Your airbag deployed in a car accident. Whew! You’re safe. Or are you? According to a Medscape report, a new review warns cardiologist and other health professionals that hidden injures can result from airbag deployment in automobiles. Airbags are used for saving lives and reducing injuries but they can also cause cardiac and pulmonary injuries, and even death. “Cardiac injuries can happen due to airbag deployment even with no visible injury at the time of presentation to the hospital, and this may include serious cardiac injuries,” said lead review author Dr. Rami Khouzam of University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. The main types of cardiovascular injuries following airbag deployment are: aortic transection tricuspid-valve injury right atrial rupture cardiac contusion MI
By: Darrell Castle For much of this past decade, Takata — one of the largest suppliers of vehicle airbags — denied its product was defective. Motorists died and automakers everywhere recalled millions of cars equipped with Takata airbags. But Takata stood its ground, claiming nothing was wrong with its product. As claims of shrapnel dangerously flying out of its exploding airbags continued to surface, Takata stood strong. Company officials said there’s nothing wrong with their airbags. Then this week, Takata recalled nearly 34 million vehicles, claiming its airbags ARE defective. This recall is the largest automotive recall in American history. Six deaths and over 100 injuries have been linked to this flaw. What You Should Know About the Takata Recall
Never make a recorded statement without an attorney By: Darrell Castle Though you’ll have to provide a statement to the other party’s insurance adjuster eventually, you’re not obligated to give one without a lawyer, and you should NEVER do so. The insurance adjuster wants to hear your side of the story, and at some point you’re obligated to give that, but you should always have legal representation first. In this video, I give an example of someone making the mistake of giving a recorded statement without representation. Doing so has the potential to be very damaging to your case. You need to go over your statement with a lawyer – not so you give an untruthful statement but so
Despite all the efforts from politicians, non-profits, and medical professionals, the cost of health care in the United States continues to rise. Many Americans face extremely high monthly insurance premiums and skyrocketing co-pays, and quality care can seem impossible. Even in today’s workforce, where jobs can be scarce and the search can take years, 57% of Americans would decline a job if it didn’t offer health benefits. 2/3 of adults say all the other office perks can’t make up for the value of employer-sponsored health benefits. And did you know… healthcare is the number one cause of personal bankruptcy medical debt is responsible for more collections than credit cards around 40% of Americans owe collectors money for costs related to
If you’re in a situation where someone has had a health emergency and they are unable to breathe or are unresponsive, knowing the tune to “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees could save the person’s life. “Stayin’ Alive” has the perfect rhythm (and title) to help you perform CPR until help arrives. If you can approximate the pace of the song, you will match the 103 compressions per minute that the experts use. Here are some other tips if you ever need to perform CPR: If someone is unresponsive, use CPR until help arrives, even if they are gasping for air. No need to do mouth-to-mouth, as studies have show it does not improve survival chances. Chest compressions alone are
Interest is rising in Memphis around scooters, just like it is in the rest of the world. And why not? The gas is cheaper, the parking can’t be beat, and you can feel the wind in your hair. Sure, in Memphis that wind will probably be very humid, and we’ve gotten a lot of rain lately, but enthusiasts don’t care. Memphis has a long love of motorcycles. In fact, this year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Memphis police motorcycle squad. The police squad began in 1911, and since then the officers have experienced countless motorcycle accidents. Many of them walk with a limp. But the dangerous job is worth it to them, they say, because of how much
By: Darrell Castle Does Pfizer, the drug manufacturer, care more about money than the well-being of Lipitor users? That question could be argued for many drug manufacturers, and Pfizer’s most recent actions could help make that argument. Lipitor, which is Pfizer’s hallmark drug, has made it billions of billions of dollars since being introduced in 1997. The drug was originally developed by Warner-Lambert with Pfizer agreeing to partner and bring it marketing success in exchange for a portion of its annual revenue. Warner-Lambert estimates had annual sales of Lipitor peaking at $500 million. However, in its first year, Lipitor far-surpassed those peaking estimates and brought in annual sales of $865 million. Then the next year, $2.2 billion. In 2000, Pfizer
By: Darrell Castle Have you ever wondered what happens when you “go under” in the operating room? In Weston, Virginia, a man found out. (Learn everything you need to know about medical malpractice! Click here to download my FREE report — Medical Malpractice 101 — from my website) The patient — who requested to remain anonymous — wanted to record the doctor’s post-operation instructions. But he ended up accidentally recording the entire procedure. And what he found was pretty disturbing. He discovered the doctor and the rest of the surgical team insulting and mocking him once he fell asleep. “After five minutes of talking to you in pre-op, I wanted to punch you in the face and man
(**Update** As of October 5, 2012, Shelby County dropped this proposal due to local demand.) If you’ve been trying to cut costs by taking care of your own trash, you may need to reconfigure your budget. Shelby County trash collection service may become mandatory soon, at a cost of $25/month. The proposal would make every resident pay for garbage pickup. It doesn’t matter if you’ve always been responsible with your waste. It doesn’t matter if you’re single, live alone, and produce one trash bag every 2 months. A lot of Memphians see this as a $300/year tax, paid directly to MLGW in your monthly bill. The county argues the proposal will help cut down on illegal dumping, but many residents
General Motors has issued another recall, making it over 20 million car recalled for the year. By: Darrell Castle General Motors has recalled another 3 million vehicles around the world this week. This has become somewhat of a monthly bulletin announcement for the massive car company as this brings the total amount of GM recalls to over 20 million for the year. This recall can be attributed to the infamous faulty ignition switch crisis that’s been linked to eight crashes and six injuries. This recall covers cars from model years 2000 to 2014. Due to the size of the hole on the key, extra weight can be added to the keychain, causing it to jostle the ignition. This can result