Facts About Brain Injuries--Surprising Or Not?

According to information provided in a recent article by EverydayHealth.com, many Americans have suffered from a significant head injury in the past several years.  Here are some facts provided by EverydayHealth.com that may surprise you!

• In 2010, about 2 1/2 million Americans suffered from a traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• TBIs are a contributing factor in about 1 in 3 injury-related deaths
• The populations that are at the most risk to suffer a TBI injury are children aged 0-4, teens aged 15-19, and adults over 65
• Children alone account for almost 500,000 ER visits every year for TBI injuries

For more information and facts related to traumatic brain injuries, please visit the original article here.

If you have recently been in a car crash, it is important to closely monitor your body's response to injury.  This is especially true if you suspect that you have sustained a significant head injury.  If your car accident was due to the fault of another, it may also be time to seek legal action.   If you or a loved one has recently been in a car accident due to the fault of another, please contact Altoona, PA area personal injury attorney Doug Stoehr to set up an initial, free consultation.  His law office can be reached by visiting his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com or calling his firm at 814-946-4100.

Tractor-Trailer Hit In Accident On PA Highway

A tractor-trailer has was involved in an accident on Pennsylvania's highways.  According to the story posted by Lancaster Online, two people were injured in a crash when a tractor-trailer was hit on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.  The tractor-trailer was overturned and was blocking the right land and shoulder. At the time of the report, the accident was reported to have been caused by a sportscar driver who was driving too fast for the conditions and crashed into the truck.  

As drivers in Pennsylvania, it is important to realize that we need to share the road with commercial truck drivers .  When truck drivers are put into a dangerous position, they are also a significant cause of motor vehicle accidents . As a result, passengers and other vehicles often bear the brunt of the activity and are can be seriously injured or die from a resulting collision. If you have been injured or a loved one has died as a result of a motor vehicle or commercial vehicle accident, please contact our law office for a consultation at no cost to you at the Law Offices of Attorney Doug Stoehr.

For more on the original article, please click here.

Pennsylvania Reports Increase In ER Visits for Head Injuries

Pennsylvania is seeing a significant increase in head injuries in their hospitals' emergency rooms.  According to a local central Pennsylvania news source, there was almost a 30% increase in the number of ER visits for head injuries from 2006 to 2010.  Among those statistics, the majority of reports came from children and adults over 60.  Right here in Altoona, the emergency department director, Dr. Bouchard, stated that they've seen a larger increase in the number of brain injuries in older people. He also believes that this is largely due to increased awareness and potential severity of brain injuries.

If you have recently been in a car crash, it is important to closely monitor your body's response to injury.  This is especially true if you suspect that you have sustained a significant head injury.  If your car accident was due to the fault of another, it may also be time to seek legal action.   If you or a loved one has recently been in a car accident due to the fault of another, please contact Altoona, PA area personal injury attorney Doug Stoehr to set up an initial, free consultation.  His law office can be reached by visiting his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com or calling his firm at 814-946-4100.

Please visit the original article here.

Chronic Pain Education Through Tweeting

In the latest in a series of articles on this blog relating to chronic pain, ABC News has released an interesting article covering many common questions about chronic pain in the form of Twitter tweets.  It is an interesting and engaging lens into the world of chronic pain.  I urge you to take a look at the original article, which can be found by clicking this link.  Considering that as much as 25% of the United States population may be experiencing some form of chronic pain, the disorder is worth looking into. 

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving Blair and the seven surrounding counties in central Pennsylvania.  He takes cases for clients who are experiencing chronic pain as the result of an injury due to the fault of another.  This may include a car accident, slip-and-fall accident, and others.  For more information on his Altoona, PA area firm, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com.

NPR Weighs In On Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is becoming an issue that is swiftly gaining national attention as more physicians are recognizing the disorder as a valid medical condition.  Among the many national news sources that are covering the topic of chronic pain, the National Public Radio is one of them.  NPR recently ran a radio interview covering an area within chronic pain that many patients grapple with:  the fear of addiction to pain medication versus the discomfort of chronic pain.  To read the NPR interview with Judy Foreman, author of "A Nation in Pain", or listen to the audio version, please click here.

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving Blair and the seven surrounding counties in central Pennsylvania.  He takes cases for clients who are experiencing chronic pain as the result of an injury due to the fault of another.   For more information on his Altoona, PA area firm, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com.

