without first aid, people can feel like they have no-one to turn to if they start suffering from musculoskeletal disorders or industrial illnesses, and minor injuries can quickly become significantly more serious due to this negligence.

According to the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, all employers must provide first aid facilities and equipment, and should have staff trained in first aid to treat people's illnesses. These provisions must be adequate and appropriate for the working environment, and while there is no legal duty for employers to protect the general public through first aid, it is best practice to consider these people when deciding what is required.

No win no fee solicitors would like to warn employers that these regulations apply to all employers, including those with fewer than five members of staff.

What are the minimum requirements for first aid?

If the risks in a business are very limited, then a business will require the smallest level of first aid provision. This will include:

·         A properly-stocked first aid box

·         Information sheets, which are provided to employees or put up in obvious places and detail first aid arrangements

·         An appointed first-aider

The Health and Safety Executive notes while there are no legal obligations regarding which items should be kept in first aid boxes, there are a number of general items that suit every business. These are:

20 sterile plasters of assorted sizes
Six safety pins
Two eye pads
Four triangular bandages
Disposable gloves
Six medium wound dressings
Two large wound dressings

Bandages, eye pads, wound dressings and eye pads should be sterile, and individually wrapped if possible.

If you are unsure what first aid equipment is required for your business, then speak to a health and safety consultant to find out. It is better to deal with health and safety now than to explain why you didn't deal with it to a no win no fee solicitor Burnley.

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Posted in Health Care, Personal Injury

Silicosis in Industrial Disease Claims

One of the lung diseases people visit no win no fee solicitors Bury about is silicosis. This is caused when workers inhale silica dust. Its symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath, rapid or difficult breathing, fatigue, chest pain and weight loss. The disease is incurable, and can put sufferers at a significantly higher risk of a range of other dangerous illnesses, including bronchitis, lung cancer, progressive massive fibrosis and tuberculosis.

It used to be more commonplace in the UK, but is not commonly seen by personal injury solicitors Bury any more. Despite this, it is the most common occupational lung disease in the world, with the majority of cases occurring in developing countries or heavy manufacturing countries.

Nonetheless, according to reports from the Industrial Injury DisablementBenefit scheme, 2008 saw 85 cases of silicosis in the UK, while 2007 saw 95. Furthermore, 14 people in the country died from the condition in 2006, while 7 died in 2007.

Silicosis takes three main forms:

Simple chronic silicosis

This condition takes over 20 years to develop and is generally seen among those who have experienced low-level silica dust exposure. In its early stages, it leads to lack of breath and coughing, and sufferers often do not know they are ill.

Accelerated silicosis

When people experience high levels of exposure to silica dust, they can develop accelerated silicosis within five to ten years. While this is similar to simple chronic silicosis, it poses a significantly higher risk of complications.

Acute silicosis

People exposed to very high levels of silica dust can develop acute silicosis. This takes from just a few weeks to five years to develop, and its risks are significantly higher than other forms of the condition. This form of silicosis is significantly more likely to lead to death than other forms, and no win no fee solicitors Bury can achieve higher payments for sufferers of this condition.

Some of the occupations that pose a silicosis risk include:

-Sandblasting

-Quarrying

-Mining

-Foundry work

-Ceramic work

-Brick work

Employers in these sectors can reduce their likelihood of facing personal injury solicitors Bury by providing their staff with personal protective equipment. Respirators are incredibly important for people who work around silica dust and are associated with a significant reduction in death rates.

If you have developed silicosis due to an employer's negligence, then contact no win no fee solicitors Bury today! 

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Posted in Health Care, Personal Injury

No Win No Fee Solicitors Blackburn Analyse Wasteful Medical Tests

While a range of errors can lead to people making medical negligence claims with personal injury solicitors Blackburn, unnecessary tests and procedures play a factor in many of them. While these procedures can be expensive and wasteful, in some circumstances they can also be harmful.

As a result, healthcare specialists from across the US have made a number of recommendations that could prevent these potentially dangerous interventions and prevent people from claiming compensation with a no win no fee solicitor Blackburn. This advice has been published by the Society of Hospital Medicine and the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation, and formed part of a study led by Baylor College of Medicine and Children's Hospital of San Antonio Fellow in Hospital Medicine Richard Quinonez, MD, FAAP.

