Jul 28, 2012 | Boating Accidents, Brain Injury/Head Trauma, Car Accidents, Uncategorized, Wrongful Death
Just as summer is heating up, so are patrols by law enforcement to try and stop people who may be “boating under the influence” (BUI). Law enforcement around the country is gearing up for Operation Dry Water which to crack down on BUI’s on the water. The goal of this enforcement is to increase safety on the water so that this recreational activity can be enjoyed with less fear of “drunk boaters.” Just as serious as drinking and driving, so is drinking and operating a boat. The potential legal consequences as well as the safety of others on the water are essentially the same. Recent statistics show that up to 16% of boating fatalities result from boating while under the influence. Sadly, almost any accident involving other boats or swimmers almost always results in serious injury and/or death. There are no seatbelts or airbags on a boat. At a minimum, people suffer broken bones.
If you have had a couple drinks and feel as though you should not operate a motor vehicle, the same applies to the operation of a boat. The article below is a stark reminder of how serious the consequences can be. Have fun out at the lake or river. Please be safe, not only for others but for yourself as well.
The DUI attorneys of Reeves Aiken & Hightower LLP stand ready to fight for you and your family if you have been seriously injured by a drunk boater. We encourage you to visit our website at www.rjrlaw.com and carefully compare our attorneys’ credentials to any other firm. You can then call us toll-free at 877-374-5999 for a private, confidential consultation to review your particular case.
Man arrested in deadly boat collision on Ga. lake
By JEFF MARTIN
Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) – Crews will resume their search Wednesday for a 13-year-old boy who disappeared in a Georgia lake after a fishing boat rammed a pontoon boat, killing a 9-year-old boy and injuring three other passengers on the vessel.
Authorities said the fishing boat left the area after the Monday night collision. Searchers using sonar found no trace of the missing youth Tuesday and authorities in Hall County said the search would continue Wednesday.
They said 44-year-old Paul J. Bennett of Cumming was arrested Tuesday and charged with boating under the influence. A home number for Bennett could not be located, and it wasn’t known whether he has an attorney representing him.
There were 13 people aboard the pontoon boat when it was struck.
Jul 23, 2012 | Brain Injury/Head Trauma, Uncategorized
New research shows inhibiting certain enzymes decreases the severity of traumatic brain injury (TBI), providing a target for future treatments. This research was published July 19th in the Brain. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is most often caused by a blow to the head sustained in a fall, car or truck accident, or any other accident.
Professor Medcalf said the researchers identified two enzymes, known as t-PA and MMP-3, that act together to promote injury severity following TBI.
“The enzyme t-PA, well known for its ability to remove blood clots, also has a healthy and very important role in supporting learning and memory functions in everyday life. However, previous research has shown that in TBI cases, its presence makes the injury much worse,” Professor Medcalf said.
t-PA was once thought to worsen the injury, but its inhibition triggers the activation of MMP-3, the enzyme which does the damage.
“The activity of naturally occurring enyzmes is controlled by specific enzyme inhibitors,” Professor Medcalf said.
“Unexpectedly, we found that the process of t-PA inactivation by one of its natural inhibitors actually contributed to brain injury, because it leads to the activation of MMP-3.
“Now we know that if we block MMP-3 with an inhibitor, we can protect the brain following TBI,” Professor Medcalf said.
“We now have a new and promising therapeutic target for the treatment of human TBI, which has not, so far, been significantly improved by pharmacological intervention,” Professor Rosenfeld said.
The Traumatic Brain Injury Attorneys of Reeves, Aiken & Hightower
If you or someone you know have been injured or killed by a traumatic brain injury, seek help from an experienced brain injury attorney like those at Reeves, Aiken & Hightower. Call us at 877-374-5999, or contact us at this link, to schedule a free, private consultation. We can help you evaluate your claim and get you the recovery you deserve.
Jul 13, 2012 | Brain Injury/Head Trauma, Uncategorized
Bicycling accounts for a surprising number of injuries and deaths, many of them caused by traumatic brain and head injuries. About 90% of bicycling fatalities are cyclists over the age of 16. About 85% of the deaths were individuals who were not wearing helmets. The estimated number of bicycling head injuries that require a hospital visit exceed the total of all head injury cases related to baseball, football, skateboards, kick scooters, horseback riding, snowboarding, ice hockey, in-line skating and lacrosse.
- 618 bicyclists died on US roads in 2010 (630 in 2009. 1,003 back in 1975)
- Bicyclists 15 and under killed: 67. (11%) Injured: 12,000 (23%)
- Bicyclist deaths represented 2 per cent of all 2010 traffic fatalities.
