Women More Likely To Be Injured in Auto Accidents Study Says

Women who wear seat belts are 47% more likely to be injured in a car accident compared with men who wear seat belts, according to a study by the American Journal of Public Health.

The above line is the first line in an October 28th post on the USA Today blog Drive On. Women's average height and weight proved to be the main cause for the higher frequency of injuries. Air bags and car design seem to be the problem with cars produced before 2008. Older cars are designed in a one size fit all mold. Today's cars are being build to sensor how big the driver is and change the way an air bag is deployed during an accident.

For the whole story, check out this blog post on USA Today's blog, Drive On.

*Photo courtesy of adam*b by way of Flickr Creative Commons.

Youth Sports Becoming Too Competitive?

We're sports nuts here at Hardison & Cochran. If you're a frequent reader of the blog, you knew that. Since we're sports nuts, articles on youth sports always catch our eye. Gretchen Reynolds, who writes for the New York Times Health blog, had an interesting post yesterday on a new trend of knee injury which physicians once believed couldn't happen to children.

The injury being covered in the post is an anterior cruciate ligament (A.C.L.) tear. At one time, physicians believed children were immune to an A.C.L tear. “Twenty years ago, medical textbooks usually included a statement saying that kids did not tear their A.C.L., that they fractured the tibial spine instead,” said orthopedic surgeon, Dr. J. Todd Lawrence.

So what's going on? Dr. Lawrence has a thought on this:

“I think it’s primarily because kids are out there trying to emulate professional athletes, You see these very young athletes playing sports at an extremely intense, competitive level. Kids didn’t play at that level 20 years ago. They didn’t play one sport year-round.”

The full article, which can be viewed here, is a great read.

So what is your opinion on this? Are kids playing too hard these days? Let us know in the comments section.

*Picture courtesy of accutalk via Flickr Creative Commons.

Tornado Survivor Denied Workers' Compensation

Mark Lindquist is a hero. He was even recognized by the House and Senate of the Missouri legislature as being "a true hero and inspiration to others." Why is he a hero? Why is every lawmaker in the state giving him praise? Lindquist nearly gave his life in an effort to save three developmentally disabled adults during a tornado earlier this year in Joplin, Missouri. In the course of his heroic efforts, all of his ribs were broken, his teeth knocked out and he was in a coma for two months.

He thought workers' compensation would take care of him, but that wasn't the case. To see how the story ends for Mr. Lindquist, please read the rest of the story on Yahoo! News.

Social Security Disability Beneficiaries Getting a 3.6% Bump in 2012

Social Security disability beneficiaries will receive a 3.6% increase in their payments starting in January of 2012. The increase, which is based off the data in the Department of Labor's Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, will be the first in three years. While the 3.6% increase is much needed after two years of going without one, it is still lower than the 4.2% average increase from years before. Since 1975, the last two years are the only ones that have not seen an increase.

While the increase may mean a little more money in the household, many reports warn that some of the increase will be lost to a higher Medicare premium. These premiums are deducted from beneficiary's Social Security payments. Trustees who oversee the program are anticipating an increase. An announcement will be made next week concerning the Medicare premium.

Over the past two years, we have written many blog posts on the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). If you would like to learn a little more about how this increase, or the lack thereof for the past two years, was calculated, please check out some of the articles below:

The Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA): An In-Depth Look at What It Is and How It Is Calculated
 It's Official: No Cost of Living Adjustment for 2010
Social Security Disability Benefits Not Expected to Rise in 2010
No Cost of Living Adjustment For 2011
The Lack of Cost of Living Adjustment in 2010 Social Security Benefits Covered by the Mainstream Media
CBS News Video on Cost of Living Adjustment and Social Security

3 Fall Driving Tips to Stay Safe on North Carolina Roads

It's that time of year. Green giving way to yellow, orange and red on the trees. Cool fall wind in your hair. Those first few lines sound like the beginning to a good song, but we're talking about something different today. We're talking about driving safety during the fall. If you didn't know this week is National Teen Driver Safety Week. Here's a stat you may not have known:

Teen drivers have the highest crash risk of any age group. The crash rate per mile driven for 16-year-old drivers is almost 10 times the rate for drivers aged 30-59.

All signs point to inexperience and the fall offers some unique driving hazards that some young drivers may not have dealt with yet. If you know a young person who has recently started driving on their own, make sure you share the following 3 fall driving tips with them:

1. Leaves on the road may make for a beautiful picture, but they are dangerous
Wet leaves on the road make for slippery conditions. If you're coming to a stop, turning or accelerating from a stop in a pile of wet leaves, do it with caution. In addition to cutting down on traction, leaves can cover up pot holes, road markings and curbs. Anytime you enter a road with a lot of leaves on it, even if they are dry, reduce your speed to make sure you're safe.

2. Shorter Days Don't Stop Runners and Bicyclist
With fall comes shorter days, but that doesn't stop runners and bicyclist from getting their exercise. It also doesn't stop dog owners from taking walks with their four legged buddies. During the fall when it is getting dark earlier, make sure you are on the lookout when you enter roads where you have seen frequent foot travel.

3. Be on the Lookout For Wildlife
As we posted last year on the blog, an encounter with wildlife on the roads can happen anytime of the year, but the majority of accidents happen between October and December. The two main reasons for this is mating and hunting season. North Carolina is considered a "high-risk" state when it comes to vehicles colliding with deer. The stats say that one in every 150 vehicles in the state of North Carolina will collide with a deer over the next 12 months. Please view our November 9th, 2010 blog post for more information on tips to avoid wildlife while driving.

Additional Resources:
Yellow & Orange Alert: Fall Driving Tips (Castrol)
Fall Driving Tips (DriveSafePA)
Fall Driving Tips (TeensDriveSmart.com)

*Photo courtesy of jpctalbot via Flickr Creative Commons.

NBC News Video: Problems With Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacement

Dr. Joshua Jacobs, Chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Rush University Medical Center and second vice president of the American Academy Orthopedic discusses what problems to look for with metal on metal hip replacement. (NBC Nightly News)

Additional Information on Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacements:

New York Times: Metal on Metal Hip Implant Complaints Soar in 2011
New York Times: Recalled Devices Mostly Untested, New Study Says
Hardison & Cochran Files First of Many DePuy ASR™ Cases
DePuy Hip Replacement: Women More Likely To Need Revision Surgery Than Men According to Joint Registry The Implant Loophole: New York Times (DePuy Hip Replacement)
Chicago NBC Affiliate News Story On DePuy Hip Replacement Recall
ABC News Video: DePuy Hip Replacement
Heavy Metal Toxicity (DePuy Hip Replacement)

Hunting Safety Tips for the Fall

The days are getting shorter and the air is getting colder. In addition to football being in full swing, many of the hunting seasons for the state of North Carolina have started or are about to start. Since this is the case, we figured we'd search around the Internet for some hunting safety tips in case you decided to get out to the tree stand early sometime this fall. In North Carolina, it is law to take a hunting safety course before you hold a hunting license. Many of these tips will be covered in one of those classes, but there is nothing wrong with some info to jog your memory.

2011-12 North Carolina Hunting Season
Ten Commandments of Shooter Safety (GameCalls.net)
Safety: Hunter Safety (Daniel Boone National Forest)
Four Basic Rules of Firearm Safety (Wisconsin: Dept. of Natural Resources)