Can-Opener Bridge Claims 102nd Victim
America’s aging infrastructure, coupled with a rise in distracted and fatigued driving, has created a recipe for disaster. Durham Bridge was built before the regulation of minimum clearance heights, and while a series of large warning signs line the roadway approaching the bridge, they are proving ineffective at reducing the number of accidents. In 2008,…
Read MoreSouth Carolina Veterans Affairs Hospital Hires Surgeon Accused of Incompetence
The Depart of Veterans Affairs William Jennings Bryan Dorn Medical Center in Columbia has a fairly good reputation, especially considering the major issues that have plagued the VA in the past few years. The hospital was recognized as a Top Performer for four years running by the Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care…
Read MoreJohnson & Johnson’s “Phantom Recall” of Defective Motrin Intentionally Deceived FDA
The Oregon Court of Appeals has recently revived interest in Johnson & Johnson’s 2009 “phantom recall” of Motrin pills. In late 2008, the drug maker discovered that a batch of the over the counter painkiller failed to dissolve properly, rendering the drug less effective. Instead of following proper procedure and notifying the Food and Drug…
Read MorePoor Communication With Your Healthcare Provider Can Have Serious Consequences
Jillian Knowles is an emergency medicine physician assistant in Philadelphia. Earlier this year, she and a friend were preparing for a trip to Europe that spanned Spain and France. They planned on hitting all the tourist hot spots, spending hours a day on their feet. Just before the pair was scheduled to depart, Jillian visited…
Read MoreTransvaginal Mesh Officially Reclassified as a Dangerous Medical Product
Right now, there are thousands of women across the country embroiled in defective product lawsuits over a product called transvaginal mesh, or TVM. Originally designed to fix hernias, TVM has been used primarily to fix pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI), two conditions common to older women who have given birth or…
Read MoreAre SSRI Anti-Depressants to Blame for a Child’s Autism?
As we see more and more children placed on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) each year, it becomes clearer that we, as a culture, need to explore the reasons behind why so many children are now being diagnosed. The latest data we have is from 2010, and it tells us that 1 in 68 children…
Read MoreWhy Big Rigs Cause More Accidents – and Who Is to Blame
Big rigs are dangerous. They account for more than their share of accidents on the roads in South Carolina, which we have discussed before. These are giant tractor trailers (sometimes called 18-wheelers or semis, which is short for semi-trailers) that are used to transport goods from one place in the state to another, or even…
Read MoreTread Carefully – NHTSA Says Fatal Big Rig Tire Blowouts Are on the Rise
We’ve shown you before why big rigs are dangerous, but a recent study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration highlights an unexpected danger. The study focused on Michelin tires, and found that a lack of maintenance coupled with high speeds resulted in blowouts that caused fatal accidents. CBS News said, “According to the NHTSA,…
Read MoreWhen Disaster Hits, Heroes Do the Right Thing
When hurricane Joaquin caused record flooding in South Carolina, emergency crews from neighboring states mobilized to lend a hand. Two teams from the Murfreesboro Fire and Rescue Department in Tennessee were on scene in Columbia to deal with the worst of the flooding. During the storm, the teams rescued 21 people and 6 dogs. They…
Read MoreSouth Carolina Needs to Double the Size of Dam Safety Staff
South Carolina wants to double the size of its dam safety staff after the floods that devastated the state in October. The Department of Health and Environmental Control submitted a budget request in November for an additional $595,000 in funding for 2016. The requested money would more than double the agency’s current budget, allowing for…
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