Every year, hundreds of thousands of individuals across the country are hospitalized from injuries they suffer after slipping and falling. Often, these slip\-and\-fall accidents result in broken bones or other lasting injuries that require ongoing treatment or cause long-term pain and suffering. When Maryland property owners fail to keep their premises safe from hazards that result in grievous physical damages to unsuspecting members of the public, the business owners are not the ones who suffer; rather, it is the injured patrons who endure pain and often face costly medical expenses for treatment.

In another state, a woman has recently filed a lawsuit seeking damages after she slipped and fell in the bathroom of a shopping center last year. The plaintiff alleges that the incident occurred when she slipped in a puddle of water left on the floor of the bathroom. Supposedly, an employee of the shopping center had insufficiently mopped the floor and failed to properly clean up the remaining water.

Taking a fall is the last thing on your mind as you head down the stairs to the snack room for your morning break. However, the overhead light at the curve in the stairway has gone out.

You misjudge the step and stumble and fall, injuring your knee. At first, you only feel some pain and tenderness. But by nightfall, your knee is swollen and causing you considerable discomfort. You decide it’s best to see a doctor.

The main cause of knee problems

Some knee problems result from underlying health conditions, such as osteoporosis, but sudden injuries are the most common cause of knee issues. When you fall, your knee could suffer a direct blow if you hit the ground or a hard object. Many knee injuries also result from an abnormal twisting motion, during a trip or a falling accident, or while performing routine tasks in the course of work.

Light rail serves many people in the Baltimore area. Industry statistics have Baltimore’s  Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) ranked 12th in the nation for passenger miles for this form of transportation.

Mile for mile, light rail is dependable, convenient and safe, but any kind of transportation carries risks. Accidents still happen, and injuries for the people involved range from minor to life-changing.

New research suggests concussions may affect driving skills long after the person has recovered. This is  dangerous not only for the person recovering from brain trauma but for everyone else on the road.

We hear about the long-term effects of concussions on athletes, but that is just a fraction of people who have suffered brain injuries. This new study raises safety concerns about motorists driving abilities may be compromised even though they no longer have concussion symptoms.

The simulator test

The study, undertaken by researchers at the University of Georgia, involved 14 college-age participants who had suffered concussions. All reported having no residual effects during the previous 48 hours and agreed to take a simulated driving test. Although each of the participants felt totally recovered from injury, testing showed they were driving erratically. At times, they exhibited little control and their behavior resembled that of someone driving under the influence of alcohol.

Errors with prescription drugs are alarmingly common. While most mistakes cause little or no harm, they sometimes have disastrous consequences. The wrong med or wrong amount can lead to serious complications, including stroke, organ damage or death.

How do medication errors even occur? The medical professionals are supposed to protect us from harm, not cause it. Here are some common medication errors and what you can do to reduce the risk.

Wrong dosage

Many drugs are measured in milligrams (mg) or micrograms (mcg). A doctor may inadvertently prescribe the wrong amount. Or a nurse or pharmacist could misread the doctor’s prescription, converting a 10-milligram dose into 100 milligrams. Ingesting 10 or 100 times the amount of certain medications could trigger a fatal overdose or irreversible damage. An underdose can also make the medicine ineffective or even life-threatening.

Many people who use a computer on a daily basis have experienced bouts of carpal tunnel syndrome, which is a repetitive stress injury involving the wrist. This is just one of several conditions that come under the heading of repetitive motion disorders. Many parts of the body can be affected.

Concerned employers can provide special equipment or ergonomic programs to help workers avoid issues, as repetitive stress injuries could result in lost time at work and workers’ compensation claims. Temporary disability is a very real possibility. If not treated properly, the worst-case scenario is permanent disability.

“Let’s be careful out there.”We see emergency situations frequently: a fire truck speeding through an intersection, a police officer in pursuit of a suspect, an ambulance heading for the hospital. We pull over to let these vehicles zip by, but what many people do not realize is how often accidents involve emergency vehicles.

If you were a victim of an emergency-related traffic accident, you have firsthand knowledge of the resulting chaos. You encouraged to seek legal help, whether you are a firefighter or a cop, an EMT or paramedic, a motorist or bystander in the wrong place at the wrong time, or a patient being transported.

Last week, our blog began discussing how it’s important for people to understand that negligent property owners can be held accountable for slip-and-fall accidents that occur outside provided the site of the incident is part of the owner’s premises, and the owner either 1) failed to rectify the condition that caused the accident or 2) take the necessary precautions.

By way of illustration, we examined slip-and-fall accidents occurring in the snow or on the ice surrounding buildings. We’ll continue this discussion in today’s post, exploring two surfaces types many of us traverse on a daily basis.

For the most part, liability for slip-and-fall accidents likely brings to mind images of people filing lawsuits after suffering serious injuries in tumbles inside shopping malls, big box retailers, movie theaters, office buildings and apartment complexes.

While this is certainly an accurate depiction, it’s also somewhat limited in scope. That’s because slip-and-fall accidents and the resulting liability on the part of property owners can also extend to outdoor areas.

In general, the law dictates that liability exists if the outside area where a person suffered some manner of injury in a slip-and-fall accident is part of the property owner’s premises, and it can be shown that they failed to either 1) correct an issue that caused the accident or 2) take the necessary precautions.

With great (electrical) power comes great responsibility

Electrical hazards are among the potential dangers encountered on a construction site. Workers (and visitors) may be exposed to serious events such as fire, explosions or arc flash accidents, causng electric shock injuries, electrical burns and even electrocution death.

Safe work practices and awareness will go a long way toward preventing accidents and serious injury, along with using protective equipment and maintaining your electrical tools properly.

De-energize electrical equipment

A break or gap in the insulation of an electrical tool or machine may cause metal parts to become energized and conduct electric current. Power cords and extension cords should be checked before operating the tool. Another way to defend against a potentially dangerous event is to make sure there is a path for stray current — a low-resistance grounding wire from the machinery to the ground, or a grounding strap worn on the wrist for handheld tools that may be energized or compromised.