Western PA Elderly Resources Website

            As stated in earlier blog posts, Pennsylvania has a significant amount of legal claims related to elder abuse and neglect. This primarily a result of our state’s large aging population, which has one of the highest percentages of senior citizens in the country.  Allegheny County's Department of Human Services has acknowledged this phenomenon and created a resource page to for seniors address some of these issues.  This page can be accessed by clicking this link, which takes you to a variety of resources for seniors including nursing home alternatives, mental health resources, and caregiver support.  It may be worthwhile to take a few minutes to browse this page and educate yourself on the options available to you and your aging loved ones in Western Pennsylvania.   

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer who takes nursing home abuse and neglect cases in the western and central Pennsylvania areas.  He takes cases in Blair and the seven surrounding counties, and his practice is based in Altoona, PA.  For more information on his firm, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com.

To access Pennsylvania’s resource page for elder abuse, please click this link. 

Neurostimulation For Chronic Pain

For people who suffer from chronic pain, they often have tried many different ways to control their symptoms using drugs, medication, and alternative therapies. Unfortunately, these are not always successful.   For some chronic pain patients, there is the option of a neurostimulator.  This stimulator is a small electronic device that is inserted on the patient's spinal cord and helps to regulate nerve impulses to the areas that are affected by the patient's pain symptoms.  To read more about this method, please click on this link to an article by the Fort Wayne-area newspaper, The News-Sentinel.


Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving Blair and the seven surrounding counties in central Pennsylvania.  He takes cases for clients who are experiencing chronic pain as the result of an injury due to the fault of another.   For more information on his Altoona, PA area firm, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com. 

Sleep and Exercise Closely Linked for Chronic Pain Patients

The health benefits of exercise are numerous and well-documented.  However, for those people who suffer from chronic pain, the act of exercising may be more limited and painful than the average person.  Chronic pain sufferers also commonly experience issues relating to sleep quality and the amount of sleep they obtain. 

The Huffington Post highlighted this problem in one of their recent articles.  According to the news piece, a recent scientific journal article had results that suggest that "sleep is associated with physical activity for people with chronic pain, with sleep better predicting levels of next-day physical activity than pain intensity or mood in the morning".  These results suggest that sleep and exercise are closely linked for chronic pain patients, and the value of sleep is important for the output and ability to exercise.  

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving Blair and the seven surrounding counties in central Pennsylvania.  He takes cases for clients who are experiencing chronic pain as the result of an injury due to the fault of another.   For more information on his Altoona, PA area firm, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com. 

For more on the original article from the Huffington Post, please click here. 

Looking for Chronic Pain Resources?

Often, many people who receive a diagnosis of chronic pain are unsure of where to turn for help, information, and resources.  As a result, many websites and support networks have been created to address these needs.  One of the major ones in the United States is the American Chronic Pain Association.  Their online website features resources relating to tracking your pain, managing your medication, and connecting with others to find support.  To visit their website, please click here. 

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving Blair and the seven surrounding counties in central Pennsylvania.  He takes cases for clients who are experiencing chronic pain as the result of an injury due to the fault of another.   For more information on his Altoona, PA area firm, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com. 

Car Crashes Are Second Leading Cause of TBI

Often when people hear about traumatic brain injuries, they tend to envision accidents related to sports.  In reality, falls are the number one leading cause of traumatic brain injuries, followed closely by car crashes.  This information, courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control, is true across all age groups.  

One news site (WATE.com) highlighted the story of a young college student who was in a car accident and suffered significant injury to her head.  Her traumatic brain injury was so severe that it was compared to the effects often seen in Shaken Baby Syndrome.  To read more about this girl's story and to educate yourself on the lasting effects of a TBI injury, please click here. 

If you have recently been in a car crash, it is important to closely monitor your body's response and recovery after the accident.  If you suspect a TBI, immediately seek help from a qualified physician who can diagnose you and develop a comprehensive treatment plan.  If your car accident was due to the fault of another, it may also be time to seek legal action.  This is especially true if your injuries cause you to miss extended periods of work or not be able to continue your line of work at all.  Other major expenses resulting from an accident may include medical bills.  If you or a loved one has recently been in a car accident due to the fault of another, please contact Altoona, PA area personal injury attorney Doug Stoehr to set up an initial, free consultation.  His law office can be reached by visiting his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com or calling his firm at 814-946-4100.

