In the span of a few days in early 2011, two bus accidents – one of which involved a bus traveling from a casino in Connecticut to New York City – put the spotlight back on the issue of bus safety. In total, 17 people were killed in the two
By now, most of us realize that texting and driving do not mix. Yet, drivers who are distracted by various tech-toys remain a constant source of danger for commuters and pedestrians alike. In September, four people were killed and 24 injured when a New York bus driver crashed into a
Areas surrounding New York City are some of the deadliest in the nation when it comes to cyclist safety. For example, Long Island alone has had at least 64 cyclist deaths since 2005. According to Newsday, Long Island’s bicycle crash death rate greatly exceeds that of nearby New Jersey, Connecticut
Recent Tragic Queens Construction Accident Illustrates Problem Just days ago, a job-site accident in Queens tragically killed a young, Latino construction worker. The 26-year-old man was helping construct a 65-foot wall when the cinder-block wall suddenly collapsed, killing him and seriously injuring three others. Early reports indicate that the wall
Elevators in the U.S. make 18 billion passenger trips annually. Deaths due to elevator accidents average about 30 per year while the annual injury rate is estimated at 17,000. Though deaths and injuries are higher among workers who maintain and install elevators, passengers are generally safer on elevators than they
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) runs one of the largest and busiest elevator fleets in the area. Its 340 public housing complexes serving poor and moderate-income families contain 3,338 elevators in 2,618 buildings. At 3.1 million trips a day, these elevators make 1.2 billion trips each year. In
Recently, the sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church has been the focus of much media attention. But as shocking and disturbing as this problem is, it is not nearly as widespread as sex abuse in our nation’s schools. One university researcher has concluded that sexual abuse of students at
One in five children in the U.S. is a victim of sex abuse. Children in foster care face an even higher probability of being sexually abused. In fact, in some states, the rate of sex abuse in foster care may be as much as 28 times higher than in the
Bullying is nothing new; ever since schoolchildren have gathered on playgrounds, youngsters have been singled out by their peers. But, some things have changed, and the disturbing new trend of cyber bullying has turned social media outlets into a hotbed of abusive electronic communications that can sweep through the internet
In New York, special notice-of-claim requirements apply to personal injury claims against government entities or operators. In most cases it is vital to ensure that the appropriate entity receives a proper notice of the claim on time. However, giving a late notice of claim is not always fatal to a
Recent Developments In the past 20 years the pharmacist’s new role as therapeutic advisor is most noticeable in the hospital setting. But the duty to oversee drug therapy in the community through the use of patient profiles is another vital aspect of pharmacy practice. Social and market forces have combined
To prove that a person acted negligently, one must show that he or she failed to exercise a degree of care that a person of ordinary prudence would have exercised under the same circumstances. To win a pharmacist negligence case, the plaintiff must prove four elements: duty, breach of that
The practice of pharmacy has greatly evolved from ancient times to the present. In colonial America, the village apothecary served as both doctor and pharmacist. Later, as “druggists,” pharmacists acquired the skills to compound and formulate more complex medicines. The rise of the pharmaceutical industry after WWII diminished the pharmacist’s
Every year, as many as 7,000 Americans die because of medication errors. Many of these deaths are preventable and, in spite of efforts to reduce prescription mistakes, these tragedies persist. Developing an understanding as to how these problems arise is the best way to anticipate problems and avoid being hurt
#5 Heparin Basic Characteristics Heparin is an anticoagulant. It is used to reduce the clotting ability of the blood and to prevent the formation of harmful clots in blood vessels. Heparin is sometimes called a blood thinner but it does not actually thin the blood. Although it will not dissolve
#4 Albuterol Basic Characteristics Albuterol is a drug used to treat the symptoms of asthma, an inflammatory lung disease that causes difficulty in breathing. Asthma is a chronic condition in which the airways react when stimulated by an allergen or other triggers in the environment. Symptoms of an asthma attack
#3 Potassium Chloride Basic Characteristics Potassium is a mineral found in many foods, including tomatoes, beans, peas, lentils, bananas and sweet potatoes. The body requires a certain level of potassium in order to keep the heart beating. Potassium chloride is a compound created by combining potassium and chlorine. This compound
#2 Morphine Basic Characteristics Morphine is an opioid pain medication made from the opium poppy. It is used to treat moderate to severe pain and is one of the world’s oldest known analgesics (pain relievers). Morphine is also classified as a narcotic drug and works by changing the way the
#1: Insulin Basic Characteristics Insulin is a hormone made by cells inside the pancreas. Its purpose is to help the body use and store the blood glucose it obtains from food. In people with Type 1 diabetes the pancreas can no longer produce insulin. Therefore, these patients require insulin shots
Beginning in the 1990s, people with severe back and neck pain began to rely on spinal steroid injections to relieve their discomfort and help them avoid surgery. The injections, which combine a steroid with a numbing medication, seemed to quiet irritated and inflamed nerves. By 2011, 2.5 million Medicare patients,
Medication errors can be costly and are often caused by the hectic, multi-tasking work environments of many drug retailers. In one scenario, a busy pharmacist receives a telephone call from a doctor’s office with a prescription order for digoxin, a heart drug. The pharmacist counts out the correct mediation, pours
Nowadays, there seems to be a pill for just about everything. For those of us lucky enough not to be sick, pharmaceutical companies will happily sell us drugs to fend off a multitude of potential maladies. Unlike in the past, when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) came under constant
The new frontier of the sharing economy brings many rewards and much confusion. By making their cars or their homes available for others to use, people benefit financially while offering convenient, lower cost services to their consumers. This enormously popular business model has gone positively global. Airbnb’s home sharing network
Plaintiff fell into elevator’s shaft, claimed doors malfunctioned Settlement: $2,875,000 Case: Bruce M v Saunders Apartments, Inc., Vision Enterprise Management, LLC and Skyline Elevators, Inc., No. 14074/06 Court: Queens Supreme Judge: Janice A. Taylor Date: 12/12/2008 Plantiff Attorney(s) Adam M. Orlow; The Orlow Firm, Flushing, NY DefenseAttorney(s) Patrick J. Crowe;
In the U.S., elevator and escalator accidents kill about 30 people a year and seriously injure 17,000. The vast majority (90%) of these incidents involve elevators, which also account for well over half the injuries. There are an estimated 900,000 elevators in the U.S., each of which serves about 20,000
I. Measuring the Harm There is no safe level of lead exposure in children. According to a preliminary 2012 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), current standards for measuring blood lead level (BLL) in children are inaccurate and misleading. Furthermore, addressing the harm retroactively is not
