Oklahoma Personal Injury Legal Blog
Oklahoma Bill Would Strengthen Review of Nursing Home Deaths
A new bill introduced in the Oklahoma legislature seeks to boost accountability for deaths or serious injuries that occur in the state’s nursing homes.
House Bill 1110 calls for the creation of an 11-person review board. The board’s job would be to investigate cases in which an elderly or disabled nursing home resident died or was seriously injured to determine whether abuse or neglect was a factor.
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Oklahoma Marks Distracted Driving Awareness Month by Considering Texting while Driving Ban
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and for Oklahomans, the event could not be more timely. On January 31, Oklahoma State Trooper Nick Dees lost his life when he was struck and killed by a driver who was updating social media on his cell phone at the time. Trooper Dees was responding to an accident on I-40 when the crash that took his life occurred.
Currently, Oklahoma is one of only a few states that do not ban texting while driving. Two bills have been introduced in the state legislature to address this problem. Many experienced Oklahoma distracted driving accident lawyers have already contacted their representatives to encourage these bills to pass, and they hope that other Oklahomans will do the same.
Attorney Ray Maples Admitted to the Supreme Court of the United States
As of March 2, 2015, Oklahoma personal injury attorney Ray Maples became a member and an officer of the Bar of the U.S. Supreme Court. As a member, Ray is authorized to practice law within the historic court that has jurisdiction over every other local, state, and federal court in the country.
In order to gain admittance to the highest court in the nation, Ray fulfilled the following requirements:
- Admitted as a member of the Oklahoma Supreme Court for at least three years,
- Received a certificate of good standing with the Oklahoma Supreme Court,
- Received endorsement from two attorneys in the bar, and
- Took an oath to support and protect the U.S. Constitution.
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To Encourage Drivers to Fix Defects, Honda Turns to Advertising
Approximately 6.2 million Honda vehicles have been recalled for defects in the air bag inflation systems manufactured by the Takata Corporation. But only about 14 percent of those vehicles have visited Honda dealerships to have the potentially deadly defect fixed, according to a recent article in The New York Times.
To encourage Honda owners to get their vehicles fixed, Honda has announced plans to launch an ad campaign. The campaign will use a combination of newspaper, radio, and social media messaging to remind Honda drivers of the potential problem and encourage them to get it fixed – before more injuries or another death results.
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Recognizing the Subtle Signs of Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect
When you choose a nursing home for an elderly loved one, you take care to find a place that seems clean, comfortable, pleasant, and capable of meeting your loved one’s needs in a thorough and safe manner. The last thing you want is for your loved one to suffer abuse or neglect.
As knowledge about nursing home abuse risks becomes more widespread, many experienced Oklahoma nursing home abuse lawyers and Oklahoma families know what the most common signs of abuse or neglect are. But many families are not aware of how subtle the signs of abuse or neglect can be. Particularly when a loved one’s mobility or communication are limited, it can be hard to tell that abuse is happening – but that does not mean abuse is not present or not serious.
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New Nursing Home Ratings Use Tougher Standards in Reporting
The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released an updated set of nursing home rankings on its Nursing Home Compare website. The new rankings saw many of the 15,000 listed nursing homes lose ground – including several that lost one or more of the total “stars” available for nursing home care.
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NHTSA Announces 2014 Worst Year on Record for Vehicle Recalls
More vehicles were recalled for hidden defects in 2014 than in any year prior, setting a new record for risk, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)’s recent report.
In 2014, 803 separate vehicle recalls were issued for a total of 63.9 million vehicles nationwide. This number more than doubled the previous annual record set in 2004, when 30.8 million vehicles were recalled. Nevertheless, Carfax Inc. estimates that 46 million vehicles are still on the road with defects that have not been addressed. Carfax also estimates as many as 5 million recalled vehicles without repairs were sold or changed hands in 2014.
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Are Your Kids Ready for Springtime Bicycling Fun?
Spring is just around the corner, which means that it’s almost time for children throughout Oklahoma City to hit the road on their bicycles once again. If your kids are like most other kids, chances are good that they’ve grown over the winter. Making sure helmets and bicycles fit them properly is one way to improve their safety when they pedal out once again.
Get your kids and their bicycles ready for riding fun by doing these activities with your kids. You’ll also help them learn to take care of their own equipment and to understand why bicycle safety matters.
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NHTSA, Automakers Announce Massive Vehicle Recall
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and several automakers recently announced a recall that will affect over 2.1 million vehicles, according to an article in the Detroit Free Press. Experienced auto accident attorneys throughout Oklahoma and the rest of the country are watching the news unfold, aware of the risks that hidden defects pose to drivers and passengers.
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Pedestrian Crash Deaths on the Rise Nationwide
The rate of motor vehicle accidents nationwide has plummeted in recent years – but the rate of pedestrian deaths in car crashes is increasing, according to the most recent pedestrian death report released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
To many experienced Oklahoma pedestrian accident lawyers, the numbers signal that more must be done in order to protect those who walk on or near the nation’s streets. When a car collides with a pedestrian, severe injuries and death can easily result. In 2012, 4,743 pedestrians lost their lives and another 76,000 were injured in such accidents.
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