Five recommendations for adult treatment were made by the specialists - these are:

• Do not leave urinary catheters in place on non-critical patients for monitoring of output, convenience or incontinence.
• Unless inpatients are likely to suffer from gastrointestinal complications, do not prescribe them with stress ulcer prophylaxis medications.
• There is no need for repetitive chemistry and blood count testing when lab and clinical results are stable.
• Unless there is a protocol that covers continuation, hospitals should not order continual telemetry monitoring in rooms other than the intensive care unit.
• Red blood cell transfusions to reach arbitrary haematocrit or haemoglobin thresholds should be avoided except for in cases of stroke, heart failure or active coronary disease.

The specialists also made five suggestions that could prevent children or their parents making cases with personal injury solicitors Blackburn. These are:

• Children with asthma and bronchitis should not receive chest radiographs. False positives lead to the overuse of antibiotics and the tests result in radiation exposure.
• Children with bronchiolitis should not be treated with bronchodilators, as these have very limited effectiveness.
• Continuous pulse oximetry, which measures the blood's oxygen saturation, should not be routinely used in minors, except in cases where the child requires supplemental oxygen.
• Children younger than two with lower respiratory tract infections should not be systemically treated with corticosteroids.
• Infants with gastro-oesophageal reflux should not be routinely treated with acid suppression therapy, as this does not appear to work better than placebo and can have harmful side effects.

While these suggestions were made with US doctors in mind, British hospitals could also implement them. This could save money, improve treatment standards and prevent people from visiting a no win no fee solicitor Blackburn to make a medical negligence claim.

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Posted in Health Care, Personal Injury

What Prescription Errors do no win no Fee Solicitors See?

Prescription errors are occasionally seen by a no win no fee solicitor Burnley. They include from accidents involving administering the wrong drug, providing the wrong dosage, or failing to monitor a prescription in an unacceptable way, and can cause patients' conditions to worsen, can lead to overdoses, or cause significant adverse effects.

Research from the General Medical Council suggested that one in 20 prescriptions contains some form of error, with 4% of these errors described as 'severe', 54% moderate and 42% minor. Overall, a total of 1 prescription item in every 550 led to a severe error.

This means that one in eight patients has experienced some form of prescription error, with this rising to around two-fifths of all patients over the age of 75. When people suffer an injury after a prescription error that resulted from a doctor's negligence, they may be able to make a compensation claim with personal injury solicitors Burnley.

What kind of prescription errors does a no-win no fee solicitor Burnley see?

The study revealed that 18% of all these mistakes related to the dose or strength of a drug, 30% involved failure to include all relevant details on the prescription, and 11% related to the timing of doses.

Some medicines were more likely to lead to prescription errors than others. People with skin disorders, eye disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, cancer, immunotherapy, infections and cardiovascular disease patients are therefore particularly likely to visit personal injury solicitors Burnley after a prescription error.

Healthcare professionals are therefore advised to take the risk of prescription errors seriously and be vigilant to ensure they do not occur. Audits into prescriptions, improved training, and alerts to inform doctors that they need to monitor a patient and conduct blood tests after prescribing certain drugs could all help to prevent this kind of incident from occuring.

If you've been injured by a prescription error, talk to a no win no fee solicitor Burnley about your concerns. You may be able to make a medical negligence claim, helping you out financially and seeing the circumstances of your injury investigated.

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Posted in Health Care, Personal Injury

No Win no Fee Solicitor Burnley Warns Against Holiday Drunkenness

People heading on their holidays should take steps to protect themselves and ensure they do not need to visit personal injury solicitors Blackburn when they arrive back at home. One of the biggest factors in holiday accidents is drunkenness - people are more likely to get into trouble when they are intoxicated, and this is especially the case when they are on holiday.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has revealed that 51% of Brits aged 16 to 24 say they are likely to drink more alcohol on holiday than they would at home. Peer pressure was cited as a factor by 40% of these respondents, while cheaper alcohol prices were cited by 62%.