Understanding Traumatic Brain Injuries

How much do you really know about traumatic brain injuries?  Although this injury has made many headlines in the news in the past few years, the cause, symptoms, and treatments remain a mystery to many.  Many websites have compiled information about traumatic brain injuries to help educate the general public.  Of these websites is the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC), which has myriad information relating to traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and burn injuries. For those who may want to educate themselves more on the causes, signs, and treatment of traumatic brain injuries, their website may be a good place to begin.  Click here for the direct link to their TBI page.

If you have recently been in a car crash, it is important to closely monitor your body's response to injury.  This is especially true if you suspect that you have sustained a significant head injury.  If your car accident was due to the fault of another, it may also be time to seek legal action.   If you or a loved one has recently been in a car accident due to the fault of another, please contact Altoona, PA area personal injury attorney Doug Stoehr to set up an initial, free consultation.  His law office can be reached by visiting his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com or calling his firm at 814-946-4100.

Brain Injuries Have A Long Recovery Time

Sometimes, people who are victims of a car crash often experience concussions or another form of traumatic brain injury (TBI).  Although the signs associated with this injury may not immediately be present, the symptoms may manifest themselves days or weeks later.  Many common symptoms related to TBIs include headaches, dizziness, disorientation, changes in sleep patterns, and gaps in or loss of portions of memory.  Other more immediate symptoms may include vomiting and/or loss of vision.

Post-TBI, many patients find that the road to recovery is long, hard, and takes a variety of different professionals to manage the healing process.  Major news source NBC took a hard look at instances of TBIs in America and what the recovery process looks like for those victims.  The article can be found by clicking this link.

If you have recently been in a car crash, it is important to closely monitor your body's response and recovery after the accident.  If you suspect a TBI, immediately seek help from a qualified physician who can diagnose you and develop a comprehensive treatment plan.  If your car accident was due to the fault of another, it may also be time to seek legal action.  This is especially true if your injuries cause you to miss extended periods of work or not be able to continue your line of work at all.  Other major expenses resulting from an accident may include medical bills.  If you or a loved one has recently been in a car accident due to the fault of another, please contact Altoona, PA area personal injury attorney Doug Stoehr to set up an initial, free consultation.  His law office can be reached by visiting his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com or calling his firm at 814-946-4100.

Pennsylvania Has Elder Abuse Hotline

            You may not know that Pennsylvania has a significant amount of claims related to elder abuse and neglect. This is due mainly to our state’s large aging population, which is among the highest in the country.  The State of Pennsylvania has noticed this occurrence and has created a website and resource center for victims or family members related to those who have suffered elder abuse.

            Pennsylvania has set up a statewide elder abuse hotline, which can be accessed by calling this number: 1-800-490-8505.  The hotline is open 24 hours a day and can be used a tipline to report activity related to abuse, neglect, exploitation, identity theft, or abandonment of an elderly PA resident.  Pennsylvania also has local Area Agencies on Aging that can assist in these situations. 

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer who takes nursing home abuse and neglect cases in the western and central Pennsylvania areas.  He takes cases in Blair and the seven surrounding counties, and his practice is based in Altoona, PA.  For more information on his firm, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com.

To access Pennsylvania’s resource page for elder abuse, please click this link. 

NCEA Examines Elder Abuse Nation-Wide

Unknown to many, an organization known as the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), is a branch of the Administration on Aging.  The NCEA has compiled a wealth of information regarding elder abuse across the country and where our country seems to be headed on the topic in the future. Some of the most interesting results of their research can be found below.  I strongly urge you to check out their website at http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/Library/Data/index.aspx for more information and to read the entire compilation!

Here are some interesting pieces of data collected by the NCEA:

• The 2010 US Census recorded both the greatest number and proportion of people 65+ years old in the entire census history.  This amounts to 40.3 million elderly residents.
• By 2050, the population will most likely be 20% comprised of people aged 65 and older.
• Data from the Adult Protective Services (APS) reports an increase in the number of reports of elder abuse in the past several years. They expect that this trend will continue.
• Only about 1 in 14 cases of elder abuse come to the attention of authorities.  Some report this statistic to be as high as 1 in 24 cases. 
• Financial exploitation is the highest self-reported form of elder abuse.  
• The majority of those who engage in elder abuse are family members, at a percentage of about 90% of all reported elder abuse cases. 
• The proportion of abuse of the elderly with disabilities is particularly high, as well as those with dementia and those who live in nursing homes or long-term assisted living facilities.

