Baton Rouge Louisiana Personal Injury Law Blog

How far-reaching is a brain injury's effects?

On behalf of McGlynn, Glisson & Mouton posted in Car Accidents on Saturday, January 19, 2019.

As a Louisiana resident who has been involved in a dangerous car accident, there are many injuries you could face. Traumatic brain injuries are just one of them. At McGlynn, Glisson & Mouton, we strive to help you through this difficult post-accident period as you recover.

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are known to cause victims many problems in both the short and long term. For example, you could face behavioral changes or personality changes. You may experience mental disorders like depression or anxiety. Your sleep pattern could be disrupted, and you may begin to have recurring nightmares.

What should you know about defective drugs?

On behalf of McGlynn, Glisson & Mouton posted in defective drugs on Friday, January 18, 2019.

Louisiana residents like you take medicines for a number of things. Whether it's a medication for a life-threatening ailment, painkillers for headaches, or even eye drops to soothe redness and itching, there are many different products you use possibly every day. So what's so important about drug defects?

Defective drugs can have a huge impact on your life. According to FindLaw, there are dangerous drug defects that can affect you in a number of harmful ways. Just a few common side effects shared among defective drugs include:

Increased chance of blood clots or stroke
Damage to certain organs like the liver
Heart attacks
Depressive episodes or other mood disorders
Birth defects

Trucker had history of violations prior to fatal crash

On behalf of McGlynn, Glisson & Mouton posted in truck accidents on Friday, January 11, 2019.

People in Louisiana should be able to trust that truckers and other commercial drivers are strongly monitored and held to strict safety standards. People who operate these big rigs have a serious responsibility to do so in a manner that keeps other people on the roads free from harm. Unfortunately, these drivers are still able to make negligent choices. Even worse, it seems that there may be times when a truck driver is allowed to keep driving commercially even if they have a history of violations and unsafe driving practices.

An example of this can be seen in a recent crash in Florida that had an exceptionally tragic outcome. As reported by the Miami Herald, a truck driver for some reason came into contact with another vehicle while travelling along a stretch of Interstate 75. After this contact, the tractor-trailer went into the oncoming lane of traffic and struck other vehicles, including another tractor-trailer.

Defective Takata air bag cases: What you should know

On behalf of McGlynn, Glisson & Mouton on Thursday, January 10, 2019.

Approximately 37 million vehicles with 50 million Takata air bags have been recalled as a result of defective air bag deflators. By the end of 2019, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration expects that 65 to 70 million vehicles will have been recalled.

These deflators, which can explode within the cabin of a vehicle -- like a tiny grenade -- have already killed 23 people throughout the world (that we know of). More people may have died and additional people could die as a result of these extremely dangerous devices.

5 Avoyelles Parish children die in fiery collision in Florida

On behalf of McGlynn, Glisson & Mouton on Tuesday, January 8, 2019.

Louisianians are mourning the loss of five children who lost their lives in a fiery collision involving two semitrucks just outside of Gainesville, Florida. The five children were traveling in a van with relatives and other members of the Avoyelles House of Mercy church and were on their way to a post-Christmas holiday at Orlando's Disney World.

The multi-vehicle fatal collision occurred on Thursday, Jan. 3. According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), a northbound semitruck and an automobile first collided. The initial impact caused both to slam through the guardrail and strike another semitruck headed south, as well as the van. Inside the van were three adults and nine children.

Alcohol a major factor in holiday accident fatalities

On behalf of McGlynn, Glisson & Mouton posted in drunk driving accidents on Sunday, January 6, 2019.

Louisiana is known for its love of celebrations and these celebrations often involve enjoying alcoholic beverages. Unfortunately, it seems that people may not be respecting the need to drink responsibly by finding safe ways home such as identifying a designated driver or using ridesharing services, especially during the holidays.

According to data reported by The Advocate, alcohol was a noted factor in more than two out of three vehicular fatalities in Louisiana over the Christmas and New Year's holidays between 2013 and 2017. During these five years, 139 people died in traffic accidents during these holiday periods. Of those, 99 people were killed at the hands of drunk drivers. Looking at last year alone, 60 percent of the auto accident deaths over Christmas and New Year's were attributed to alcohol.

Critics raise questions about the safety of fertility drugs

On behalf of McGlynn, Glisson & Mouton posted in defective drugs on Friday, January 4, 2019.

Couples in Louisiana who wish to become parents but have difficulty conceiving may turn to in vitro fertilization for help having a child. However, even though IVF and similar fertility treatments have resulted in the births of eight million babies in the last 40 years, the Washington Post reports that the industry may be taking advantage of people's wish for a child by overprescribing the drugs associated with IVF and glossing over their potentially negative effects on a woman's health.

Advocates for the industry claim that there are no known risks associated with taking the drugs and no negative health effects, but critics claim that the matter has not received sufficient study to make such broad claims. The United States is one of few developed nations that does not track fertility treatments' health outcomes.

Seven charges for Louisiana man in Christmas Eve hit and run

On behalf of McGlynn, Glisson & Mouton posted in drunk driving accidents on Thursday, January 3, 2019.

December holidays are notorious as a potentially deadly time of the year for drunk driving accidents. The perception is that motorists may indulge in too much alcohol at holiday parties and unwisely attempt to drive home. However, drunk driving accidents can and do happen at all times of the year, and despite the timing, a festive celebration does not appear to have been a factor in a Christmas Eve crash along Louisiana 34 in which a drunk driver allegedly rear-ended another vehicle and then left the scene.

In addition to driving while intoxicated (first offense) and hit and run, other charges against the driver, a 26-year-old man from West Monroe, include expired license plate, careless operation, improper lane usage, speeding and open container. Upon searching the vehicle, authorities discovered a sports drink bottle containing approximately six ounces of whiskey in the driver's side cup holder and a six-pack of Miller Lite with only four bottles remaining.

Utah leads nation in reducing BAC for drunk driving

On behalf of McGlynn, Glisson & Mouton posted in drunk driving accidents on Saturday, December 29, 2018.

As many residents and visitors in Louisiana prepare to ring in the new year, the topic of drunk driving naturally comes up. Many people will choose to appoint a designated driver for the evening. Others may elect to use ride sharing apps, taxi cabs or public transportation to get to and from their celebrations. Still other people may simply stay home so as to avoid the potential drunk drivers that could be on the road.

In Utah, there may be less worry about drunk drivers this year than in other states. That is because effective December 30, 2018, the state will enact a new, lower threshold for drunk driving. According to a report by Quartz, a driver in Utah will be able to be charged with a drunk driving offense if they have a blood alcohol content of 0.05 percent or greater. This is a full 0.03 percent lower than the current limit of 0.08 percent.

The importance of reviewing medical records

On behalf of McGlynn, Glisson & Mouton posted in medical malpractice on Friday, December 28, 2018.

If you are like most people in Louisiana, your doctor's office using electronic methods of making notes about your health. The same is likely true of any hospital or other medical facility that you have visited in recent years. While these tools may be beneficial in many ways, they do not necessarily eliminate all potential problems. For this reason, it remains important that you always know what information is in your medical record.

As reported by Kaiser Health News, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology indicates that as many as 10 percent of patients who requested their electronic medical records discovered inaccurate information in their files. The types of errors that can be made in a medical file vary but all may have the ability to contribute to a medical error.