Ohio Personal Injury Law Blog

Questions to ask when using a ladder on the job

On behalf of Johnson & Associates Attorneys At Law on Wednesday, July 10, 2019.

Your boss asks you to do some work at a significant height, and you're going to need to use a ladder. It's not something that you normally do as a standard part of your job description.

As such, you feel a bit nervous. You know that ladder falls are one of the greatest dangers that workers face in many industries. Even those with a lot of experience can fall and suffer serious or fatal injuries. And here you are, with almost no experience, putting yourself in the same position. What can you do to stay safe?

Construction zone safety tips

On behalf of Johnson & Associates Attorneys At Law posted in motor vehicle accidents on Monday, July 8, 2019.

Summer in Ohio means picnics, ball games and afternoons at the lake. It is also when the orange signs come out and road construction begins. If you sustained injuries due to a crash at in a work zone, you may have grounds for a suit. At Johnson & Associates Attorneys at Law, we have experience assisting clients with their personal injury claims.

According to Driving Tests, thousands of auto accidents occur around road construction every year. Here are some tips to help you safely navigate work zones.

Keep an eye out for the orange diamonds. These signs are along the road ahead of the work area giving you notice that road conditions change. Be on the lookout for a reduced speed limit, machinery, road crew and obstacles.
Orange barrels and cones direct traffic flow. These may move from one day to the next based on the status of the project.
Reduce your travel speed. In zones where workers are not present, most highways have a 55 mph speed limit. It may be lower when work is in progress. Failure to follow the traffic regulations can result in a fine that is double the usual amount.
Follow the flagger’s directions. They are there to help you move through the construction zone safely while work continues.
Steer your car as far away from workers and their equipment as possible.

What are the biggest dangers to motorcyclists?

On behalf of Johnson & Associates Attorneys At Law posted in motorcycle accidents on Friday, June 21, 2019.

Ohio motorcyclists like you understand that riding a motorcycle can be a dangerous endeavor. However, there are certain factors you may run into on the road that can increase your chances of potentially getting into a crash. These are things you may want to keep an eye out for, if possible.

FindLaw takes a look at some of the unseen dangers motorcyclists may face, including things like weather, road conditions, and traffic conditions. For example, the size of your motorcycle is a potential risk. You can be much harder to spot by other vehicles, especially if they are large or if their driver is not paying good attention to their surroundings. Some of the major risks that increase your chances of not being spotted by other drivers include if the driver in question is:

Driving under the influence
Speeding
Being inattentive
Driving aggressively

Medical errors the nation’s third-most common cause of death

On behalf of Johnson & Associates Attorneys At Law posted in medical malpractice on Monday, June 3, 2019.

Ohio residents place a good deal of trust in their doctors and hospitals, and for good reason – their lives are often on the line. In some cases, though, you may get that gut feeling that something your doctor says or does is hurting, rather than helping, you, and when you face these circumstances, it may serve you well to seek a second opinion. At Johnson & Associates, we know that medical mistakes are one of the leading causes of death in the United States, and we have helped many who suffered injury or hardship due to medical mistakes pursue recourse in the aftermath.

So, just how common are medical errors? Per CNBC, medical mistakes have become the third-most-common cause of American deaths, with only cancer and heart disease causing more deaths annually. The exact number of deaths resulting from medical mistakes each year, though, is harder to determine. Some estimates suggest that about 250,000 people succumb to injuries or illnesses caused by medical mistakes each year. Other reports, however, indicate this number of too low, and that the actual number of medical error-related fatalities occurring each year is closer to 440,000.

The link between firefighting and cancer

On behalf of Johnson & Associates Attorneys At Law posted in workers' comp on Wednesday, May 22, 2019.

