The dangers of adult bed rails to the elderly – particularly those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or some other form of dementia – have been known for some time.

However, as The New York Times has reported, despite more than 150 deaths and and nearly 37,000 emergency room treatments from bed rail injuries, neither the U.S. Food and Drug Administration nor the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission had done anything about it. Both agencies bickered over which hadregulatory authority, warring over whether the rails were medical devices (the FDA’s territory) or consumer goods (under the CPSC’s purview).

FDA Rules That Bed Rails Are Medical Devices

That is now changing. The Buffalo personal injury lawyers at The Law Offices of James Morris note the FDA has assumed oversight of the rails, deeming them medical devices. They are now working to organize a committee to update voluntary standards for manufacturers.

Bed rails, if you aren’t familiar, are the plastic or metal bars that are used on some hospital beds and in home care to help patients pull themselves up or help them get out of bed. They can also prevent people from falling out of bed.

However, they have proven to be especially dangerous to adults with dementia.

The FDA reports that of those adult bed rail deaths reported over the last decade, most occurred at home. However, 25 happened at nursing homes, 15 at assisted living centers, and 3 at hospice facilities.

How Bed Rails Can Be Dangerous

The most common causes of death or injury related to bed rails were falls and entrapment.

In cases of entrapment, victims were reportedly stuck, wedged, caught or trapped between the mattress and the rail bars or between the toilet and the rail. In some cases, victims were stuck between the floor and the rail or the headboard and the rail. Most commonly, it was the head and/or neck that was caught. Other injuries were seen to the lower leg and foot, as well as to numerous scrapes and cuts and sometimes broken bones.

Falls, on the other hand, generally happened when a person fell off the rail, climbed over it or fell because the rail wasn’t properly raised.

The new FDA committee will be steered by ASTM International, which is responsible for developing and publishing voluntary technical standards for a large array of products.

It remains to be seen whether a new set of updated voluntary standards for the product will have much impact. Rep. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., has been an outspoken advocate for reform with regard to adult bed rails. He called the response “tepid,” saying that voluntary standards were implemented before, and people have continued to suffer injury and death. He’s skeptical that this effort will be different.

The FDA first received warning of numerous deaths involving the devices back in 1995. Four years later, the agency formed a working group that involved manufacturers, patient advocates and researchers. At the time, the FDA mulled whether to require warning labels, but decided against that after receiving heavy push back from manufacturers.

Voluntary guidelines were implemented back in 2006, directing nursing homes and hospitals on safe use. However, there have been more than a half dozen deaths since then.

While we await new guidelines, it is recommended before installation that caregivers and nursing homes understand that not all bed rails are interchangeable. Bear in mind, they are not to be used as restraint devices, but rather to aid getting in and out of bed and preventing falls.

Anyone whose loved one has suffered a bed-rail-related injury in New York should contact an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.

Contact the Law Offices of James Morris in Buffalo today for a free consultation. Call 716-855-1118 or visit www.jamesmorrislaw.com. Attorney advertising.

A woman involved in a low speed collision accident suffers whiplash on the day of the accident, this is a relatively mild condition that most people overcome in a few days, but her pain does not decrease, instead she develops severe burning sensations, sensitivity to hot, cold, light and even touch.   She is devastated as daily activities she took for granted like cleaning, showering and even moving her limbs become more and more difficult.  She suffers debilitating pain and is forced to take stronger and stronger medications to function.  She can no longer work and has to rely on family members to do many tasks for her.

The name for this devastating condition is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) formerly known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD).  Symptoms vary but may include:

• Severe burning  pain
• Pathological changes to the skin, hair and bones (such as early osteoporosis)
• Tissue swelling
• Extreme sensitivity to touch
• Muscle stiffness, weakness, or atrophy secondary to severe pain

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome can occur after relatively mild injuries such as whiplash or a sprain.   Unfortunately, the mild nature of the accident or injuries often makes getting help difficult as family, friends and even some doctors may believe the victim is putting on an act or exaggerating the symptoms.   Insurance companies use this to their advantage hiring their own doctors to cast doubt on a victim’s credibility.

