If you’ve been to the doctor’s office or the hospital recently, chances are good that your medical information was recorded into and/or read from a computer screen or tablet. Indeed, paper charts appear to be racing toward obsolescence.

While this development is not altogether unsurprising given our reliance on technology in so many other aspects of our everyday lives, what is perhaps surprising is that electronic health records — or EHRs — have emerged as a serious threat to patient safety.

Indeed, the threats posed by EHRs aren’t just confined to things like breaches of cyber security or system crashes, but also include the absence of clarity and uniformity in how vital health information is displayed.

When the time came for more care than you could provide to your elderly mother, she preferred to move to a nursing home that was close to the area of town she knew and loved. You toured the facility and felt satisfied it would cover all her needs.

The building looked clean and tidy, and the staff seemed capable and friendly. But after your mom moved in, you began to have concerns about her safety and security. Did you miss the signs? Are you imagining things or is there a pattern of health risks and lackadaisical care?

Experts at the National Safety Council expressed alarm at the deaths of nearly 19,000 people reported in traffic accidents across the U.S. during a six-month period in 2015. They see the statistics not as an aberration, but rather as a disturbing trend in the wrong direction.

People who plan to take the family on a road trip when vacation time rolls around should pay heed. The NSC researchers speculate that the cause of the increase in traffic accidents is in part to do with the economy.

“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.

In our post last week, our blog began discussing the topic of aggressive driving, namely how it’s defined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, who is the most susceptible to engaging this behavior, and why it’s so exceedingly dangerous.

Having established this important information, today’s post will delve deeper into this topic by exploring how the law in Maryland takes a very dim view of aggressive driving, and how to avoid encounters with aggressive drivers. 

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.

DISABLING INJURIES COST U.S. EMPLOYERS $1 BILLION A WEEK

Falling accidents are among the most costly for employers in terms of missed work. It is probably no coincidence that three of the top OSHA violations involve ladders, scaffolds and fall protection equipment.

Everyone wins when management and employees adhere to safety regulations. Liberty Mutual Insurance has ranked the Top 10 worst work injuries. Are your working conditions putting you at risk of a disabling workplace accident?

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.

Welcoming a new baby into your home should be one of the most exciting days of your life. Despite taking your vitamins, visiting your doctor and doing everything you can to prepare for childbirth, your body may determine that the baby wants to come early.

While premature babies can survive after 24 or 25 weeks of gestation, preterm babies are more susceptible to disabilities and serious health complications than those who reach full term.