Connecticut Personal Injury Law Blog

How bad is heat stroke for construction workers?

On behalf of Kennedy, Johnson, Schwab & Roberge, L.L.C. posted in workplace injury on Monday, July 1, 2019.

While the construction industry is especially busy during the summer months, it does not necessarily mean it is safe for workers in Connecticut and elsewhere to labor under the hot sun. As you may know, you can get seriously ill if you are exposed to overly hot conditions without hydration and relief, but you might not know how to recognize the symptoms.

As the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration explains, heat exhaustion and heat stroke are common risks for those who perform heavy labor in hot conditions, especially construction workers in summer. After working outside without adequate breaks and water, you may develop symptoms of heat exhaustion, which can include a headache, confusion, irritability, dizziness, fainting, nausea and vomiting. If you suspect heat exhaustion, you should get to a cooler place immediately and drink some water.

Why people risk lives to snap selfies behind the wheel

On behalf of Kennedy, Johnson, Schwab & Roberge, L.L.C. posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Saturday, June 22, 2019.

While many Americans are well aware of the dangers associated with distracted driving, an alarming number of people continue to engage in this hazardous behavior. The truth is, using your cellphone while driving not only puts your life in danger, but it endangers the lives of everyone around you. Distracted driving takes your focus off the road, acting as a visual, manual and cognitive distraction. One trend takes using your cellphone while driving to a whole new level.

Thousands of people are taking selfies of themselves while behind the wheel and are then posting them to social media sites. A simple search under #drivingselfie, #drivingtowork, #drivingselfies and similar hashtags on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat brings about more than 72,000 posts of people taking pics while driving. Some capture the last pic of the driver right before getting into a fatal accident.

What are the signs of rabies infection in dogs?

On behalf of Kennedy, Johnson, Schwab & Roberge, L.L.C. posted in Dog bites on Thursday, June 20, 2019.

A bite from an unvaccinated dog in Connecticut can put you at risk for contracting rabies. Should this occur, your chances of survival are slim to none. Fortunately, post-bite rabies vaccination is extremely effective at preventing the disease. Nevertheless, it is preferable not to receive a bite in the first place. Recognizing the signs that a dog might be infectious can help you to minimize the risk.

The Humane Society of the United States identifies a number of signs that a dog may have rabies. These include self-mutilation or acting disoriented. A rabid dog may have difficulty moving, seeming partially paralyzed, moving in circles or walking in an excessively wobbly manner. Some people report that an infected dog appears drunk due to its unsteady movements. Excessive drooling, sometimes described as foaming at the mouth, is often present.

Summer driving can pose many risks

On behalf of Kennedy, Johnson, Schwab & Roberge, L.L.C. on Tuesday, June 18, 2019.

The summer months are likely times in which many Connecticut drivers feel most at ease on the roads. With no ice or snow and the ability to drive carefree with the windows rolled down, summer driving may be something you even look forward to.

However, car accidents can spike in summer months due to a wide array of reasons. Drivers can benefit from learning about potential hazards for the coming months and how to do their part to combat such dangers.

Do you check the condition of your motorcycle before you ride?

On behalf of Kennedy, Johnson, Schwab & Roberge, L.L.C. on Friday, June 14, 2019.

Statistically, motorcyclists are about 28 times more likely than car occupants to die in a collision. This is largely because motorcycles offer less structural protection than a car or truck offers.

Because crashes are so dangerous for motorcyclists, you want to take measures to prevent being involved in a collision. Motorcycle crashes are often caused by a combination of human, vehicle and environmental factors. Vehicle factors are the easiest for you to control.

Brake failure a frequent cause of commercial truck crashes

On behalf of Kennedy, Johnson, Schwab & Roberge, L.L.C. posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Tuesday, June 4, 2019.