- 52,000 bicyclists were injured in traffic 1n 2010 (51,000 in 2009)
- Average age of a bicyclist killed on US roads: 41
- Average age of a bicyclist injured on US roads: 31
- Alcohol involvement (car driver or bike rider) was reported in 34% of 2010 deaths.
- More than one fifth (23%) of the cyclists killed were drunk. (Blood alcohol concentration over .08 g/dl)
- Fatal crashes typically were urban (72%) and not at intersections (67%).
The Personal Injury Attorneys of Reeves, Aiken & Hightower
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an accident, you need an experienced personal injury attorney like those at Reeves, Aiken & Hightower. Review our credentials, make sure that we are right for you, and call us at 877-374-5999, or contact us here, for a free private consultation. Let us help you evaluate your claim.
Jul 13, 2012 | Brain Injury/Head Trauma, Uncategorized
The American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine now reports that college football players are receiving brain injuries at similar rates to high school players. Until recently, the focus on brain injury in sports has rested solidly on high school football injuries. Now a study by this orthopedic society shows that concussions are increasing amongst the service academies players.
This information is all the more shocking due to the nature of the game played by the service academies. Recently, the service academies tend to play schedules dominated by teams that would seem to allow the schools less severe collisions between helmets. The severity of injury must be expected to be greater in the power conferences where the collisions between helmets would be more forceful causing greater injuries.
It may however be that the service academies face a greater risk of head injury due to the schedules they play. The schedules tend to be split between games where they are heavily overmatched by power conference teams and games where they are on a level playing field with their conference colleagues. The result may be that being unprepared for rougher play they are more apt to receive severe head injury.
Luckily, most head injuries in college football are not very severe, mostly concussions. The number of reports of brain injury at the services academies was 23 in the 2009 season and 42 in the 2010 season, which should be alarming given the total number of players involved was around 450.
The Brain Injury Attorneys of Reeves, Aiken & Hightower
If you or someone you know have been injured or killed by a traumatic brain injury, seek help from an experienced brain injury attorney like those at Reeves, Aiken & Hightower. Review our credentials, make sure we are right for you, and call us at 877-374-5999, or contact us at this link, to schedule a free, private consultation. We can help you evaluate your claim and get you the recovery you deserve.
Jun 27, 2012 | Brain Injury/Head Trauma, Uncategorized
Anosmia, or the loss of one’s sense of smell is an oddball disorder, but is surprisingly common. The loss of the critical sense of smell would seemingly be more likely to be caused by a brain disorder or sinus problems can be caused by traumatic brain injury. Traumatic brain injury is in fact the cause in 30% of the cases of anosmia. Who knew?
A simple concussion can be sufficient to trigger the severing of the olfactory nerves causing a total loss of the sense of smell. Obviously, traumatic brain injury would be enough to cause it as well.
Other possible causes are the results of either surgical accident or negligent brain surgery.
Traumatic Brain Injury Attorneys
If you think you or someone you know have suffered a brain injury, seek medical help immediately. Then seek the counsel of experienced brain injury attorneys like those at Reeves, Aiken, & Hightower. We know how to fight for you and your family in serious brain injury cases. Compare our credentials to any other law firm. Then call 877-374-5999 or contact us at this link for a private consultation.
Jun 26, 2012 | Brain Injury/Head Trauma, Uncategorized
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) doesn’t cause as many fatalities as some other forms of traumatic injury, but it does cause affect brain function for a lifetime. Not to mention the cumulative cost of a lifetime of more expensive medical treatment.
Now though, research shows that an existing diabetes drug can be used to keep the effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) from worsening. This is certainly good news for sufferers of traumatic brain injury (TBI) accidents. The drug is already approved for treatment of diabetes. Although it was originally designed to keep diabetes in check, and although it is effective in that role, it has already been found affect at protecting the brain against the ravages of certain brain disorders, like Alzheimer’s.
As always though, there is more research to be done. Although this drug is effective in theory, to bring it into full effectiveness against the results of traumatic brain injury (TBI) accidents, its dosage and combination with other drugs will have to be worked out.
Traumatic Brain Injury Attorneys
If you think you or someone you know have suffered a brain injury, seek medical help immediately. Then seek the counsel of experienced brain injury attorneys like those at Reeves, Aiken, & Hightower. We know how to fight for you and your family in serious brain injury cases. Compare our credentials to any other law firm. Then call 877-374-5999 or contact us at this link for a private consultation. Don’t worry. We are here for you.
For more information about this drug research click here.