At the Law Offices of James Morris we believe you.  We have seen the tragic effects CRPS can have on a person’s life and we have fought insurance companies who claim the initial injury was too mild to result in such pain.  We have made them pay for the terrible pain and suffering our clients have endured.
If you or a loved one is suffering with CRPS after an accident, I urge you to call the Law Offices of James Morris.  We will fight on your side to get you the settlement you deserve.  We have the experience, dedication and resources to help you through this difficult time.
For more information on CRPS please see the following links:

UW Health

RSDS

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An article appeared in the Buffalo News today about teen driving habits, specifically teens driving while texting and emailing. The statistics in the article are alarming. Over half of the teens surveyed in a national study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, admitted to texting while driving. That number jumps to 58% when the study is narrowed to high school seniors. As we mentioned in a previous post on texting while driving the practice can significantly increase your risk of an accident while driving. This point is reinforced by another stat line from the Buffalo News article: Distracted driving accounts for 16% of teen motor vehicle deaths.

While these stats are scary, the Transportation Department aims to do something about it. They are in the process of awarding grants in pilot programs in California and Delaware to deter the behavior through stepped-up enforcement and education on the dangers of texting while driving. If you have teen drivers in your household do your part as well. Let your teen know that texting while driving is a reckless habit that not only endangers their safety, but the safety of other drivers on the road. Consider having everyone in your household participate in a program like WGRZ’s ‘Pledge to Hang Up’, WIVB’s ‘thnk b4 u txt’ program, or any of a number of programs that advocate again distracted driving. More information, including quick facts and tips on how to stop, is also available through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration program, ‘Stop the Texts. Stop the Wrecks.’

Do your part to stop preventable car accidents. Be sure that you and your family are practicing safe driving techniques. Don’t text and drive. If you do find yourself in an accident due to a distracted driver, contact the law firm with over 100 years of combined personal injury experience in Buffalo. Call the Law Offices of James Morris at 716-855-1118.

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Source: TotalInjury.com

1. Teens are more likely to speed: In 2005, 37% of fatal car crashes involving 15-20 year olds were due to speeding. The presence of male teenage passengers increases this likelihood according to a study on the observed effects of teenage passengers on the risky driving behavior of teenage drivers.

2. Teens have the lowest rate of seatbelt use: a 2005 study confirmed that roughly 10% of teens admitted to rarely or never wearing a seat-belt, that percentage was even higher for male participants.

3. Teens are more likely to be in an accident at any BAC level: the CDC confirms that any elevated level of blood alcohol puts teens at a greater risk of a car accident than the rest of the population. Twenty-five percent of drivers age 15-20 who died in a car accident in 2008 had BAC levels of .08 or higher.

4. Teens are more likely to be in a car accident on the weekend: A 2008 study found that 56% of teenage fatal car accidents occurred on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

Fortunately, there is hope for teen drivers. Research suggests that 16-year-olds who enrolled in comprehensive graduated drivers licensing (GDL) programs slashed their risk of getting in an automobile accident by as much as 40%. An automobile accident can strike anyone at any time, not just teens. Should you, a child or a friend need a car accident attorney, call an attorney in buffalo from a law firm with over 100 years of combined personal injury experience. Call James Morris Law, 716-855-1118.

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5. Texting while driving on the rise
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7. Are teen car accidents higher in the summer?
8. Why your bus driver might cause your next car accident
9. What happens in a car accident with an uninsured motorist?
10. Most common type of car accidents in New York and its cause.
11. Teen Car Accidents: What’s the Cause?

President Kelmachter stressed that there is no malpractice “crisis” in New York, pointing out that since 1991 insurance premiums have risen less than the rate of healthcare cost inflation. President Kelmachter advocated for greater efforts to reduce medical errors, stating that “the biggest driver of malpractice insurance costs is tragic and preventable medical errors themselves.”

The pair was returning to Buffalo from Indiana. The woman drove from Indiana to Pennsylvania until she grew weary, at which point the man took the wheel. The man, driving under the influence of drugs, lost control of the vehicle between Exits 55 and 56 on a Hamburg highway and was struck by a passing vehicle. The passenger side took the brunt of the collision, resulting in the woman’s devastating injuries. In addition to his impairment, the man operated the vehicle with a suspended license.

In a statement to the Supreme Court, the driver said “I didn’t mean for this to happen. . . I cry myself to sleep every night. I’m sorry, that’s all I can say.” Despite the man’s remorse, in addition to the vehicular assault charge, the court charged him with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and possession of marijuana. In a statement to the Buffalo News, the victim’s husband stated “Everything my wife loved to do, she can no longer do because of this accident… She can’t do anything by herself.”

You can avoid accidents like this. Do not drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or allow anyone in that condition to drive your vehicle. If you’ve suffered due to someone else’s recklessness, call James Morris Law today 716-855-1118.