Encountering commercial trucks is a common occurrence for most people who navigate Connecticut’s roadways, but that does not make sharing the road with them any less stressful. The dangers you face when you share the road with semi-trucks are especially severe when the people driving those trucks lack proper training, which can make them more likely to get into crashes that experienced truckers could likely avoid. At Kennedy, Johnson, Schwab & Roberge, L.L.C., we recognize that there is a clear connection between truck driver inexperience and brake failure, and we have helped many people who suffered injuries in wrecks involving commercial trucks pursue recourse.

According to Transport Topics, safely leading a large semi-truck down a steep hill takes more than good brakes – it takes experience and extreme caution, which is something many younger, less-seasoned truck drivers lack. Without experience, many truck drivers make avoidable errors that can lead to problems with the air brake systems that many modern trucking companies rely on.

Falls kill about 1,800 U.S. nursing home residents annually

On behalf of Kennedy, Johnson, Schwab & Roberge, L.L.C. posted in premises liability on Wednesday, May 29, 2019.

In a perfect world, every nursing home and assisted living facility across Connecticut would maintain a safe, nurturing environment where each resident readily gets the care he or she needs, but unfortunately, this is often not the case. At Kennedy, Johnson, Schwab & Roberge, L.L.C., we know that, in many state nursing homes, the quality of care older adults receive is up for debate, and when the quality of care suffers, injury risks – and specifically, resident fall risks – tend to rise.

According to Industrial Safety & Hygiene News, nursing home residents experience falls at alarmingly high rates. So much so, in fact, that they are four times more likely to succumb to their fall-related injuries when they live in such facilities than they would be if they lived alone, or in the care of family members or other loved ones.

Construction’s “Fatal Four” cause majority of worker deaths

On behalf of Kennedy, Johnson, Schwab & Roberge, L.L.C. posted in workplace injury on Thursday, May 23, 2019.

If you or a loved one makes a living working in construction in Connecticut, you probably have a strong understanding of the numerous dangers that come with the profession. Today’s construction workers face a tremendously dangerous work environment each day, and they injure themselves or die on the job at higher rates than workers in numerous other industries and professions. At Kennedy, Johnson, Schwab & Roberge, L.L.C., we know that the same four factors cause the majority of today’s construction worker deaths, and we also recognize that many industry deaths could be avoidable if employers took more preventative measures to enhance safety.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, more than 20% of all of 2017’s on-the-job fatalities within the private sector were in the construction industry. Furthermore, nearly 60% of those construction worker deaths resulted from one of four distinct circumstances. Because these same four factors played such a substantial role in construction worker deaths, they have become known as the industry’s “Fatal Four.”

Crane tragedy may have been caused by an unsafe practice

On behalf of Kennedy, Johnson, Schwab & Roberge, L.L.C. posted in workplace injury on Tuesday, May 21, 2019.

Large construction cranes are a common sight when crews are working on multi-story buildings. To many Connecticut residents, these cranes are just a background part of the scenery, despite looking as if they defy physics. It takes precise engineering and maintenance to keep construction cranes standing upright. If one of these massive pieces of machinery were to fall, the devastation would be almost unimaginable.

Unfortunately, this scenario recently occurred in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Times reported that a construction crane collapsed in April, killing two workers and two pedestrians on the street below the worksite. Numerous safety experts analyzed dashboard video footage that captured the accident and surmised that a common construction practice almost certainly caused the crane to topple.

Can a pre-existing condition affect a medical malpractice claim?

On behalf of Kennedy, Johnson, Schwab & Roberge, L.L.C. on Monday, May 20, 2019.

Whether due to a misdiagnosis, surgical error, prescription drug error or more, suffering medical malpractice can be terrifying. However, if you had a pre-existing condition prior to the negligent incident, can you still pursue a claim alleging malpractice?

A pre-existing condition should not deter Connecticut patients from holding their doctor, physician, surgeon, nurse or more accountable. In many cases, the medical professional, rather than your condition, is still responsible for the actions that resulted in further harm to you.

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