Are Ramp Meters the Answer to Traffic Woes in the Triangle?

Could ramp meters be on their way to the Triangle? Transportation engineer, Kevin Lacy, says they'll save you time and taxpayers money. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has even selected several spots where ramp metering can help. To see the list and the full article from WRAL, please click the following link: Ramp meters could be the answer to Triangle traffic woes (WRAL)

Also check out the video below from WRAL on the ramp meters:

Motorcycle Deaths Increased Nine Percent in 2012

Today, the Governors Highway Safety Association projected that motorcyclist deaths increased around nine percent in 2012. In the last 15 years, motorcycle deaths have increased all but one of those years. The press release from the GHSA also notes that motorcyclists remain one of the few roadway user groups where no progress can be shown in the past decade.

Included in the GHSA press release is a link to the Motorcyclist Traffic Fatalities by State report. Click here to view the report. 

Stats specific to North Carolina include an increase of seven deaths when January - September 2011 and January - September 2012 were compared. In that specific time frame, 134 deaths occurred in 2011 and 141 in 2012.

If you ride, make safety your chief priority before leaving out for your trip. If you don't ride, keep your eyes open and make sure you don't see any motorcycles before you change lanes or make that turn.

Photo Credit: driver Photographer via Compfight cc

Website Looks Into Novelty Motorcycle Helmets and Safety

FairWarning.org, a website dedicated to providing journalism on issues of health, safety and corporate conduct, recently covered a topic that might be the most hotly debated within the circle of motorcycle riders. Yes, helmets.

This article isn't so much on the laws and the freedom on choice of wearing or not wearing a helmet, but focuses on the different types of helmets available to motorcycle riders today. More specifically, novelty helmets.

The article starts out with a heartbreaking story of a couple who were involved in an accident in California. At the time of their accident, the male was wearing a helmet that met federal safety requirements. The female was wearing a novelty helmet. During the crash, the helmet's strap broke and she died at the scene of the accident from head injuries.

A little under a million "novelty helmets" are sold each year in the United States. The FairWarning.org article cites a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study which found that novelty helmets were "worthless in a crash." While the business is booming for novelty helmets, there isn't any deception in the way they are sold. We took a quick look around the internet to purchase a novelty helmet and all the vendors we visited let you know the helmet is not D.O.T. approved within the description of the product. Click the link below to read the full article from FairWarning.org.

Read the article: Booming Sales of Novelty Helmets Boost Toll of Motorcycle Deaths

Currently, the laws in North Carolina require not only a helmet, but a D.O.T. approved helmet for all motorcycle riders, but this might change soon with new laws proposed in the North Carolina General Assembly. Click here to see the NC House Bill 109 which, if passed, would allow motorcyclists to ride with out a helmet given that they have met certain requirements. If passed, the laws would go into effect on October 1st of this year.

 Photo Credit: Dane Khy via Compfight cc

PBS Show "Need to Know" Highlights Complications of Transvaginal Mesh

On a recent episode of "Need to Know", a PBS show, Dr. Emily Senay looks into transvaginal mesh. Along with the overview, the spot has an interview with Linda Gross. Ms. Gross is a lady from South Dakota who had mesh surgically implanted into her pelvic area after being diagnosed with pelvic organ prolapse. As she says in the interview, her pain began as soon as she came home from the surgery.

The first video is the "Need to Know" focus on the transvaginal mesh complications. The second video is a web exclusive extended interview with Linda Gross.

Watch Medical Devices on PBS. See more from Need To Know.

Watch Web extra: Coping with chronic pain on PBS. See more from Need To Know.

Ben Cochran Lands on North Carolina Super Lawyers Rising Star List for Fourth Year in a Row

For the fourth time in as many years, Ben Cochran, Managing Partner of Hardison & Cochran, made the cut as a North Carolina Rising Star as decided by the North Carolina Super Lawyers Magazine.

To be named a Super Lawyers Rising Star, an attorney must be either 40 years old or younger or in practice for 10 years or less. Lawyers are selected to the Rising Stars list based on peer nominations and independent research. Candidates are evaluated according to 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement.

No more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are named to the Rising Stars list, according to Super Lawyers magazine, which is distributed to attorneys and ABA-accredited law school libraries across the state.

Cochran was first licensed to practice law in North Carolina in 2002. He quickly made a name for himself representing North Carolina injured workers. His success in the workers’ compensation field led to him earning the title of Board Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law.

To this day, Cochran’s case load is heavily weighted towards North Carolina workers’ compensation cases, but he also personally handles very serious injury claims such as catastrophic auto accident, wrongful death and child care negligence cases.

“Ben’s ability as a lawyer is very well documented, but I believe a lot of his success can be attributed to his ability to talk with anyone about anything,” said Hardison & Cochran partner Ken Hardison. “He’s very personable and is always willing to go the extra mile for our clients,” Hardison added.

Governors Highway Safety Association: Teen Driving Deaths Are on the Rise

A recent report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) shows that teen driving fatalities are on the rise among 16-17 year old drivers in the US. While Drivers Education classes are the norm for teens, many teens and tweens who were surveyed said that they emulate their parents and rely heavily on their advice when they begin to drive.