Working as a firefighter in Ohio can be highly rewarding, but the profession also brings with it undeniable risks. While some of those risks involve the actual act of fighting fires, others involve exposure to potentially hazardous contaminants, many of which are known carcinogens. At Johnson & Associates, we recognize that today’s firefighters face a heightened risk of experiencing work-related cancer, and we have helped many people who developed employment-related cancers pursue appropriate recourse.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, today’s firefighters are almost 10% more likely to receive a cancer diagnosis than the rest of the population, and there has also been a 14% increase recently in the number of firefighters dying from cancer. Just what is it about your job that makes you face a heightened risk for developing cancer, and is there anything you can do to help protect yourself?

Study: New drivers crash four times as often

On behalf of Johnson & Associates Attorneys At Law on Tuesday, May 14, 2019.

Teenagers have to sit through classes on safe driving. They have to drive with their parents. They have to drive with instructors. They have to pass written tests. They have to pass actual driving tests.

Only after all that can they get a license. In theory, it should be safe for them to get behind the wheel. Unfortunately, studies have shown repeatedly that these young teens with their brand new driver's licenses are the most dangerous drivers in the country.

What are the time limits for filing medical malpractice claims?

On behalf of Johnson & Associates Attorneys At Law posted in medical malpractice on Thursday, May 9, 2019.

Whether it is for a routine procedure in to address a more serious injury or illness, when you seek medical treatment in Ohio, you are putting your health and care in the hands of those treating you. Unfortunately, however, sometimes medical mistakes occur, and as a result, you may suffer a serious injury or illness. If you have suffered harm due to mistakes or negligence on the part of a health care provider, you may consider acting to obtain financial compensation for your associated losses. You do not, however, have an unlimited amount of time in which to make your decision or initiate your case. Therefore, it is important for you to understand the statute of limitations for medical malpractice claims in Ohio.

A statute of limitations is a law specifying the maximum time in which the parties involved can initiate legal proceedings. Should you fail to act before the clock runs out, your right to file a lawsuit, and thus obtain compensatory damages, may be lost.

Prison time ordered for impaired driver

On behalf of Johnson & Associates Attorneys At Law posted in motor vehicle accidents on Sunday, April 21, 2019.

People who live in Ohio have good reason to be concerned about the continuing safety problem they and their loved ones face due to drivers who refuse to put away their keys when they drink or use drugs. Despite clear evidence that these behaviors are risky and even illegal after a certain point, numerous injuries and deaths are recorded every year due to the selfish choices made by impaired drivers.

Motorists involved in accidents caused by impaired drivers may wonder what consequences can be faced by these people. As reported by LimaOhio.com, there may well be cases in which criminal charges lead to incarceration and other penalties. Such is the case for a woman who caused an accident last summer during what she says was a failed suicide attempt.

Left-turn motorcycle accidents: Risks and safety

On behalf of Johnson & Associates Attorneys At Law on Monday, April 8, 2019.

One of the most dangerous things a motorcyclist can ever encounter is another vehicle that is about to turn left.

Accidents happen for a variety of reasons, but these left-turn crashes are among the most common accidents that riders face. Drivers often do not see motorcycles. They wait for traffic to pass them by on two-lane roads, then they turn left through that oncoming lane.

What does Ohio law say about yield sign violations?

On behalf of Johnson & Associates Attorneys At Law posted in motor vehicle accidents on Monday, April 8, 2019.

A driver that approaches a yield sign has an important responsibility to watch for oncoming traffic. While a yield sign, unlike a stop sign, does not require a mandatory stop, nonetheless a motorist has to be prepared to make a stop. A driver who fails to stop and hits oncoming traffic will be held responsible by Ohio law and depending on any prior record of traffic infractions, could incur a serious misdemeanor.

Ohio law explains that drivers who approach a yield sign are to slow their approach to a reasonable speed considering the surrounding conditions. The vehicle should be prepared to stop for traffic that has the right of way. If not able to stop at a conspicuously marked line or a crosswalk, the vehicle should at least halt before crossing over into the intersecting road. The motorist must wait until the intersecting road is free of traffic that would pose an imminent collision hazard before proceeding.