Hall Ansley, P.C.Springfield Lawyer | Hall Ansley, P.C. | Greene County Missouri2024-03-18T19:45:24Zhttps://www.hallansley.com/feed/atom/WordPress/wp-content/uploads/sites/1100382/2023/03/cropped-ha-favicon-32x32.pngOn Behalf of Hall Ansley, P.C.https://www.hallansley.com/?p=520632024-03-15T19:46:25Z2024-03-18T19:45:24ZUnderstanding the problem
Cholesterol is important for many bodily functions. A person's health depends on finding the right balance between the different types of this substance. Very low cholesterol may be a less common problem, but it can still potentially lead to issues like depression and cancer.
Dealing with doctors
Imagine someone going to the doctor worried about their health, trusting that their doctor will help them. When this doctor gets back a test that indicates low cholesterol, they may proceed to make several wrong choices.
These errors are due to the perception that low levels are always good. When screening results show lower levels, doctors may negligently choose to not look further into the issue or run further tests. This malpractice can lead to many long-lasting health complications for patients when a professional fails to address the original problem.
Struggling with a stroke
One of these complications is an increased likelihood of stroke. Since doctors do not see low cholesterol as a warning sign, they might attribute symptoms of a stroke to other factors. This may lead to unneeded treatment of another issue in its place.
Doctors need to take responsibility for medical malpractice. By staying informed about this topic, people can prevent further stress after a misdiagnosis and stroke.]]>On Behalf of Hall Ansley, P.C.https://www.hallansley.com/?p=520582024-02-27T20:40:49Z2024-03-04T20:40:41ZTell your boss about the incident
Inform your supervisor or manager about the injury as soon as possible. Provide details about how the injury occurred and any symptoms you are experiencing. Reporting the incident promptly helps create a record of the event and ensures that people can take appropriate measures to address it.
Get medical help
After you report the injury, it is important to see a doctor. Even if your injury seems small, it is best to get it checked out. Go to a doctor or a clinic nearby.
Describe what happened and how you are feeling. Getting medical help quickly can prevent things from getting worse and help you get better faster.
Do what the doctor says
After receiving medical attention, follow the instructions provided by the healthcare professional. This may include taking prescribed medication, attending appointments or following specific treatment protocols. Adhering to medical advice helps when looking into workers' compensation and reduces the risk of further complications.
Keep records
You should keep track of all details about your injury over time. This includes documents from the doctor, treatment plans and any bills you get.
It is also helpful to take pictures if your injury is visible. Keeping records will be useful later if you need to talk about what happened.
Stay in touch with your boss
Keep your boss updated about how you are doing medically and if there are things you cannot do because of your injury. This helps them understand your situation and figure out how to help you when you are ready to go back to work.
Getting hurt at work can feel scary and confusing, but knowing what to do can make things easier. By diligently taking time to do these steps after this disruption in your life, you can handle questions about workers' compensation and focus on getting better.]]>On Behalf of Hall Ansley, P.C.https://www.hallansley.com/?p=520562024-02-26T19:55:15Z2024-03-04T19:54:59ZReviewing the risks
Engaging in conversations with passengers behind the wheel can divert a driver's attention from driving. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this is an example of a cognitive distraction. Cognitive distractions involve mental engagement that can impair the driver's ability to focus on the road and react to potential hazards.
The act of talking to passengers can lead to other types of distractions. For example, turning to look at a passenger while speaking can cause a driver to take their eyes off the road. This ncreases the risk of missing important cues or hazards in the environment. Gesturing or making physical contact with a passenger while talking can create a physical distraction that takes the driver's hands off the steering wheel or feet off the pedals. This can affect their ability to control the vehicle.
Staying safe
These distractions can significantly impact a driver's reaction time, decision-making abilities and overall situational awareness on the road. In some cases, talking to passengers while driving can lead to accidents, near-misses or other dangerous situations. To minimize the risks associated with talking to passengers while driving, it is important to keep conversations brief and avoid engaging in discussions that may be distracting.
By being mindful of the potential distractions posed by talking to passengers while driving, drivers can help ensure their safety and the safety of others on the road. Remember, staying focused and attentive behind the wheel is essential for preventing accidents.]]>On Behalf of Hall Ansley, P.C.https://www.hallansley.com/?p=520542024-02-21T20:39:00Z2024-02-21T20:39:00ZWhat is negligence?
Negligence in car accidents refers to a driver's failure to exercise reasonable care, resulting in harm to others. Examples include speeding, running red lights, distracted driving (like texting) or failing to yield.
If a driver's negligence causes an accident, they may be liable for paying damages. For instance, if a driver rear-ends another vehicle because they were texting, their negligence makes them responsible for the damages incurred by the other driver.
What is pure comparative negligence?
