Doylestown Personal Injury And Wrongful Death Blog

Autonomous cars have been hailed as the transportation of the future. The companies behind the technology claim that the vehicles will revolutionize travel and lead to safer roads.

Unfortunately an incident last week proved that the technology is not foolproof.

Pregnant women may anticipate being out of the woods once they deliver a child, but this isn't always the case. And in too many circumstances, medical providers may not recognize the risks these women face until it's too late. Post-delivery complications like preeclampsia (yes, it can occur after delivery, too), hemorrhage and infection occur regularly in the U.S. In fact, the U.S. now has the highest maternal mortality rate of all the world's wealthiest countries. Many of these injuries and deaths are preventable. So why are they happening in the first place?

Lack of protocol, lack of resources

Motor vehicle accidents are the third leading cause of all cases resulting in traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Some brain injuries result in hematoma, which is a pooling of blood outside the blood vessels that clots and leads to tissue damage. When a hematoma occurs in the brain, it can cause damage to the brain, and may even lead to death. To prevent the dire consequences that can result from a brain hematoma, surgery may be required to release pressure on the brain.

First responders can save lives and improve outcomes by knowing which hospitals offer the appropriate neurological services - including surgery if needed -- and calling ahead for trauma teams to be ready and waiting to perform tests that examine the structure and function of the brain for injury. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to tell right away whether a person has a hematoma after a brain injury. But an instrument normally used to detect strokes may be useful for determining whether a TBI patient has a hematoma and therefore needs to be transported to a hospital with the capacity to perform surgery.

It's often taken for granted that patients get adequate medical care when they visit the hospital, especially for a serious injury or illness. However, this is not often the case. Medical errors are more common in hospitals and doctor's offices in Pennsylvania and across the country than people may think, accounting for up to 440,000 patient deaths a year from preventable medical mistakes.