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving western and central Pennsylvania.  He takes cases for older Pennsylvanians who have been abused or neglected.  For more information on his Altoona, PA area practice, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com.  Attorney Stoehr takes cases in Blair and the seven surrounding counties.

Chronic Pain Can Affect Office Performance

Do you suffer from chronic pain?  It might be hard to get your job done during the day, especially if you are sitting for a large amount of time.  Millions of Americans suffer from this problem, and a Seattle-area news website offered up some tips to help sufferers of chronic pain more effectively function during the work day.  Here are a few of their tips below:

• Regularly stretch tense muscles during the day, especially those in your back and neck.
• Try to take walks during the work day.  Even a brief stroll around the office can relieve pressure on your spine and increase blood flow.
• Pick a chair that will support your body in an appropriate and comfortable way.

The majority of chronic pain begins in the joints and muscles, but then can move into the central nervous system. There is also research that has shown that persistent pain can re-map brain pathways, making pain worsen over time.  To manage this, it is best to consult with your physician as soon as you begin to feel chronic pain symptoms.  Catching the problem early may make treatment easier, less time consuming, and more effective.

Attorney Doug Stoehr takes cases for clients who are experiencing chronic pain due to an accident or injury due to the fault of another.  For more information on his Altoona, PA area practice, please visit his website at  http://www.stoehrlaw.com or call his office at 814-946-4100.

To read more of the original article, and for more of their tips on dealing with chronic pain at the office, please click here. 

Avoiding Slip-And-Fall Accidents for Elderly Residents

In the winter months, the episodes of outdoor slip-and-fall injuries tend to increase.  This is especially true this year, given the heightened amount of snow, ice, and cold conditions that our area of Pennsylvania has seen.  This can be especially dangerous for Pennsylvania’s significant elderly population.  Older residents often have osteoporosis, which may lead them to break or fracture a bone when they fall, due to the weakened bone structure.

An Erie, PA area website has posted some tips for its elderly residents to help decrease the incidences of slip-and-fall accidents for older Pennsylvanians.  Some of the tips found on their website, GoErie.com, can be found here:

·      People with osteoporosis should be especially diligent about taking supplements, such as vitamin D and calcium, in order to increase bone strength and density.
·      Do some balance exercises daily.
·      Wear proper footwear when heading outside.  Wearing slippers or shoes with not enough tread may increase your likelihood of falling and seriously injuring yourself.
·      Consider buying over-shoe inserts that attach to the bottom of your shoes to give you more traction outside.
·      Keep your walkways completely clear of snow and ice. The use of rock salt and/or sand may help with that goal.

If you have slipped and fallen on the property of another, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills and potential pain and suffering.  This may include cases where sidewalks were improperly maintained due to the winter weather, such as failure to remove snow and ice.   Attorney Doug Stoehr takes cases for clients who have sustained slip-and-fall injuries due to the fault or negligence of another.  For more information on his Altoona, PA area practice, please visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com or call his firm at 814-946-4100.

To read more about the GoErie.com article, please click here.

Nursing Home Abuse Is a Nation-Wide Problem

Recently, a Long Island area nursing home has come under public scrutiny for charges of alleged abuse at the hands of the facility's workers.   According to an article by the Long Island Press, several workers in a Medford nursing home were accused of covering up the death of one of their residents.  An alarm which alerts workers that a resident may be in distress was ignored for over two hours, according to some reports.  The death is proposed to have been caused by a failure of one of the workers to connect the resident's ventilator machine in at night.

Do you want to know how to spot the signs of a bad nursing home?  Our blog ran an article highlighting some tips and signs to watch out for if you suspect that your loved one is receiving substandard care in a nursing home.  Check out our blog post here for nursing home warning signs!

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer who  takes nursing home abuse and neglect cases in the western and central Pennsylvania areas.  He takes cases in Blair and the seven surrounding counties, and his practice is based in Altoona, PA.  For more information on his firm, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com

To read more from the original article by the Long Island Press, please click here. 

Do you know Pennsylvania's snowmobiling laws?

If you are interested in using a snowmobile in Pennsylvania this summer, there are some rules and regulations that you need to know before you begin! 

