Birmingham Legal Blog

Is football too dangerous for kids?

On behalf of of Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C. posted in blog on Thursday, April 19, 2018.

Former quarterback Brett Favre played football for 20 years, but today he questions whether kids should be playing the game. He recently said that if he had a son, he would try to dissuade him from playing.

The problem is that football is linked to concussions, brain injuries and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Even with helmets, people are at risk for brain injuries from football. Whether it’s from a helmet-to-helmet hit or contact with the ground, concussions and other brain injuries are very common.

Recognizing the signs of nursing home abuse and neglect

On behalf of of Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C. posted in blog on Friday, April 13, 2018.

Worried about an elderly loved one’s well-being in their nursing home? Do you suspect that he or she is suffering neglect or deliberate abuse?

It’s a situation no one wants to find themselves in. Unfortunately, nursing home neglect and abuse is all too common. Learn how to tell whether your loved one may be in danger in their long-term care facility.

Bicyclists deserve to be safe when sharing the road with cars

On behalf of of Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C. posted in blog on Tuesday, April 10, 2018.

With warmer weather on the way, more bicyclists will be on the roads. Now is a good time for a reminder about the dangers of car-bicycle accidents.

It is too easy for drivers to forget that cyclists have the same rights as motorists. In addition, under Alabama law, drivers must keep at least three feet between their vehicle and the cyclist. If the road is too narrow for this, drivers may need to slow down and wait until it’s safe to pass the bicycle. Drivers going more than 25 miles per hour, driving a large vehicle or driving on a multi-lane road should keep more than three feet between themselves and a cyclist. This may mean changing lanes in order to safely pass the cyclist.

Laws banning texting and driving aren't having an effect on teens

On behalf of of Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C. posted in blog on Friday, March 30, 2018.

Despite the state law banning texting while driving, Alabama teens are likely not much safer than they were before the law existed. Why? Because teens nationwide tend to ignore these laws.

Nationwide Children's Hospital's Center for Injury Research and Policy conducted a study of drivers ages 16-18. The results of the study show that state laws banning texting and driving do not have much of an effect on teen drivers' behavior. Only 7 percent more teens refrain from texting while driving in states that have these laws.

Dangerous defects found in Ford and Lincoln vehicles

On behalf of of Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C. posted in blog on Tuesday, March 20, 2018.

Ford recently announced that they are recalling more than 1.3 million vehicles in the U.S. due to a defect in steering wheels. The problem is that bolts in the steering wheel can become loose. When this happens, the steering wheel may come apart from the steering column, leaving drivers with no control of the car.

The affected vehicles are 2014-2018 Ford Fusions and Lincoln MKZs. If you have one of these vehicles, you can get the defect repaired at Ford dealerships. The fix involves removing the existing bolts and replacing them with longer bolts and a nylon patch.

Is Your Doctor Banned from Practicing in Other States?

By Susan Silvernail of Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C. posted in Medical Malpractice on Monday, March 19, 2018.

A new investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reveals at least 500 physicians have been publicly disciplined, chastised or barred from practicing by one state medical board who have been allowed to practice elsewhere with a clean license. Because of the way state medical licensing works, a doctor can easily run into trouble in one state and simply move his practice to another state to avoid discipline.

And their patients are generally kept in the dark

Should self-driving cars make life-and-death decisions?

On behalf of Susan Silvernail of Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C. posted in blog on Monday, March 12, 2018.

Like it or not, self-driving cars are becoming a reality. Companies such as Google/Waymo, Tesla and Uber are already working on these types of vehicles.

One of the reasons for the boom in self-driving technology is that these cars will allegedly be safer. They are predicted to help greatly reduce the number of fatal car accidents in the U.S. And that may turn out to be true. There are, however, some questions about the ethics of how self-driving cars will attempt to avoid accidents.

The risk of polypharmacy to senior citizens

On behalf of Susan Silvernail of Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C. posted in blog on Monday, March 5, 2018.

Polypharmacy – when a person takes multiple prescription drugs – can be dangerous to people of any age. People ages 65 and over, however, are at increased risk. Why? Because senior citizens tend to take multiple medications at a higher rate than the rest of the population.

According to Health Research Funding, for people ages 65 – 69 the average number of prescriptions they take is approximately 14. The number climbs with age: people ages 80 – 84 take an average of 18 prescriptions.

Pedestrian deaths linked to smartphone use

On behalf of Susan Silvernail of Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C. posted in blog on Friday, March 2, 2018.

For two years in a row, fatal pedestrian accidents reached almost 6,000. One of the most common reasons? Cellphone use.

And it’s not just distracted drivers. Pedestrians are using their phones to text and access social media while walking. One study shows that 42 percent of pedestrians in midtown Manhattan who crossed traffic during the “don’t walk” signal were using a cellphone. This combination of distracted drivers and distracted walkers is “deadly,” according to a Kelley Blue Book auto analyst.

Alabama company penalized for allowing an amputation to occur

On behalf of Susan Silvernail of Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C. posted in blog on Thursday, February 22, 2018.

Not surprisingly, amputations are one of the worst injuries a worker can suffer. An amputation can mean the worker cannot return to their job. In some cases, these workers may also be unable to care for their family.

Sadly, a worker at RPS Composites Alabama Inc. recently suffered an amputation of one of his fingers because the machine he was working on did not have proper guarding. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited the company for this incident and for multiple additional serious violations. The company faces proposed penalties of nearly $75,000.