It may seem hard to believe, but the Fourth of July holiday is nearly here, meaning people across the state will soon be heading to parades, fireworks celebrations, and, of course, backyard barbeques. While the highlight of these gatherings for adults is almost always the food and beverages, this is certainly not the case for children. For them, the best parts are the impromptu games, the visits with friends and, of course, the pools. While this fascination with swimming pools is perhaps not surprising, it's also something of which parents and homeowners need to be aware. In case they need any reminding, they needn't look any further than a recently released report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. According to the CPSC report, while fatal child drownings declined by 17 percent from 2010 to 2014 (the range for which the most complete data is available), there were still an astounding 346…

It is certainly not pleasant to think about, but there are many ways to suffer an injury in a car crash. You could be the victim of an accident caused by a distracted driver, a drunk driver, someone who was speeding, or someone whose car suddenly blew a tire. Your first responsibility will be to yourself: Seek medical help immediately. When your thoughts clear a bit, remember that you will be seeking compensation for any injuries you might have, and the more help you can give to the personal injury attorney you engage, the stronger your case will be. Record Details You must report the accident to the police. While you wait for them to arrive, write down information about how the accident happened. Include details about the crash site, noting the names on street signs or highway signs and other pertinent descriptors. Make notes about the weather conditions and…

When it comes to distracted driving, the numbers tell the story. Indeed, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has determined that 391,000 people were injured by distracted driving while another 3,477 lost their lives to this dangerous conduct in 2015 alone. As if this wasn't discouraging enough, consider also that the NHTSA has found that as many as 660,000 motorists are on their phones at any given time during daylight hours, meaning the risk of being involved in a distracted driving crash is disturbingly high. Unfortunately, this is far from a new phenomenon, as distracted driving accidents caused by cell phones -- particularly texting -- have been taking an astounding toll on our roads and highways for years. In fact, 46 states have now banned all drivers from texting while driving, including Georgia, in an attempt to address this epidemic. Some states are actually poised to take things even further,…

On most days, news of a proposed rule being published in the Federal Register, the legal newspaper run by the National Archives and Records Administration, would fail to generate any real coverage or discussion. That's because most proposed rules, while important, are nevertheless written in an arcane style and/or cover an area of little interest to the general public. Of course, there are always exceptions. For example, consider that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration published two proposed rules earlier this week that, if adopted, would change the landscape of the trucking industry in the U.S. Commercial Learner's Permits The first proposed rule calls for states to be granted the authority to issue commercial learner's permits for up to 12 months with the option to renew for an additional six months. This would be a departure from the current rule, which sets the limit for issuing CLPs at six months. According to…

Statistics from the Federal Communications Commission reveal that as many as eight people lose their lives and over 1,000 more suffer injuries in distracted driving-related crashes here in the U.S. every day. As if this wasn't dismaying enough, the FCC has also determined that as many as 660,000 people are using their smartphones or other electronic devices while driving at any given daylight moment across the nation. Faced with sobering figures like these, it's easy to doubt whether anything can be done by lawmakers to address this epidemic. Indeed, texting while driving is already prohibited in 46 states (including Georgia), while 14 others also ban the use of handheld devices behind the wheel. Similarly, questions arise as to what, if anything, phone manufacturers can do. Interestingly enough, Apple, maker of the ubiquitous iPhone, recently unveiled what it's calling a new solution to distracted driving at its Worldwide Developers Conference. As part of the forthcoming…

If you think back to the last time you met with a physician, chances are good that the first thing you did when they entered the exam room was shaking their hand. If you have a hard time remembering doing this, it's likely because you did it without thinking, as it's firmly ingrained in our society that handshakes are the customary mode of greeting. Indeed, chances are good that if the physician had declined to shake your hand or instead greeted you with a bow, fist bump, or wave that you would have no problem remembering this departure from the norm. As bizarre as this may sound, it's exactly what a group of California-based physicians and medical professionals did as part of a six-month experiment. Specifically, a UCLA physician conducted a very basic study in which he asked staff members in the neonatal intensive care units at two different hospitals…