Pure comparative negligence is a legal principle used to assign fault in personal injury cases, including car accidents. It means that each party involved in an accident has an assigned percentage of fault based on their level of negligence. This percentage determines the amount of compensation they may receive or be liable to pay.
How does it work?
In a car accident case, insurance companies and the court consider the actions of all parties involved to determine their degree of negligence. For example, if Driver A was texting while driving and collided with Driver B, who ran a red light, both drivers may be partially at fault. Driver A may be 70% negligent for texting, while Driver B might be 30% negligent for running the red light.
Impact on compensation
With pure comparative negligence, anyone involved in a car accident can seek damages, regardless of their degree of fault. It is important to ensure that your share of the blame is accurate because the percentage of fault reduces the compensation awarded to injured parties.
Using the previous example, Driver B ran the red light and suffered $10,000 in damages. Because they were 30% at fault, their compensation would be $7,000.
Pure comparative negligence allows for an equitable distribution of fault and compensation in car accident cases. It acknowledges that multiple factors may contribute to an accident and ensures that each party's actions determine their financial accountability.]]>On Behalf of Hall Ansley, P.C.https://www.hallansley.com/?p=520522024-02-15T22:39:38Z2024-02-19T22:39:31ZPhysical distractions
Most pets, especially dogs, tend to move around the vehicle, seeking attention or trying to find a comfortable spot. Their movements can obstruct the driver's view, interfere with the steering wheel, or accidentally activate controls such as the hazard lights or window switches.
Emotional distractions
A pet's behavior, whether it is excitement, restlessness or distress, can emotionally distract the driver. Attention diverted to calming or tending to the animal takes focus away from the road ahead, increasing the risk of an accident.
Unrestrained pets
Failure to properly restrain pets within the vehicle can have dire consequences. In the event of sudden braking or a collision, unrestrained pets can become projectiles, causing injury to themselves and occupants or even obstructing the driver's control of the vehicle.
Noise and vocalization
When animals bark, meow or make other noises during the journey, it can be distracting to the driver. Attempting to quiet or soothe a vocalizing pet diverts attention away from driving tasks.
Impaired visibility
Pets, particularly larger dogs, can block the driver's line of sight or obstruct mirrors, impairing visibility and increasing the likelihood of accidents. This is especially dangerous during critical maneuvers such as lane changes or merging.
Pet owners should secure their animals properly and minimize distractions by providing a comfortable and safe environment for them during car journeys.]]>On Behalf of Hall Ansley, P.C.https://www.hallansley.com/?p=520072024-01-26T21:34:00Z2024-02-05T21:33:01ZMiscommunication
One cause of surgical errors involving the wrong limb is miscommunication among healthcare professionals. In the high-stakes environment of the operating room, teamwork is important.
Failing to communicate the patient's identity, correct limb and procedure, can lead to serious mistakes. Reinforcing communication protocols within surgical teams is important to reducing errors.
Poor preoperative verification
Insufficient preoperative verification processes can also contribute to operating on the wrong limb. Verifying personal details, such as the patient's medical records, the planned procedure and the correct surgical site, is a huge step in preventing errors.
When doctors do not follow these processes, the likelihood of a mistake increases. Implementing checklists can reduce the risk of operating on the wrong limb.
Lack of standardized procedures
Surgical errors often result from a lack of standardized procedures in the operating room. Without clear protocols, healthcare professionals may ignore established practices and make mistakes. Patient identification, site marking and preoperative checks create a reliable system.
Human factors
Fatigue and distractions can compromise the decision-making abilities of healthcare professionals. Good rest, stress management strategies and the removal of distractions in the operating room are important in addressing these human factors.
Operating on the wrong limb is a distressing surgical error with far-reaching consequences. By reinforcing safety measures, doctors can strive to make surgical errors a rarity rather than an unfortunate reality.]]>On Behalf of Hall Ansley, P.C.https://www.hallansley.com/?p=520052024-01-25T18:53:05Z2024-01-25T18:53:05ZDelayed response times
One of the primary dangers of distracted driving lies in delayed response times. When drivers divert their attention to other activities, their ability to react quickly to changing road conditions diminishes.
Driving reaction time involves several steps that impact a driver's ability to respond swiftly:
First, perception occurs as the driver recognizes a stimulus, such as brake lights ahead.
The driver processes this information cognitively, making decisions on how to react.
The driver initiates the motor response, such as applying the brakes.
The vehicle reacts to the driver's input.
Each step is important. Any delay or distraction in this process can significantly impair the overall reaction time, increasing the risk of accidents.
Impaired decision-making
Engaging in distractions impairs a driver's decision-making capacity. The cognitive load of multitasking reduces the brain's ability to make swift and effective choices while driving. Impaired decision-making increases the likelihood of errors and poor judgment on the road.
Reduced situational awareness
Distracted drivers often experience reduced situational awareness, limiting their ability to comprehend the full scope of their surroundings. Failure to notice important details, such as a pedestrian crossing or a sudden traffic slowdown, heightens the risk of accidents and endangers the safety of everyone on the road.