Being drunk on holiday is a dangerous game, however, with holiday drunkenness frequently seen by a no win no fee solicitor Blackburn. According to the FCO, 23% of young holidaymakers have gone for a swim while intoxicated on holiday, 11% admit they have put themselves in a vulnerable position with a stranger when drunk abroad, and 26% have done something else they feel ashamed of when drunk on holiday.

Personal injury solicitors Burnley make alcohol abuse warning people should not just control their alcohol intake while abroad, however, and the summer heat can encourage drinkers to consume more than they otherwise would. Nobody wants to have to see no win no fee solicitors Burnley because they were in an accident while drunk, and drunkenness could be an indicator of a claimant's fault. If this is the case, it will impact the value of their compensation claim, as the claimant's 'contributory negligence' will have played a role in the incident.

Friends must look out for each other and ensure they get home safely and do not drink too much alcohol. Each individual also has a responsibility to ensure their own health and safety, and monitoring alcohol intake is an essential part of this.

People should try to stick to the healthy drinking limits and ensure they stay hydrated. While no win no free solicitors Burnley can help you out when you arrive in the UK, you will have to take care of yourself when you go abroad.

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Posted in Health Care, Personal Injury

Causes of Back Injuries

Despite of all safety measures and precautions, every workplace carries risks of the accidents. There are the chances of slip, trip and fall from height, hazardous chemical exposure, electric shocks, industrial diseases and many other types of accidents in the workplace. Workers do suffer mild to serious injuries in the workplace including broken bones, fractures, sprains, amputations, soft tissue damage, head and brain injury, neck and back injury and even deaths. Back injuries are very common in workplace accidents. Even a minor back pain limits the worker’s ability to perform well. Workplace accidents are the leading cause of the back injuries.

Causes of Back Injuries

Different causes of back injuries include;

• Slips and Trips
Wet floors, oil spillages, trailing wires, distracting objects and uneven floors are the major cause of slips and trips at the workplace. Leading injury as a result of slip and trip is severe back pain and spinal cord damage.

• Fall from Height

Another serious cause of back injuries is falling from heights. Falling can damage the back severely and sometimes it leads to the permanent disability. Severe back injury does not let the person sit and walk properly. It can result in job loss of the worker.

• Lifting and Manual Handling

Improper lifting techniques and poor manual handling practices are the major cause of back injuries. Lifting heavy objects in awkward postures leads to the back injury. Continuous and repetitive movements in doing any task also result in back pains.

• Faulty Equipment 

Faulty chair or defective ladder or tables with the chances of collapse are another cause of back injuries. If the seat of any employee is not comfortable to sit then it can also invite back pains.

Symptoms of Back Injury 

A person suffering from back injury experiences different type of symptoms that may include;

• Serious neck and shoulder pain
• Swelling of neck and shoulder
• Weakness and lacking stability
• Muscles and body stiffness
• Severe lower back pain
• Headache and vision loss
• Sleeping problems and dizziness
• Concentration difficulties and memory loss

A victim of back injury can develop all the above described symptoms depending on the severity of injury. Treatment options for the back injuries are regular exercise, massage, physical therapy or medication.

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Posted in Health Care

Prevention andTreatment of Bone Fractures

Bone fractures are very common. They occur when bones of the body face an extra high force and stress than the capacity of the bones to withstand. People do suffer fractures in different type of accidents like slip, trip and fall and sports accidents. Diseases like osteoporosis and cancer weakens the bones and also cause fractures. Symptoms of fractures include pain, swelling, deformation, bruising and in severe cases disability to use affected area. Serious fractures take several months to heal completely. It is important to take proper care to prevent fractures. In case of receiving the bone fracture complete and proper treatment is essential to minimize the symptoms. 

Prevention of Bone Fractures

Prevention is very important to avoid the worse effects of bone fractures. A person already suffering from osteoporosis may never walk in his life after receiving a fracture. Preventing fractures means to avoid its causes that usually slip, trip and fall and road traffic accidents. So, it is important to;

• Wear seat belts, to avoid injuries and fractures.Wear safety helmets and protective clothing while driving motorbikes and cycles. 

