New technology that is being developed at Northwestern University bypasses the injured spinal cord area, and uses natural electrical signals generated by the brain, to get paralyzed hands to move. The research has been conducted on monkeys, and researchers believe that in the future, the same technique could be used to help persons with a spinal cord injury, who have paralyzed arms and hands, to move these limbs.

What the researchers did was ‘eavesdrop’ on the natural electrical signals in the monkeys’ brains when the monkeys performed certain activities involving their hands. Then, the researchers tested whether these signals could be used to coax the monkeys’ limbs to move. They used anesthetics to induce paralysis in the monkeys’ hands, and then exposed the hands to the natural electrical signals that they had earlier analyzed.

The researchers found that the monkeys were able to use their hands to perform a number of activities, at the same level that they were able to before the paralysis. The researchers believe that this connection between signals from the brain and the ability to move muscles could someday be used to help persons with spinal cord injuries regain movement in their arms and limbs.

The implications for a person with a spinal cord injury are potentially huge. Currently, persons who have suffered a spinal injury and are unable to use their arms have very few options other than physical therapy, and some robotic aids to aid with movement. However, with this technology, persons may be able to experience levels of grip, strength and force that could help persons not only grasp objects, but also use their hands for more complex activities. Overall, that means a better quality of life for these patients.

Over the next few days, California drivers who text while driving are much more likely to be cited. Law enforcement agencies in California, including the California Highway Patrol, are increasing enforcement campaigns targeting distracted driving by motorists.

Such campaigns are being targeted at specific cities and counties. In San Diego for instance, the California Highway Patrol is conducting a zero-tolerance distracted driving enforcement campaign his week. The focus is on pulling over drivers who are using hand-held cell phones while driving. These initiatives are part of efforts to commemorate National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, which is being marked in the month of April.

Across the state, San Francisco car accident lawyers have found similar efforts being made by law enforcement agencies to increase awareness about distracted driving, and educate motorists about the risks of fines and penalties when they use cell phones and other texting devices while driving.

Last month, the California Office of Traffic Safety released a study which showed that since the law banning the use of hand-held cell phones while driving went into effect, there has been a decline in the number of traffic accident fatalities in California. The ban went into effect in 2008, and since then, the fatality rate in California has declined by approximately 22%.

There are a number of studies which show that using a hand-held device while driving can dramatically increase the risks of an accident. For instance, a study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, which also happens to be one of the most widely cited studies to support bans on hand-held cell phones and texting devices while driving, found that a motorist’s risk of being involved in an accident increased by 4 times when he was texting compared to other activities.

From lap-band gastric bands to hip implants, many of the defective products that California product liability attorneys come across are dangerous because they have not been tested adequately by federal agencies responsible for their safety. The federal Food and Drug Administration has very limited resources to test each and every medical device or implant that companies submit for approval. As a result, the agency either approves devices after the company files minimum paperwork, or allows devices to be approved if they are similar to ones already available in the market.

A new report by Consumer Reports investigates the safety of the medical devices that are increasingly used by so many Americans. From cardiac defibrillators and hip implants to vaginal surgical mesh, there is a much broader variety of medical devices available now than just a couple of decades ago. That means the Food and Drug Administration is bombarded with hundreds of applications for approvals of new medical devices.

In the case of low-risk devices, the agency simply allows companies to get these devices approved by paying a fee of $4,000 and submitting documentation. In the case of more complicated or high-risk devices, companies have the option of getting the device approved by pointing out similarities to devices already existing in the market.

That is how manufacturers of vaginal mesh got their devices approved. They showed successfully that the mesh was similar to mesh used in women back in the 50s to treat abdominal hernia. Today, thousands of women across the country are battling scarring, constant and chronic pain and other side effects from the use of vaginal mesh to treat pelvic organ prolapse.

A driveshaft problem in several buses manufactured by Motor Coach Industries Inc. over the past 20 years has been linked to at least 2 accidents and 2 fatalities. More than 50 people have been injured in these accidents. Now, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has begun an investigation into the problem.

The investigation is expected to cover roughly 4,000 D-Series buses manufactured by Motor Coach Industries Inc. The buses have been manufactured since 1982 by Motor Coach Industries Inc., which is one of the biggest manufacturers of inter-city buses in North America.

The investigation is related to a complaint filed by a transportation company with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The transportation company FirstGroup America, which is the parent of Greyhound, found that several driveshafts in many of its buses failed. The company found that the loops that were supposed to keep these shafts in place were not functioning. Los Angeles bus accident lawyers first heard of the problem in March 2010.

This defect has resulted in at least 2 accidents. In both cases, the bus drivers lost control of the vehicles, and in both cases, several people were injured. The first accident occurred in March 2010, and involved an Americanos bus operated by Greyhound, which met with an accident on Interstate 37 near San Antonio. The bus veered while traveling, and then flipped over. The bus was on its way to the Mexican city of Matamoros at the time.

