Winter is approaching which means not only a change in weather but shorter days and longer nights. If you drive, then this means that your chances of operating your vehicle in the dark are higher. Driving comes with hazards at any time and in any weather conditions, but there are some things you need to be aware of when driving in the dark. Impaired visibility The visual system of humans is not really designed to navigate in the dark. Headlights, street lamps and other safety measures can help somewhat, but they cannot mitigate all the risks of driving in the dark. The truth is that your...
All of us need medical intervention at some point in our lives. Sometimes, this is very minor but it can also be for serious and even life-threatening conditions. As the stakes are so high, it is important that doctors and other medical staff are well-trained and act with the utmost professionalism. Part of these wider responsibilities includes communicating with each other about patients, treatments and other pertinent information. If communication breaks down, then the quality of treatment offered to patients can dramatically increase. Outlined below are some of the more specific reasons...
Riding a motorcycle can be a fun and freeing activity. Riding allows you to appreciate nature and interact with the road in a way that enclosed road users vehicles don’t get to experience. When riding a motorcycle, though, a significant cause for concern is other vehicles. In fact, 42% of all fatal motorcycle crashes involving another car occur when the other driver is turning left. This means the motorcycle was going straight, and the other vehicle turned into them. With the increased risks of riding, there are some easy solutions to reduce injury. Causes of motorcycle accidents While fun...
When you look at car accident statistics, you’ll find that the greatest rate of fatal car accidents belongs to teenagers. Out of all the age groups, they cause these deadly crashes at the highest rate. That doesn’t mean that they cause the greatest total number of fatal accidents every year. It’s just that the age group from 16 to 19 years old is so small. The number of accidents they cause is vastly disproportionate to the size of that group, showing that these are the most dangerous drivers. So why is this? They may get distracted Distractions are a major issue for teen drivers. It comes...
Doctor's appointments are often frustrating experiences. You call and make an appointment for much farther off in the future than you would like. You wait for your appointment day, and then you often wait after arriving for your appointment. Even after you go back into the medical examination room, you may wait more there for a doctor to actually talk to you. Before you ever see a medical doctor, you may explain your symptoms or concerns to a nurse, a receptionist and several other staff members. When you finally see your doctor, you might expect that they would make use of that information...
Slip-and-fall accidents happen all the time. Since trip, slip and fall accidents can happen to anyone and anywhere, it is important to know the steps you should take if you are involved in one. This is especially true if the accident is attributable to someone else’s negligence. The law requires property owners or occupiers to maintain their homes, parking lots and walkways to ensure that they are safe for visitors. Where there are hazards, like slippery floors or loose cables, property owners are required to issue adequate warnings. This responsibility is known as premises liability. Thus,...
If you have been driving long, you have likely sat behind numerous drivers displaying stickers that announce who they have on board. Whether it’s “Careful. Baby on board”, “Careful. Precious cargo on board,” or a giant paw print with “Dog on board” is irrelevant. In both cases, the driver is telling you to take special care. You might find those stickers annoying. As a careful driver, you take care around every vehicle. Yet there is a good reason to give those vehicles a little extra distance, and it's not what drivers displaying them might think. Children and dogs are distracting It’s not...
Getting bitten by a dog can be painful and traumatic. Even a minor bite could lead to disfigurement, depending on where it is located. You may need to get stitches, rabies shots, medication for infections and much more. These infections, notably, are one of the biggest risks that you face. They are very common with dog bites, and they can make it so that your condition gets dramatically worse following the bite. You may not even think that it is too detrimental to your health when it happens, but you could later find yourself needing extensive medical care that puts you in significant debt....
A doctor must obtain your informed consent prior to conducting a medical procedure or administering treatment. The punishment for not doing so is very significant. In fact, according to Forbes, “Failure to obtain informed consent is unlawful—medical malpractice, specifically—and the doctor can be charged with negligence and battery.” Informed consent means that you have been made fully aware of the potential risks, side effects and possible outcomes of an operation, procedure or treatment. You can grant your approval for the doctor to go ahead. You also have the right to decline what the...
No one wants to hear their doctor diagnose them with cancer. For some, cancer is a terminal diagnosis, meaning it will cost them their lives. For others, they can fight the cancer, but they will have to undergo surgery and invasive treatments like chemotherapy to achieve remission. However frightening a doctor diagnosing you with cancer might be, their failure to diagnose you is a much more serious concern. When a doctor ignores or downplays your symptoms, your cancer could progress before you secure the correct diagnosis. Some forms of cancers spread quickly When you go to your doctor to...