• Use safety tools and equipment in lifting and manual handling at workplace.

• Stay careful at workplace to avoid slipping on a wet floor, tripping due to trailing wires and displace objects and falling from the heights.

• Keep the walkways clear and clean to avoid slips, trips and falls.

• Take regular exercise, especially if you are suffering from osteoporosis. It may improve your fitness, balance and strength. 

Treatment of Bone Fractures

It is very important to start regular treatment soon after experiencing the bone fracture. Complete recovery from fracture may take several weeks to months. It all depends how care you give to your doctor’s advice and treatment process. To realign the bone at its actual position different options can be used including; 

• Surgery to place the bone in its original position.

• Immobilizationthrough cast and splint. The cast is used to fix the bone at its original position till it heals properly. 

• Traction is one of the techniques to align the bone using steady and gentle pulling exercise.

• Metal pins and screws are used to treat the fractures in external fixation and internal fixation methods.  

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Posted in Health Care

Pedestrian Safety: Stay Safe on Roads

Many a road traffic accidents involve pedestrian becoming the cause or victim of an accident. Drivers of trucks or buses often fail to look out pedestrians crossing the road and cause a collision. Motor vehicle, motorbikes and bicycles collisions with pedestrians are also common. Causes of pedestrian accidents are crossing a busy road, hit and run by a motor vehicle, jaywalking and dangerous or negligent driving. Majority victims of pedestrian accident are young children and old age people. Collision of pedestrian with motor vehicle causes very severe injuries and fatalities.   Both pedestrians and drivers can play their role to minimize the pedestrian accidents. Following are some tips to stay safe on the roads as a pedestrian.

•    Walk on walkways or foot paths. If there is no walkway then walk on the road facing the traffic.
•    Cross the roads when signal of ‘walk’ is displayed. Never try to cross when ‘Don’t walk’ signal is visible.
•    Wait for the complete stop of all the traffic then use specific crosswalks if possible otherwise try to cross the road at intersections.
•    Always follow the rule of looking left, right and again left before entering into the road or street. Guide your children also about the general rule of road crossing.
•    If you are trying to cross in front of a vehicle then must make an eye content with the other driver. It is important to pull the driver’s attention on you.
•    Try to avoid walking or crossing road at night. The majority of accidents take place at night when other driver’s fail to see any pedestrian.
•    Try to wear bright coloured clothing or use reflective materials at night to be visible to the other drivers. Flashlight use is helpful crossing road in dark.
•    Carefully walk or cross the road in weather conditions like snow, rain and fog.
•    Whenever possible try to cross the road along with other pedestrians.
•    Keep your full concentration on the traffic when crossing the road. Also keep your eyes on traffic signals to focus the green light turning red.
•    Do not write text messages when crossing the road. Also avoid using headphones for listening the calls or music. 

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Posted in Health Care

Safety Tips to Prevent Bicycle Accidents

Bicycle accidents are the cause of severe injuries and deaths of their victims, especially the children of the age 5 to 15 are more vulnerable to bicycle accidents. Life threatening bicycle accidents occur as a result of crashes between bicycles and motor vehicles. According to the statistics, 95% of motor vehicle and bicycle collisions cause severe injuries leading to deaths. Normal fall from bike due to any roadside obstruction result in minor injuries scratches, scars and sprains. But, car and bicycle crashes result in very serious types of injuries including broken bones, soft tissue damage, head injury and serious brain traumas. It is important for the cyclists to adopt safety standards in order to avoid dangerous accidents and injuries. Some tips to prevent bicycle accidents are as follows.

