Archive: February 2012

I’ve written before, and expressed my approval of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s effort to require back-up cameras in all cars sold in the United States. Now NHTSA is back in the news because the agency is planning to send their final draft of that rule to Congress today. Whether Congress will have the […]

The AP reports, “More than a dozen serious medical errors were reported at Middle Tennessee hospitals over the past three years – and federal statistics indicate probably 80 more were not reported.” Previously, “hospitals have been reluctant to admit mistakes, fearing malpractice lawsuits.” However, “hospitals are increasingly under pressure to reduce errors, and to do […]

I’ve written before about the decrease in coverage of “standard” insurance policies in Texas, and the blind eye turned to this practice by the state agency charged with oversight. An update on this story has been reported in the Dallas Morning News. Here are excerpts: A leading consumer group, trying to prove its argument that […]

Here’s a funny commercial for Carlsberg beer:

This guest post is from the New Jersey car accident law firm of Console & Hollawell. The recent report from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on the amount of asbestos consumption in 2011 may come as a surprise to some. What many fail to realize is that asbestos is not totally banned, but rather there are […]

The New York Times reports that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration “formally urged carmakers on Thursday to stop equipping automobiles with entertainment and navigation systems that can distract drivers,” specifying that the proposed guidelines were not meant to stop the features, but rather make their designs safer. Transportation Secretary LaHood said, “The choice between […]

ABC World News reported on “surprisingly high levels of arsenic hiding in food, including brown rice, organic formula for toddlers.” It added that a new study reported online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives “is causing a lot of confusion.” ABC News medical editor Richard Besser, MD, explained, “Dartmouth researchers tested baby formulas and found […]

Premises liability injuries can happen almost anywhere — from broken staircases that were never repaired to unmarked slippery floors. Hazardous situations that result in personal injury are normally the responsibility of the property owner. Property owners are required by law to maintain safe conditions for visitors to their premises. This includes warning visitors about dangerous […]

I’ve never used a plain joke or a list like this for a Friday Fun post. But this was emailed to me by my 92-year-old mother, so I feel obligated. Plus, it’s funny. Puns for Educated Minds: The fattest knight at King Arthur’s round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much […]

Here’s a very interesting article from the Washington Post writer Ezra Klein on his WonkBlog. The gist is that when doctors use computerized systems to prescribe medication, the error rate drops by 60%. There’s a lot of interest in health care right now in digitizing doctors’ decision-making, using computer databases to assist in diagnoses and […]