It’s that time of year when those who sadly and grudgingly took down their holiday decorations at the end of last winter to put their decorations back up again safely. But how “safe” is it really? There are all kinds of electronic decorations that have emerged on store shelves – and that means there are a host of new fire hazards to worry about. We’ve all seen the holiday movies where someone becomes competitive and [...]
When you file a worker’s compensation claim and work your way through the workers’ comp process, eventually you reach the point of settlement discussions and the complicated factors that go into determining what your injury is worth under the law. Part of that determination can and often does involve valuing an injury to a particular body part. What are some of the factors to consider in any workers’ comp settlement offers? There are a number [...]
Black Friday has been a holiday all its own for decades. To some shoppers, it has become a sport- while to others it’s a family tradition that signals the end of Thanksgiving and the beginning of gift-giving season. This once-a-year event begins months in advance with stores advertising their biggest deals to create a frenzy among holiday shoppers – and groans among store employees. The madness of Black Friday really only lasts a matter of [...]
The very last thing anyone wants to do is face the reality that a parent or other senior relative may no longer be able to care for themselves. You painstakingly assess all of your options to help them but whether it’s for financial reasons or logistics, you decide it’s time to research nursing homes or assisted living facilities. This can be quite stressful. Not only may you feel guilty about having to explain to your [...]
We hit the roads every day trusting that everyone else behind the wheel has the requisite skills and licensing to safely operate their vehicles. Because trucks are so much larger than standard passenger vehicles it's all the more important that drivers steering these deadly rigs have been fully trained and are qualified to drive among us. Without the trucking industry the country wouldn’t be able to function, and we are in the midst of a [...]
As Charlotte area residents know, there are numerous trucks on the road day and night hauling merchandise and all kinds of cargo in and out of state. Most of the time, the drivers of passenger vehicles are able to safely share the roadway with these trucks. However, in some cases, truck accidents occur as a result of a particularly dangerous situation – overloaded or improperly loaded truck cargo. When the driver of a passenger car [...]
Seat belts and air bags are crucial automotive safety devices designed to prevent or minimize injury in the event of a car accident. Drivers and passengers too often fail to use these devices on a consistent basis. However, their use can significantly reduce the risk of personal injury and fatalities. Nearly 15,000 lives were saved in 2017 through the use of seat belts in passenger vehicles. Even though seat belts don’t wear out as fast [...]
This past September, ride-hailing giant Lyft published new safety features, as the company faces an onslaught of allegations from passengers claiming they were assaulted by Lyft drivers. Lyft is facing numerous lawsuits from women around the nation who assert Lyft has been long aware of – but did nothing to stop – an ongoing and pervasive epidemic of sexual assaults and rapes carried out by some of its drivers. Lyft’s new safety initiatives As the [...]
When it comes to the rare meteorological event of a hurricane, there is only so much a homeowner can do to prepare for every possible scenario. The ways in which individuals can suffer physical injuries or even death before, during, and after these storms are numerous. Hurricane Florence killed 22 people across three Southeastern states in 2018, including North Carolina, and was the ninth most destructive storm in terms of property damage in U.S. history. [...]
Most people take for granted that they will be safe at work. It’s the one place where most people spend the bulk of their waking hours, and it is the one place where the last thing you want to worry about is your safety. Workers’ compensation is a state program which offers a temporary disability benefit for workers who have been injured while they were working, but will it cover injuries if you are the [...]