Two people were killed in that accident. Texas highway safety officials later blamed a broken drive shaft for the crash. Since then, testing has found that the driveshaft can fall off the bus and cause damage to brake lines and other systems.

In 2010, approximately 390 fatal traffic accidents in California involved at least one driver aged above 65 years.  San Francisco car accident attorneys have noted that in the same year, there were a total of 219 senior motorists killed in accidents.  Across the country, and especially in California, senior drivers seem to have a skewed accident fatality rate that does not correspond with their relatively modest vehicle mileage share. 

California has seen a burgeoning population of senior motorists lately.  These motorists are healthier, more agile and independent.  Most senior drivers prefer to drive themselves around, rather than rely on public transportation that is not geared to meet their needs.  Unfortunately, a large population of senior drivers driving themselves around translates into a higher risk of accidents.

Impaired vision, reduced hearing, slower reflexes, and poor coordination - these are some of the physical effects of aging that California personal lawyers find can affect a person's driving abilities.  However, according to a new study, the risk of accidents involving senior drivers could be reduced using simple steps that make it easier for senior drivers to spot accident hazards. 

For instance, California could reduce senior driver-related accidents by investing in signage that is clearer and brighter, and comes with large lettering, that is easy to read.  Brighter streetlights, especially at intersections could also help seniors avoid accident risks.  According to some studies, simple steps like increasing pavement width from 4 inches to 6 inches can help reduce accidents caused by lane departures.   Widening of left turn lanes, adding left turn lanes, increasing the length of merger lanes, adding rumble strips, and making curves less sharp and easy to navigate can also reduce accident risks involving senior drivers.

A large population of aging motorists doesn't necessarily have to mean disaster on the roads.  Smart and carefully thought-out investments in road safety can mean a driving environment that is much safer for senior motorists.

Children, whose parents are part of a carpool, may be at a much higher risk of suffering injuries in accidents, because parents’ rules about booster seats become lax when they're part of a carpool.

That information comes from a new study, which has just been published in the Journal of Pediatrics. The study's authors say that parents, who would otherwise never drive a car without making sure that their child is buckled in safely in a booster seat, tend to let these rules fly out the window when they are part of a carpool group. The main reasons for this are lack of time and overcrowding. Parents, who are picking up children on their way to school, may not take the time to restrain children individually in their seats.

However, San Francisco car accident lawyers believe that these practices are extremely dangerous. Automobile accidents are the major cause of death for children below the age of 15. Every year, hundreds of lives are saved in accidents because children are safely restrained in booster seats.

In California, new laws require a child to be in a booster seat until the age of eight, or until the child reaches 4'9" in height. Those laws have been passed because children of this age group could suffer severe and even fatal injuries to internal organs, if they have been restrained in seatbelts.

Seatbelts have been designed specifically for adult bodies, and can do little to protect children from injuries in an accident. In fact, they may do more harm than good. A booster seat can protect the child's body, by cushioning it. According to some studies, a child who is restrained in a booster seat is about 45% less likely to suffer injuries in a car accident, compared to a child wearing a seatbelt.

It’s not just unfriendly roads that increase the risk of accidents for pedestrians in San Francisco. It's also a lack of prosecutorial will to come down heavily on motor vehicle drivers who have been involved in serious or fatal accidents with pedestrians. In the year 2011, at least 13 people were killed in pedestrian accidents in San Francisco. However, San Francisco pedestrian accident lawyers have found that very few of those accidents resulted in prosecution of the motorist involved.

Out of those 13 pedestrian accidents this year, 12 accidents involved motor vehicles. Out of these 12, 11 drivers have not faced any criminal charges. However, District Attorney George Gascón has been talking about changing the situation.

Gascón, who took charge at his new position in January, has been showing signs that he intends to prosecute drivers whose negligence leads to pedestrian accidents. He filed misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charges against a bicyclist who caused an accident resulting in a pedestrian death. Gascón has also announced that at least 3 motor vehicle drivers are likely to face charges in pedestrian accidents that occurred in 2011. At least one of those drivers caused the accident when he was driving with a leg cast.

According to a report by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, the biggest cause of pedestrian accident injuries in 2008 was a failure by motorists to yield right-of-way to pedestrians. These failures accounted for about 41% of all pedestrian accident injury cases. This year alone, there have been several cases in which accidents have been traced to the driver's failure to yield to a pedestrian, but so far, no charges have been filed against these drivers. Gascón has announced that he will soon get to work on prosecuting dangerous drivers who place others at risk when they drive, but there is no indication of when this will be.

A lackluster attitude towards holding motorists responsible for pedestrian accidents criminally liable does contribute to an unsafe environment for pedestrians, because motorists don't believe they will be held responsible for their reckless driving.