Hornsby Watts, PLLC Legal Blog
Increasing traffic fatalities linked to lack of safety laws
Even with all of the high-tech safety features that are standard on many new cars, U.S. traffic fatalities are surging. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, almost 28,000 people were killed in vehicle crashes during the first nine months of...
Study: Stronger malpractice laws don’t improve surgical outcomes
Do strong malpractice laws impact the quality of care that patients receive? At least in one area -- post-surgical complications -- they don't. That was the finding of a recent study by Northwestern University's medical school.To determine a state's "malpractice...
Commercial truck accidents can have long-term consequences
When most people worry about vehicular collisions, they imagine an accident occurring between their vehicle and another private passenger vehicle. For thousands of Americans every year, however, the accident actually takes place between their vehicle and a larger...
Boating and drinking don’t mix
Most Mississippians who spend a day boating on one of our many waterways don't anticipate that anything will go wrong -- and they certainly can't imagine a fatal accident. However, too often, a leisurely excursion on the water can turn deadly.In 2015, according to the...
Extra cautions required while driving in construction zones
Road construction is basically a year-round activity here in Mississippi. Therefore, it's not uncommon to come upon road crews.Unfortunately, construction zones can be dangerous places for those in vehicles and construction workers alike. According to the Federal...
How do Mississippi’s VA medical centers rate?
If you or a family member relies on a hospital run by the Department of Veterans Affairs for medical care, you now have access to ratings for the 146 VA medical centers across the country. The VA has always rated its facilities on a one-to-five scale in order to...
Are female doctors better than their male counterparts?
Everyone wants to have the best possible doctor, whether for annual check-ups, treatment of a serious or chronic condition or major surgery. A doctor's gender should be irrelevant. However, a recently-published study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health,...
Casinos want drunken gamblers, increasing risks
Wondering why the risk for pedestrians and sober drivers is so high when driving near a casino? Part of the reason is that casinos may end up over-serving their patrons. This can increase DUI accidents, which are often tragic when both parties are in motor vehicles...
In 2015, 162 Mississippians died in alcohol-related accidents
Alcohol-related crashes are entirely avoidable, but they continue to be a problem in Mississippi. In fact, a captain with the police force recently noted that 162 people in the state were killed in these accidents in 2015. In just December of that year, 6,561 people...
Proposal for longer shifts for doctors sparks debate
Multiple studies have shown that young doctors working long hours with no breaks put their patients as well as themselves at risk. For that reason, work hour restrictions were put in place in 2011. These limited first-years residents' shifts to no more than 16...