•    Use of helmets is very first and most important safety rule to avoid cycling accidents. Wearing helmets can reduces the brain and head injury chances up to 85 % in case of crash.
•    Tie your shoe laces appropriately to prevent falls from the bike. Do not wear loose suits that may stick into your bike chain and cause your bike to fall.
•    Keep your eyes on the road to avoid falling from potholes, raised surface or other obstruction. Do not attempt to make stunts and keep your hands on the handle bars of the bike.
•     It is parents’ responsibility to educate their children about cycling rules and safety tips. Do not allow young children to ride bicycles on main roadways.
•    Check maintenance of your bike before riding.
•    Do not ride bicycles at night or in low light conditions. At night other vehicle drivers fail to see cyclists that result in collisions. In case of cycling at night wear visible and bright colours.
•    Never use headphones for listening music when you are riding on a bicycle. Failing to hear traffic noise and driving with lack concentration can cause accidents.
•    As the majority of bicycle accidents occur due to another driver’s failure to see bicycle rider. So, always try to be seen and never move very closely to the other motor vehicles.
•    Abide by the traffic rules and regulations and also learn hand signals to communicate with the other drivers.

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Posted in Health Care

5 Things you didn’t know About Insurance

Having insurance is not as simple as it seems. Under the terms and conditions, there are several things that one may not know about his insurance. Such matters may include hidden benefits or losses. So, to get full advantage from your insurance must read all terms and conditions carefully. You can obtain maximum benefit from your insurance by having full awareness of your policy. It can also help you avoid damaging your insurance. Following are some important things that you didn’t know about your insurance.

1. Role of Insurance Adjuster Many of us do not know the exact role of insurance adjusters. Adjusters or inspectors are representatives of your insurance company and their purpose is to deny your claim or reduce your claim worth. Do not get confused to understand their role, they are not there to help you but support your insurance company.  

2. Keep your Insurer Up to Date As, the insurance company is responsible for informing his client about any change in the company’s policy or terms in the same way you are also responsible to keep your insurer up to date. Inform your insurer about your residence change, job change, and medical change and damaged goods. If you fail to give this information to your insurer then it can reduce your amount of cover.  

3. Important Time Limits Every insurance policy has some time limits. Many of people are not aware of time limits importance. You can not avail benefits from your insurance policy after its expiration. So, must renew your insurance before its expiry. It is also important to claim your damage within the time limits given in your policy.

4. Things that can be Covered under your Insurance You may not be aware of few things that can be covered under your car and home insurance. These things may include your lawyer’s fee, injured pet, stolen gifts, missing luggage, landscape damage and spoiled food.  

5. Damage from Natural Disaster It is important to note that any damage occurring as a result of natural disaster such as earthquake and flood cannot be covered under any insurance policy. Author Bio: Author is a law student with major interest in personal injury claims. He writes legal content for different websites and blogs. He gives his readers simple but important information about claim procedures, insurance policies and role of solicitors. His readers are inspired by his casual way of writing.

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Posted in Personal Injury

Brain Injuries Prevention

Paediatric Brain Injuries Related To Car Accidents

Research and statistics show that car accidents are the major cause behind serious injuries and fatalities in children than any other type of accidents. Motor vehicle crashes cause serious brain injuries especially in children under 1 year. Moreover, teen drivers are also extremely vulnerable to the brain injuries in car accidents. 

Types of Paediatric Brain Injuries

Children do sustain the serious kind of brain injuries in road accidents leading to psychological disorders and in most of the cases deaths. Different types of paediatric brain injuries are given as follows.

·         Skull base Fractures:

When any of the skull bones break as a result of an accident it cause skull base fractures. Different types of skull fractures include linear fractures, diastatic skull fracture, basilar skull fracture and depressed skull fractures.

·         Scalp injury

It cannot be termed as brain injury. Scalp injury cause mild to serious cuts, scratches and bumps to the scalp of the head. Sometimes head wounds do not heal within a days or due to excess bleeding scalp injury can turn into serious brain injury.

·         Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Motor vehicle accidents are a major cause of traumatic brain injuries. It results when the brain undergoes a sudden blow or trauma. TBI can be of different types that include mild, moderate and severe.

·         Other brain injuries may include haemorrhage (internal bleeding in the brain), cerebral contusion (inflammation of brain tissues), penetrating brain injuries and cerebrum injuries (contusions, lacerations or concussions).

Effects of Paediatric Brain Injuries

Following are the different effects and symptoms of Paediatric Brain Injuries.