Texting and driving
Texting while driving is particularly hazardous due to the visual, manual and cognitive distractions involved. Reading or composing a text diverts the eyes from the road, hands from the wheel and focus from driving.
Research indicates that sending or reading a text can take a driver's eyes off the road for an average of five seconds, equivalent to covering the length of a football field when driving at highway speeds.
The far-reaching impact of distraction
Even momentary lapses in attention can lead to tragic consequences. Whether it is a brief glance away from the road or a prolonged engagement with a distracting activity, the risks are substantial, affecting not only the distracted driver, but also others sharing the road.]]>On Behalf of Hall Ansley, P.C.https://www.hallansley.com/?p=519952024-01-08T21:17:28Z2024-01-08T21:17:28Z1. Inadequate notification of FMLA rights
One prevalent mistake employers make is failing to inform employees about their FMLA rights. The law mandates employers to provide employees with information about FMLA eligibility and their rights under the act. Employers should display FMLA posters in the workplace and include information about FMLA in employee handbooks.
2. Improper handling of FMLA paperwork
FMLA requires employees to provide appropriate notice and submit relevant documentation when requesting leave. Employers, in turn, are responsible for handling these requests in a timely and proper manner. Some employers, however, may mishandle or ignore the required paperwork, leading to delayed or denied leave. This can create unnecessary stress for employees dealing with health or family issues.
3. Unauthorized medical inquiries
Employers must respect the privacy of employees when it comes to medical information. One common violation occurs when employers make unauthorized medical inquiries, such as asking for excessive details about an employee's medical condition. Such actions can infringe on an employee's right to privacy and violate FMLA provisions.
4. Failure to reinstate employees properly
Upon returning from FMLA leave, employees should return to their original position or an equivalent one. Some employers may fail to reinstate employees properly, either by assigning them to a different role or by denying them promotions or benefits they would have received had they not taken FMLA leave.
In FY2023, 334 compliance actions with violations occurred, resulting in $987,782 in back wages to 395 employees. For employees who feel they had their rights violated, there is hope to recoup compensation.]]>On Behalf of Hall Ansley, P.C.https://www.hallansley.com/?p=519912024-01-04T18:33:55Z2024-01-08T18:33:47ZWhiplash
Whiplash is the most frequent spinal injury from car crashes, with an estimated 3 million new cases occurring each year. It occurs when the head is suddenly forced backward and then forward, straining the tendons and ligaments in the neck. This can pinch nerves, discs or vertebrae and cause intense pain, reduced mobility and headaches. Proper treatment can help you prevent long-term effects.
Herniated discs
The force of a collision can cause vertebral discs between the spinal bones to rupture or herniate. This presses on nerves, causing numbness, weakness and sharp pain. Herniated discs often need physical therapy, pain management or even surgery to repair.
Spinal cord injuries
Major impact crashes may fracture, dislocate or compress the vertebrae. Bone fragments can then pinch and damage the spinal cord. Spinal cord injuries cause paralysis below the injury site, along with loss of sensation and bowel and bladder control. These catastrophic injuries often require immediate emergency surgery and extensive rehab.
Preventing distraction and paying attention while driving is crucial for avoiding accidents that can inflict these serious spinal trauma injuries. Properly adjusting headrests, wearing seat belts and driving defensively also help minimize injury risks. Seek medical care promptly after an accident to assess and treat any spinal damage.]]>On Behalf of Hall Ansley, P.C.https://www.hallansley.com/?p=519802024-01-03T01:23:46Z2024-01-03T01:23:46ZMisdiagnosis
One prevalent form of medical malpractice is misdiagnosis. This occurs when healthcare professionals fail to accurately identify a patient's condition. The consequences of this simple mistake can be severe. A delayed or incorrect diagnosis can lead to delayed treatment, allowing the actual illness to progress unchecked.
Medication errors
Another area where medical malpractice occurs is in medication management. Administering the wrong medication or the incorrect dosage can have detrimental effects on a patient's health. These errors may stem from inadequate communication among healthcare providers. Misinterpretation of prescription orders and simple oversight can also be to blame.
Inadequate communication
Effective communication among healthcare providers is essential for patient safety. Failure to convey vital information regarding a patient's medical history, allergies or ongoing treatments can lead to serious harm. Poor communication can result in unnecessary tests, incorrect medications or other severe errors.
Negligent monitoring
Even after diagnosis and treatment, negligence in monitoring can contribute to medical malpractice. Inadequate supervision of a patient's condition, especially after surgery or during recovery, may lead to avoidable complications.
Studies suggest that more than 4,000 surgical errors occur each year in the United States, but these are not the only types of malpractice to be aware of. Malpractice can take many forms, any of which can be devastating or even deadly.]]>