The GHSA stresses that the best way to reverse this trend may be for parents to remember set a good example for their teens. Car maker, Ford, has a program called "Driving Skills for Life." This program will reach about 200 high schools in 2013. Experts from the program have provided the following tips on what parents can do to help their children become better and safer drivers:

• Engage in the driving process -- As teens get closer to earning/acquiring their learner's permit, parents should actively engage with them about driving. Talk about safe driving behaviors, practice with them, seek educational opportunities, and be clear that unsafe actions won't be tolerated.
• Buckle up -- It's the law, and if parents don't wear their seat belts, their teen is more likely to do the same. In a crash, a person not buckled up is much more likely to be injured or killed than someone wearing a seat belt.
• Never speed -- Research done for Ford Driving Skills for Life shows that if parents speed, their teens are more likely to do the same. Excessive speed continues to be a factor in about one third of all traffic deaths nationally.
• Don't drive distracted -- By setting a tough "no distractions" rule for their teens and modeling this same behavior, parents send the message that distracted driving will not be tolerated.
• Don't follow too closely -- Parents should keep the proper distance from the car in front of them. Rear end collisions are common and preventable.
• Always scan ahead for hazards -- Parents should remind their teens to be aware of what is going on around them by scanning to the right and left as they drive
• Limit the number of passengers -- Research shows young drivers can easily be distracted by just one additional passenger - increasing the risk of a crash exponentially. Many graduated driver's license programs restrict the number of passengers as a condition of issuing an early license or permit; parents should enforce those restrictions.
• Never drink and drive -- Parents should remind teens that drinking and driving will not be tolerated. 

Photo Credit: DWRose via Compfight cc

Hardison & Cochran Now Reviewing North Carolina Transvaginal Mesh Failure Cases

North Carolina Personal Injury Attorney Ben Cochran

Managing Partner of Hardison & Cochran, Ben Cochran, announced today that his firm is now reviewing cases involving North Carolina women who have sustained injuries after having vaginal mesh implanted due to pelvic organ prolapse and/or stress urinary incontinence.

Frequently Asked Questions About Transvaginal Mesh

What is transvaginal mesh?
The phrase "transvaginal mesh" simply means mesh that is implanted through the vagina. 

What are pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence?
Pelvic organ prolapse is when an organ in the pelvic region moves from its normal position. When an organ moves, it can push against the vagina wall. This happens due to the muscles in the pelvic area becoming weak. This can be due to being pregnant, childbirth or a hysterectomy.

Stress urinary incontinence refers to the involuntary flow of urine due to stress on the bladder. Activities such as running, lifting, coughing or sneezing can cause the involuntary flow due to the weakened muscles in the pelvic area. 

How are women being injured due to the transvaginal mesh?

When the implanted mesh begins to move around this is called transvaginal mesh erosion. When the mesh loosens, the edge of the mesh can begin to cut the vaginal walls and organs in the pelvic area. This can cause bleeding, infection, urinary problems and pain during intercourse.  

Transvaginal extursion, when the mesh is visible in the vaginal walls, is also another complication. 

Each of these complications may require a woman to have additional surgeries to correct the problem or take the mesh completely out.

I have the transvaginal mesh and am feeling discomfort. What should I do?

The very first thing you need to do is see the doctor who implanted the mesh. Tell him or her about your complications in full detail.

To see the full press release about Hardison & Cochran's review of North Carolina Transvaginal Cases, please click here. 

The Flu Quiz: Helping You Better Understand How It Spreads

Getting the flu is no fun. While the flu season in North Carolina hasn't been too bad, there is still a need to take precautions to prevent the sickness from spreading in your family.

The New York Times' health blog, "Well", has a quiz that will help you better understand how the flu virus spreads from person to person. By taking the quiz you will better understand the best ways to stay clear of the flu if it happens to rear its ugly head. Just click the link below to take the quiz.

The Well Flu Quiz

Photo Credit: William Brawley via Compfight cc

Presidents Who Were Lawyers

The first President who was also
a lawyer, John Adams. 

Today is Presidents' Day in the United States. If you didn't know, President Nixon started Presidents' Day to honor all past presidents of the U.S.

While we are celebrating all of our past Presidents, we'd like to take a look specifically at the Presidents who were lawyers. Below we have created a list of presidents who worked as lawyers before they took the highest office.

John Adams 

Thomas Jefferson

James Madison

James Monroe

John Q. Adams

Martin Van Buren

John Tyler

James Polk

Millard Fillmore

Franklin Pierce

James Buchanan

Abraham Lincoln

Rutherford B. Hayes

Chester Arthur

Grover Cleveland

Benjamin Harrison

William McKinley

William Taft

Woodrow Wilson

Calvin Coolidge

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Richard Nixon

Gerald Ford

Bill Clinton

Barack Obama

North Carolina Workers Will Soon Be Able to See if Their Employer Carries Workers' Compensation Insurance...Again

Yesterday, officials from the N.C. Rate Bureau, NC Industrial Commission and the NC Press Association met and agreed to strike a law which made employers insurance policies private. While this is just an agreement and not actively in play right now, the Raleigh News and Observer reports that leaders do not anticipate any hurdles in getting it done in the first of 2013.

Policies being available for the public isn't new, but in the summer of 2012 much of the information became confidential when the legislature changed the law. In the News & Observer report, Rep. Dale Folwell says that the records were made confidential by the urging of the Industrial Commission and the Rate Bureau.

In August of 2012, Mandy Locke and David Raynor of the News & Observer had a three part series on workers' compensation in North Carolina. Below, we have linked each article:

Cheating businesses make it tough for honest employees (Part 1)
Injured worker pays for employer's gamble (Part 2)
Inept bureaucracy lets dishonest businesses win (Pat 3)

* Photo courtesy of gregor_y via Flickr Creative Commons.