Following a five-week-long trial, a St. Louis jury recently awarded a verdict of $4.7 billion against talcum powder manufacturer Johnson & Johnson. The award included $25 million for each of 22 women (or their surviving family members) who claimed to have developed ovarian cancer as a direct result of using the company's baby powder for throughout their lifetimes.
$4.7B talcum powder cancer verdict against Johnson & Johnson
False sense of security? Autopilot not as fail-proof as you think
Imagine traveling from California to New York without ever having to touch the steering wheel or acceleration pedal. Self-driving vehicles could one day make that possible, but currently, they aren't safe enough to operate freely on the roads.
Advocates of self-driving vehicles argue they have the potential to be safer than human drivers, but we're not there yet. The technology still needs improvement as demonstrated by recent fatal accidents involving autonomous cars.
What are the dangers of autonomous vehicles? We will discuss some of them in this post.
Reminder: It's illegal to operate a boat under the influence
Did you know that alcohol is more intoxicating on the water than on land? According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the marine environment, along with sun, wind, spray, engine noise, vibration and rocking motion all contribute to accelerate impairment. They also cause fatigue, which increases the detriments to coordination, judgment and reaction time that alcohol can cause.
Judge finds driver's license revocation law unconstitutional
Up until recently, Tennessee drivers with unpaid court costs often faced having their driver's licenses revoked. By taking away the ability to drive, individuals faced substantial economic disadvantages, affecting their ability to work and engage in ordinary lawful activities and many were unable to get their licenses back. If that wasn't bad enough, drivers often had no notice that the potential penalty existed for not paying court costs. However, a Tennessee federal court has determined that it is unconstitutional to revoke licenses simply on a person's inability to pay court costs or fines.
According to a ruling by U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger, this practice should now be considered unconstitutional.
Here's what happened and what it means for Tennessee drivers.
Tennessee bill barring alcohol sales to DUI offenders postponed
The Tennessee bill that intended to bar people with DUI convictions from purchasing alcohol for a period of time will have to wait until the next session.
In mid-April, the Tennessee House of Representatives passed the bill 93-2, moving it to the state Senate for consideration. However, the Senate did not pass the bill before the end of the 110th General Assembly.
Could your personal injury qualify you for SSDI benefits?
Millions of Americans struggle with serious, disabling conditions following personal injuries. Often, people with such conditions cannot work enough to support themselves or even at all.
If you or a loved one is in this situation after a Tennessee accident or injury, you may want to examine your options regarding Social Security Disability (SSDI) benefits. These benefits can provide critical support, but they are not available to everyone. To determine if you may be eligible, you should understand the basic eligibility requirements.
Automated driving technology's next target: motorcycles
Everyone has heard the news regarding the automation of passenger vehicles, delivery vehicles and even large trucks to make them less prone to driver error. These so-called "driverless" vehicles (somewhat of a misnomer, since a driver can still operate the vehicle when it isn't in automated mode) are being piloted in cities across the country by such big names as Uber, Tesla and Google/Alphabet.
Fourth of July sobriety checkpoints planned for Chattanooga
The Tennessee Highway Patrol's list has planned several checkpoints in Chattanooga in the days leading up to (and including) Independence Day. With July 4th being a notorious party holiday - and one of the busiest days of the year for DUI arrests - police will obviously be on the lookout for drunk drivers.
Checkpoints are actually planned across the state for this holiday as a deterrence to drivers to encourage them to make alternative arrangements in lieu of driving after imbibing. Additionally, checkpoints will ensure that drivers have their licenses present, wear seatbelts and avoid talking on handheld cellphones behind the wheel.
Cases in Tennessee and around the country have, in recent years, challenged the constitutionality and propriety of DUI checkpoints. Regardless of those arguments, however, the checkpoints continue, though law enforcement agencies in Tennessee are required to announce them ahead of time.
Personalized cancer treatments for mesothelioma: 5 FAQs
Getting a diagnosis of cancer begins a treatment journey unique to each person and affected family. Though two people may have the same type of cancer, how it affects someone depends on many individual factors.
In response to this, researchers are developing personalized cancer vaccines, seeking to provide each patient with more effective treatment. In this post, we will use a Q & A format to inform you about these vaccines and how they may be able to help mesothelioma patients.
Could blood tests replace CT scans for meso monitoring?
A recent British study shows promising results for those suffering from the long-term effects of mesothelioma. While the study doesn't provide a cure for the disease, it could make tracking the progress of malignant epithelial and sarcomatoid mesotheliomas both less invasive and less expensive.
