Roanoke Personal Injury Law Blog

Electronic prescribing has been part of the healthcare scene since 2003, and most medical practices and pharmacies use this system. E-prescribing was developed to reduce prescription errors and increase patient safety. However, issues still exist, which may cause harm to a patient and open the provider to liability

Alert fatigue

If you are a parent, you may have many concerns with respect to the safety of your teen. Or, you might be a young person who has never driven before, and you may be worried about the likelihood of an accident once you start to learn how to drive. Regardless, it is crucial to make sure that you are fully prepared for any potential risks and do what you can to reduce the likelihood of a collision occurring. Unfortunately, many young lives have been lost and many teens have been left with lifelong injuries due to motor vehicle collisions.

For starters, you can help your teen realize some of the risks they may face behind the wheel. For example, if weather conditions have deteriorated, or if your teen is driving at night, you should try to remind them of the importance of being vigilant. Distractions are a major risk when it comes to road safety, especially for younger drivers. Smartphone use can significantly increase the chances of a collision and many teens use their phones regularly to keep in touch with friends and share posts on social media. Unfortunately, phone use behind the wheel can take a driver’s hands, eyes and attention off of the road, which may lead to a devastating accident.

For a pedestrian, there are a number of dangers which may be present on the road. Drunk drivers, those who go over the speed limit intentionally or accidentally and distracted drivers can all pose a serious threat to the safety of pedestrians. Moreover, when a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle that is much larger, they may be especially likely to lose their life or sustain a massive injury, in comparison to those who are involved in an accident while riding in a vehicle. Many factors can affect how likely a pedestrian is to be hurt or killed in an accident, such as the speed at which the vehicle that struck them was traveling.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has published very insightful information on the likelihood of a pedestrian becoming seriously hurt or passing away when they are struck by a vehicle traveling at a certain speed. Data from 2011 shows that when a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle traveling at 20 miles per hour, the chances of the pedestrian becoming seriously hurt or killed was 18 percent. On the other hand, vehicles traveling at 40 miles per hour had a 77 percent chance of causing a pedestrian fatality or serious injury when an accident took place.

For those who ride bicycles, the road can be especially dangerous. After all, in the event that a collision occurs involving a vehicle, with such little protection a bicyclist may be seriously hurt or killed. Helmet use and the use of other safety gear (such as reflective clothing) can be tremendously helpful. However, threats posed by reckless drivers, such as those who drive while under the influence, can lead to bicyclist fatalities regardless of the precautionary measures taken by a bicyclist. Moreover, certain times of day and riding at night can be particularly dangerous.

There are many reasons why riding a bike at night can be so dangerous. For starters, with reduced visibility, a driver may have a harder time seeing a bicyclist. Moreover, bicyclists may have more difficulty seeing as well, and some may accidentally find themselves riding in a vehicle’s path. Aside from visibility issues, there are many people who drive drunk during the night and this is also a concerning time to be on the road with respect to driver fatigue. There is an increase in the number of fatigued drivers during the nighttime hours and they may be more likely to collide with a bicyclist.