This blog has previously discussed brain injuries that result from a car accident or for some other blow or force to the head. These types of injuries, called traumatic brain injuries, can leave a Louisiana resident permanently disabled. Even so-called milder traumatic brain injuries can seriously disrupt a person's life.
However, traumatic brain injuries are not the only way a Houma resident can suffer serious brain damage.
When a Louisiana resident suffers a serious burn, the injury kills the affected layers of skin. This not only can leave a person profoundly disfigured, but also is medically dangerous since it leaves the burn victim open to infections.
As a result, after a significant burn injury, skin graft surgery may be necessary. Skin grafting involves taking healthy skin from one part of the body and attaching, or grafting, it to an area where the skin has been damaged either because of a burn or on account of some other injury. The deeper the wound, the more tissue must be extracted from an area of the body with healthy skin.
One thing that is certain about car accidents in the Houma area is they occur in rain or shine. The weather has an impact on road conditions and safety and is something that all motorists should take into consideration when driving. Even with careful planning, some motor vehicle collisions happen due to a combination of factors that include wet pavements, distractions, inebriation, poor road/traffic conditions and mechanical defects.
Moisture on the roads reduces the friction tires need to maintain contact with the roads. Excessive speeds and other factors make it harder for drivers to maintain control over their safety, leading them to slide into other vehicles. Accident victims who sustain injuries in collisions involving wet weather and multiple vehicles are more likely to face longer recoveries. Most wet weather motor vehicle collisions are preventable with the following tactics.
A previous post on this blog talked about the risk of car fires, which are often the end result of serious motor vehicle accidents on Louisiana's roads.
Sadly, in another part of the country, this risk really hit home for several people involved in an accident on a major interstate. The accident, which attracted the attention of the national news media, involved over 20 vehicles, including several trucks. Many of these vehicles caught fire and burned after the accident. At least four people died and six others had to be taken to nearby hospitals.
A recent study published by the National Safety Council suggests that drivers across the country are tired enough of major traffic accidents to be willing to accept stricter law enforcement measures on a variety of traffic-related issues, including the ongoing battle against drunk driving.
For instance, just a hair shy of half of those surveyed said that, if it would reduce the overall death toll of fatal car accidents, they would support a law lowering the legal blood alcohol limit from .08 to .05. On the assumption there would be no criminal penalties, over 57 percent of those surveyed said they thought fines and license suspensions would be appropriate for driving while over .05.
One of the scariest things that can happen while on the road is for a car or truck to catch on fire. Since vehicles have lots of flammable fluid in them and also have material that burns quickly, cars and trucks quickly get engulfed in flames. Oftentimes, those inside or even near the vehicle that catches fire suffer severe burn injuries as a result.
The top four reasons for car fires are engines that overheat, leaks of flammable fluids, electrical failures and trouble in the fuel system. The next two most common causes of car fires are failed catalytic converters or problems with the batteries that power electric and hybrid vehicles. While these issues alone may not actually cause a fire, they often contribute to fires that follow accidents.
While many residents of Houma, Louisiana, probably find higher speed limits convenient and even fun, a recent study reveals that lawmakers' being lax about speed has a drawback.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, even a modest increase in a speed limit, of about 5 miles per hour, increases the traffic fatality rate by 8 percent on major highways and by about 3 percent on other roads. In 2017, this translated into over 1,934 lives lost due to higher speed limits.
Spring is the time of year when we begin to see more motorcyclists out and about. Motorcycles are great fun, but riders are always vulnerable to collisions with cars and trucks.
Here are five of the latest safety innovations to help keep motorcyclists safe.
April 1 marked the beginning of Distracted Driving Awareness Month. As the name implies, this month is dedicated to bringing to the attention of motorists in Louisiana and across the country the serious problems associated with the ongoing distracted driving epidemic.
According to statistics, many people are profoundly affected by distracted drivers on a daily basis. One analysis concluded that each day, 9 people die and 100 people suffer significant physical injuries because of a distracted driver. This translates in to 36,500 injuries and 3,285 fatalities annually.
A previous post on this blog from last year's Brain Injury Awareness Month talked about common causes of traumatic brain injuries. As that post discussed, traumatic brain injuries are a subset of acquired brain injuries or ABIs.
For this year's Brain Injury Awareness Month, which is taking place during March, we thought it might be helpful to go over a few other common causes of ABIs that are not classified as traumatic brain injuries. Although these types of brain injuries do not necessarily involve a blow or other force to the head, they can be just as serious as traumatic brain injuries. Moreover, like traumatic brain injuries, many ABIs are preventable.
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Fax 985-868-9429The Law Offices of Brent J. Rhodes 620 School Street Houma, LA 70360 Toll Free: 866-692-8703 Phone: 985-262-7799 Fax: 985-868-9429 Houma Law Office Map
