Car insurance is an expense no one wants to take on, but you'll be glad you have it should you ever be part of a motor vehicle accident in Mississippi.
Making a car insurance claim can be a challenge, especially when you take into consideration the fact that your insurance company and agent may not have your best interests in mind.
If you have been harmed by a doctor or other medical provider's error or negligence, you're rightly focused on how it's impacted you. You aren't likely to consider that doctor or other medical professional a victim -- particularly if you're taking legal action against them. However, the medical community has begun addressing something called the "second-victim phenomenon" and recognizing how these health care professionals are impacted when they make an error that harms someone.
Most people get into health care professions because they want to help and heal people. They take an oath to do no harm -- and they can experience real trauma when they do.
Trampoline parks are popping up everywhere. Like laser tag venues and indoor play areas, they've become a popular place for parents to take their kids for fun and exercise. However, experts warn of serious dangers at these parks.
Those warnings are backed up by some frightening statistics. According to a recent report by CBS News, there have been at least a half dozen trampoline park fatalities over the past seven years and many more injuries -- some catastrophic. These include "[b]roken necks, broken backs, dislocated and open-fractured elbows, shoulders," according to a former gymnastics coach who serves as an expert witness in cases against trampoline parks.
A former Mississippi police officer has pleaded guilty in a culpable negligence manslaughter case involving her 3-year-old daughter. The little girl died after her mother left her inside her patrol car back in 2016.
Authorities say the 29-year-old, who worked for the Long Beach Police Department, had the child in her car when she stopped at her supervisor's home after her shift had ended. They say the woman had sex with her supervisor and then fell asleep. Her daughter, who was left unattended for hours in the car, died.
In the aftermath of a car crash, people are often focused on healing from their physical injuries and dealing with the damage to their vehicle. It can be easy to neglect the psychological damage that may have resulted from the accident.
In fact, it's been estimated that approximately 9 percent of people who've been in vehicle crashes develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Some 60 percent of victims who seek the help of a mental health professional are diagnosed with PTSD.
As we enter the spring and summer months, more Mississippi kids will be spending time on playgrounds at schools and local parks. Many homeowners have extensive play areas in their backyards as well.
Most every parent has dealt with at least some cuts, bruises and bumps that their kids have gotten on playground equipment. However, over 220,000 kids under 14 are treated every year in this country in emergency rooms for more serious playground-related injuries like concussions, broken and dislocated bones and even damage to internal organs. While fatal injuries are rare, some children have been killed by falls and strangulations in play areas. Some 70 percent of fatal play area injuries occur at people's homes.
Drivers in Mississippi generally don't need to worry about inclement winter weather. Snow, ice and hail are infrequent weather occurrences. However, wet, rainy weather is much more common. The spring often brings with it increased precipitation and foggy mornings in some areas.
Both rain and fog can increase the risk for serious collisions. Keeping an eye on weather conditions and adjusting your driving habits to reflect the current weather is the best way to help yourself and the people who share the road with you to arrive at your destinations safely.
It's easier than ever for women to find a female doctor. Often, they think that another woman will take them and their medical issues more seriously than a male doctor. However, female patients are still more likely to be misdiagnosed or to not have their medical conditions recognized at all than male patients.
Studies have found that a key symptom of many conditions -- pain -- isn't taken as seriously when a woman is reporting it as when a man is. Doctors are more likely to think that it's in their head. They're also less likely to treat pain as aggressively in women as in men.
Most of us give little thought to the weigh station signs we see posted along highways here in Mississippi and in other states. However, these weigh stations help prevent tragedies by helping to ensure that the trucks traveling these routes are safe.
Of course, weigh stations are used to weigh commercial trucks and make sure that they are not carrying too heavy of a load. However, state troopers and other law enforcement officers check for more than that. They inspect trucks that pull into weigh stations for things like broken springs and frames and deflated air suspensions. Sometimes they even note that a trucker is driving with a flat tire.
Most parents exercise an added level of caution when they're driving with their children in the car. Unfortunately, they're still at the mercy of other drivers who may not be so cautious.
Car crashes can be particularly dangerous for children. Even if they're strapped into a properly functioning car seat, that doesn't guarantee that they won't suffer injuries -- potentially very serious ones.
Hornsby Watts, PLLC
1025 Howard Avenue
Biloxi,
MS
39530
Telephone: 228-207-2990
Fax: 866-271-4393
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