Friday, November 4, 2011

Texting Legislation Passed in State Senate This Week

As mentioned in the blog post yesterday, legislation officially making texting a primary offense while driving moved on to the State Senate on Tuesday of this week.  Both the Pennsylvania State Senate and the House of Representatives officially passed this piece of legislation, which Governor Corbett also reviewed earlier this fall.  Our blog has been highlighting the progression of this process since June of this summer and are happy to see the piece of legislation progressing into law.  The most recent update on this progression shows that the State Senate officially voted for the texting ban this Tuesday after some revisions were made to the earlier version of the ban.  Governor Corbett still needs to sign the legislation, and the law will take effect 120 days after he signs it.  If caught, texting drivers will face a $50 fine.  Recent surveys show that, although 96% of drivers see texting as a safety threat on the road, 30% still admit to doing it themselves.  Some Pennsylvania legislators are also considering forming a new piece of legislation that would also ban or limit cell phone use while driving.

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving the western and central Pennsylvania area.  One of his major areas of practice is injury or death due to motor vehicle accidents.  He has noticed a trend of accidents involving cell phone usage, both talking or texting, and urges you not to use your phone while driving and be wary of other drivers on the road who may be using their phones.  For more information on his law firm, please click here.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Texting Teen Dies In Car Crash

Yesterday, a Butler County teenager died in a car accident.  Alexis Summers, a 17-year-old teenager from Saxonburg, PA was texting while driving when she drove over an enbankment.  Her car crashed into a tree near the road and Summers died at the scene.  This accident occured on the same day that the legislation officially passed in the Pennsylvania State Senate which bans texting while driving. Both the Pennsylvania State Senate and House of Representatives have been in conversation since June about the possibility of banning texting while driving, making it a primary offense in the state.  Once Governor Corbett signs the legislation, the law will take effect after 120 days.

Distracted driving is one of the major causes of motor vehicle accidents, especially with young and inexperienced drivers. Distracted drivers may also swerve off the road, hitting stop signs, telephone poles, and most seriously, other people walking or biking. Additionally, they are a danger to others in the car with them, since they may cause an accident in which the passengers in their car are also injured.  Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving the western and central Pennsylvania area.  One of his major areas of practice is injury or death due to motor vehicle accidents.  He has noticed a trend of accidents involving cell phone usage, either talking or texting, and urges you not to use your phone while driving and be wary of other drivers on the road who may be using their phones.  For more information on his law firm, please click here.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Safety Tips: Drugs and Pain Management


Over-the-counter and prescription drugs are often the first and most commonly used tool for managing chronic pain.  Although many people associate prescription drug use with the possibility of drug dependence, there are many other health hazards to take into consideration when regularly using medication to manage pain.

According to Pain Pathways magazine (Spring 2011), prescription drugs are being misused and accidentally harming the population in a variety of ways.  Teenagers may get their hands on their parent’s prescription drugs to get high, people may share their medication with others, and others may use their drugs after the expiration date.  All of these common occurrences are extremely dangerous to all those involved, whether legally, morally, or physically.  Improper disposal of expired drugs is also becoming a problem, as some people are flushing their medications down the toilet.  These drugs then seep into the general water supply of their city, potentially causing great harm to anyone who may use the water later on.

In addition to the risks associated with the use of prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications pose their own set of risks and safety hazards.  Chronic pain sufferers frequently use acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), such as aspirin and ibuprofen, as a part of their pain management routine.   Although available more readily (and therefore, perceived as safer by the general public), the use of OTC drugs can result in accidental drug overdose, especially combined with prescription medications.  It is extremely important to be aware of exactly which prescriptions you are taking and at what times in order to avoid a drug reaction or overdose.  In all cases, it is extremely important to use and dispose of any medication responsibly and safely. 

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer located in Altoona, PA and serves the central and western Pennsylvania area.  For more information on him and his firm, please click here.   

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Radiofrequency Ablation

For many sufferers of chronic pain, the traditional treatment options of over-the-counter and prescription drugs are not sufficient enough to extinguish or significantly reduce their pain.  Many chronic pain patients turn to other, alternative, forms of treatment for their condition.  Some of these treatment options include counseling, occupational or physical therapy, herbal supplements, and acupuncture.  Additionally, many pain specialists are also trying a new technique in their offices known as radiofrequency ablation. 

Radiofrequency ablation, or RFA, is a medical technique that utilizes radio waves to use heat to inhibit pain-causing nerves (nociceptors) in the body.  RFA, a very accurate and precise piece of technology, was originally used to remove cancerous tumors and uteran fibroids, but is now frequently being used to treat neck, back, and head pain (Pain Pathways magazine, Fall 2011 issue, page 39).  For back pain specifically, RFA has significantly reduced pain associated with discogenic pain (otherwise known as degenerative disc disease), facet joint pain, and sacriliac pain in many patients. Radiofrequency ablation can also be used in a cooled format, in which the needles used in the procedure are cooled internally, allowing physicians to create a larger target of nociceptor inhibition.  This particular type of RFA is supposed to reduce risk and increase the success of the procedure.  The RFA procedure ends in a very short recovery time, with most patients being able to resume normal activities the next day.  RFA is also relatively safe compared with other similar procedures; complications are rare, and nerve damage is very unlikely. 

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer located in Altoona, PA and serves the central and western Pennsylvania area.  For more information on him and his firm, please click here.