Lake Charles Personal Injury & Wrongful Death Law Blog

Convenience and safety are two reasons for people in Louisiana to use ridesharing services. Rather than drive themselves, there are benefits to using these apps. If, for example, a person has a night out and drinks alcohol, it is preferable to let someone else drive rather than run the risk of causing an accident and being arrested for driving under the influence. However, with any innovation, there are inevitable risks.

One recent study indicates that cities with ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft have had an increase in accidents with serious injuries and death. The study, from Rice University and the University of Chicago, says there was a rise of around three percent of fatal crashes in large U.S. cities after rideshares came into use. Financially, these accidents are costing the U.S. as much as $10 billion. The researchers used statistics from the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration (NTHSA). It is important to note that the researchers did not dive into detail regarding ridesharing services. Instead, it assessed the rise in total fatal accidents per city and compared them with cities that do not have ridesharing.

You have probably heard about the self-driving vehicles that many automakers are rushing to develop. Some of the most popular manufacturers in the United States and beyond are all striving to be the first company to successfully develop, market and release a fully automated vehicle for public use. Like many others, you may have deep concerns about these vehicles and how safe they truly are.

Many consumers have serious doubts about how these vehicles work. There are some industry experts who believe that it will take a lot for automakers to overcome these concerns, and as a result, automated vehicles may not be the smashing success some expect them to be. Polls indicate that most consumers are not excited about sharing the road with these vehicles and not really interested in owning one or riding in one.

As Louisianans and people across the nation are keenly aware, distracted driving is a problem that is not going away. In fact, it is getting worse.

With that, researchers and legislators try to encourage drivers to understand the issue and take steps to make the roads safer. Part of that is dubbing April Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Because April is dedicated to reducing the incidents in which a distracted driver causes a car crash with injuries and death, it is a good time for Lake Charles residents to review and understand the statistics of distracted driving.

When Louisianans have a health issue, seeking treatment from a medical professional is the natural and wise thing to do. While most people obtain proper care and avoid often feared of medical mistakes that result in a worsened condition, long-term medical problems, or death, some individuals do suffer serious injuries and death due to medical errors. The damages caused by these incidences can be tragic and overwhelming, which is why it is imperative that victims and their families consider legal action.

Studies are critical to understand the scope of the problem of medical mistakes. New research from the ECRI Institute says that diagnostic errors and the management of test results were first in the ten biggest worries for patient safety in 2019. This is the second straight year that this is the case. According to the CEO of ECRI, the third leading cause of death in the U.S. is medical errors. Problems with electronic health records (EHR) can be a catalyst for these medical mistakes as medical professionals rely on this information to make accurate diagnoses. If there is a mistake with these records, then people can become ill, suffer injuries, or lose their lives.