Children are more susceptible to lead poisoning due to an underdeveloped digestive system and ease of ingestion. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry suggest that a child’s digestive system absorbs up to 10 times more lead than that of an adult, and will excrete only 32% of the absorbed lead, as opposed to 99% excreted by an adult. Children ingest lead through everyday behaviors like sucking their thumb, eating with their hands or even playing with certain toys, making lead poisoning difficult to prevent.

Once a child ingests lead, diagnosis of lead poisoning can be costly and mistimed. There are few, if any, external signals alerting parents that a child has ingested lead. A doctor administered blood test is the only conclusive way to tell if a child’s lead levels are elevated. Through early detection of lead ingestion from lead-based paint or from another lead source, parents alleviate I.Q. decline, physical and intellectual debility, attention deficit disorder, delayed reaction time,  and kidney damage that may occur to the child later in life.

Don’t let your child fall victim to lead poisoning at the hands of lead based paint in your home. If your child has tested positively for lead poisoning due to exposed lead paint, call a Buffalo personal injury lawyer today. Contact James Morris Law at 716-855-1118.

This winter, Buffalo has already received more than 86 inches of snow. And while some cities throughout the Northeast have received most of their snow from three major blizzards, Buffalo’s snow has been produced by 51 different storms this winter, according to the National Weather Service.

All those storms mean lots of shoveling to keep Buffalo’s sidewalks clean. Buffalo takes a tough stance against property owners who fail to shovel their sidewalks. Buffalo’s snow removal law requires property owners to clear sidewalks of snow within 24 hours of the end of a storm. Property owners who fail to do so must reimburse the city for any shoveling work done by the city on public sidewalks.

Buffalo sidewalk accidents can easily happen on slippery, snow-covered walkways. Each year, slip and fall accidents cause more than one million injuries and kill more than 17,000 people nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Buffalo slip and fall accidents demand serious attention. Have you been injured on a dangerous sidewalk? Don’t be a victim. Fight back. Contact a law firm that works hard to get results. Contact the Law Offices of James Morris. When you choose James Morris, you get a Buffalo law firm that thoroughly understands New York’s complicated legal system. Our experienced attorneys know what it takes to win dangerous sidewalk cases throughout New York. We fight tirelessly to get our clients the justice they rightfully deserve.

Choose a law firm that get results. Contact James Morris. We mean business!

The information contained in this communication is provided for informational purposes only and should not be constituted as legal advice on any subject matter.

The CPSC recalled 44 toys in fiscal year 2010, which ended Sept. 30. More have been recalled since then. Click here to find a complete list of recalled toys.

What makes a toy dangerous? Here are some common dangerous toy hazards:

• Choking hazard. Some toys designed for young children have small, detachable parts which children can put in their mouths. That’s why Fisher Price recalled several toys designed for young children.

• Lead paint. Toys that contain unsafe amounts of lead immediately prompt recalls by the federal government. Toys with dangerous amounts of lead paint recently recalled include Double Egg Shakers and Tiny Tink and Friends Children’s Toy Jewelry Sets, specifically the key chains that come with the Disney character toys.

• Fire hazard. Many electronic toys can be a fire hazard, especially if they do not recharge properly. That’s why the federal government ordered Radio Shack to recall Danbar Knight Hawk Toy Helicopters.
• Eye injuries. Sharp-edged toys or ones with projectiles can quickly become dangerous in the hands of a child. It’s the reason why one consumer group recently cautioned against buying Spy Gear Viper Blaster (which contains a dart gun) and DreamWorks Kung Fu Panda 3-1 Transformation Giant Warrior Weapon (“It’s just not a toy you want to hand to a child,” said Joan Swartz, co-founder of World Against Toys Causing Harm, which recently released its annual list of the 10 Most Dangerous Toys of the Year. Watch this video to see WATCH’s 10 Most Dangerous Toys of 2010.)

Injuries to children can be devastating. What would you do if your child was injured by a dangerous toy? You need someone familiar with handling such complicated cases. You need someone who understands state and federal safety regulations. You need someone determined to get results for your family. You need the Law Offices of James Morris.

The lawyers at the Law Offices of James Morris have years of experience representing seriously injured children. Companies have a responsibility to produce safe products. When they fail to do so, these corporations must be held responsible. Contact James Morris today. We mean business.

The information contained in this communication is provided for informational purposes only and should not be constituted as legal advice on any subject matter.