·         Unconsciousness and continuous fatigue

·         Lack of concentration, confusion and memory loss

·         Headache and nausea

·         Eyesight damage

·         Speaking difficulties

·         Balancing and standing difficulties

·         Sleeplessness and loss of appetite

·         Weight loss.

Paediatric Brain Injuries Prevention

A huge responsibility lies on parents in order to secure their children from severe brain injuries in car accidents. Children sitting in the front seat of cars are more likely to receive serious injury in  a car accident than sitting in the second row. Use of restraints such as seat belts and suitable child safety seat can lower the brain injury chances for the children. Parents must also not allow their teenage children to drive a motor vehicle.

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Posted in Health Care

Manual handling health and safety regulations and back injuries compensation cases in the brick and refractories sector!

As in all industries, employers in the brick and refractories sector should consider the risks their staff face through manual handling tasks. Back injuries compensation claims are particularly commonplace in the brick industry - according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), around 44% of all injuries lasting for three days or longer it receives reports of from this sector are sprains, strains and similar manual handling injuries.
A particular risk is that posed when employees pack and inspect fired bricks. A study into the ergonomics of brick packing revealed that this task is particularly risky and can cause musculoskeletal disorders in the upper limbs and back. The HSE noted that it is a particularly hard job to complete and is hard work by anyone's standards.

Lower back pain is therefore a common problem suffered by these workers. Back strains, pulled muscles and similar injuries are twice as commonplace among these members of staff as they are among the general working population.

While automated brick packing systems have reduced the need for employees to complete this job, workplaces with high defect rates or lower levels of production may not be able to use these systems. As a result, they should closely consider health and safety regulations, identify any hazards and take steps to ameliorate these risks so that employees do not make back injuries compensation claims or suffer from health problems.

What should my business do to prevent back injuries compensation claims?

As in all sectors, properly managing risk is essential if brick sector employers are to prevent back injuries compensation claims and support the wellbeing of their employees.

Businesses should avoid telling staff to complete repetitive, physical or dangerous manual handling jobs whenever possible. Reasonable investments in machinery could help firms do so.

When work cannot be avoided, companies should assess the likelihood of injury and then do all they can to reduce these risks. The workforce and any union health and safety representatives should be consulted and involved in these processes.

A proper risk assessment will consider a number of different factors:

- Work practices

Issues such as shift systems, work rates, job rotation and breaks can impact on a person's likelihood of suffering a personal injury at work and should be considered in a firm's health and safety policy.

- Sizes and locations

The location of items such as monorail jigs, dispatch packs and kiln packs, and their size, will impact their reach heights and distances. Uncomfortable stretches or longer distances are associated with a greater risk of back pain.

- Accidents or injuries associated with the job

Businesses should monitor the injuries employees suffer when completing a job and should put steps in place to prevent similar injuries from occurring again,

- Variation in employee workloads

While experienced staff is less likely to suffer back injuries and have to claim accident at work compensation than inexperienced staff, overtired people are more likely to lift items badly or sprain their backs than those who are rested and relaxed.

How can I train my staff in manual handling in order to prevent back injuries compensation claims?

The HSE suggests that 33% of employee postures in monorail packing and 50% of employee postures in manual packing are dangerous and should be treated with remedial action. While ergonomically-designed working environments can minimise this hazard, staff training to prevent back injuries compensation claims should involve educating workers about the correct postures to take.

Furthermore, people will generally work in the least tiring manner, regardless of whether or not this could cause them to suffer a back injury at work. They will therefore try to carry heavy loads and do as few lifts as possible. As a result, businesses can implement strategies that can prevent them from doing so, such as by designing dispatch packs so they can only carry smaller loads. It can be difficult to train or compel staff to carry lighter loads, as this will require them to do more work.

Structured training should be provided to any employee who conducts dangerous manual handling tasks, and this should be specific to the worker's job. External training systems can often be inadequate, as they can take a more general approach.

Cooperation, trust and communication are a vital part of any health and safety policy. Employees should be able to tell their employers when they feel they are at risk of having an accident at work or when they feel their working practices are putting them at risk of back pain. Back injuries compensation cases can be prevented when employers pay attention to their staff and implement changes based on their recommendations.

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Posted in Personal Injury