For example, did you know that it is illegal to operate or be a passenger a snowmobile without wearing a properly fitted helmet? Also, no children aged 10-16 can operate a snowmobile except on family land.  This case is only changed if the child has taken a state-approved safety course and has received a certificate.

Also, many people may not realize that all snowmobiles that require general registration all need liability insurance coverage.  Proof of this coverage needs to be carried by the snowmobile operator.  If you fail to register your snowmobile and/or fail to obtain liability coverage, you may be fined up to $300.  There are also very specific regulations in Pennsylvania regarding brake systems, mufflers, sound levels, and visibility equipment.  So, the bottom line is: enjoy your snowmobile, but make sure to follow the state laws!

As fun and enjoyable as snowmobiling can be, all-terrain and off-road vehicles such as ATVs, dirt bikes, and snowmobiles are a leading cause of serious injury among Pennsylvanians, especially among our state’s youth.   Attorney Doug Stoehr of Altoona, PA handles cases involving injury as a result of accidents involving off-road vehicles.  For more information about Attorney Doug Stoehr and his Blair county area practice, please visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com or call his law firm at 814-946-4100.

For more information about Pennsylvania's snowmobiling laws, please visit the original PDF handout here: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_015958.pdf.

PennDOT Snowmobile Tips and Facts

Are you a snowmobile user in Pennsylvania?  PennDOT has addressed the high number of growing snowmobile enthusiasts by adding some very important safety information to their website, which can be found here.

Some of the most important tips and facts from the website our law firm noted from the website were the following:

• All snowmobile users should take a safety course before they begin riding.
• Clear snow debris off your snowmobile tail lights often so the lights can be seen.
• Always ride at a safe speed, and only on designated areas.

There are also important tips and regulations aimed specifically at Pennsylvania’s youth, such as:

• All children aged 10 -15 must take a mandatory, state-approved snowmobile training course if they wish to use their snowmobile off of their family’s property.
• No person under the age of 10 years old is allowed to operate a snowmobile on public land.

It is also important to note that, according to the PennDOT website, “If you are involved in an accident that results in the injury or death of any person, or property damages to the estimated amount of $100 or more, you must report the matter in writing within seven days to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry, PO Box 8552, Harrisburg, PA 17105. It is a violation of the Snowmobile/ATV Law not to report an accident.”.

Off-road vehicles, such as snowmobiles, are also a significant cause of serious injury among Pennsylvanians.  Attorney Doug Stoehr of Altoona, PA handles cases involving injury as a result of accidents involving off-road vehicles.  For more information about Attorney Doug Stoehr and his Blair county area practice, please visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com or call his law firm at 814-946-4100.

PA Among Top States For ATV Accidents

As many area residents probably know, Pennsylvania has a large amount of all-terrain vehicle (ATV) users.  Exploring the natural beauty of central Pennsylvania by ATV, motorbike, or snowmobile is a common activity among our area’s families.  However, the converse side to this activity is the potential for serious injury or death.  According to a recent report, Pennsylvania ranks among the top five states for the highest numbers of ATV-related deaths.

During a five year period of 2007-2011, Pennsylvania had 97 fatalities resulted from all-terrain vehicles.  Many factors are cited as contributing to these deaths. ATVs can reach high speeds, but their tires are not as stable or supportive.  They are also not designed for paved roads.  When ATVs reach a high level of speed on a paved road, this can lead to roll-overs.   Many ATV riders also do not wear helmets, which contributes to a heightened level/severity of injury. Notably, most reported ATV accidents occurred on paved roads and involved only a single ATV.  Most ATV users are also males of teenage years or older. In many accidents, alcohol use by the driver is also a factor.  Due to a marked increase in the number of recent ATV sales, the general public may see the number of ATV accidents climb in the coming years. 

As noted above, ATVs, dirt bikes, and other off-road vehicles (such as snowmobiles) are a leading cause of serious injury among Pennsylvanians, especially among our state’s youth.   Attorney Doug Stoehr of Altoona, PA handles cases involving injury as a result of accidents involving off-road vehicles.  For more information about Attorney Doug Stoehr and his Blair county area practice, please visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com or call his law firm at 814-946-4100.

For more information about ATV accidents, safety, and national statistics, please visit the original article here: http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/581785/W-Va--ranked-highest-in-ATV-deaths.html?nav=5061.