In December, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released its latest analysis of drunk driving accidents in the U.S., which uses data from 2018. The agency analyzes data from the federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), to which law enforcement across the country reports whenever a crash occurs on a public trafficway and results in the death of at least one person within 30 days of the accident.
NHTSA's 2018 data on drunk driving crashes in the United States
Weight loss drug Belviq pulled from market for cancer risk
Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked the Japanese drug maker Eisai Inc. to pull its weight loss drug Belviq from the market due to concerns the drug can slightly increase the user's risk of cancer. The extended release version of the drug is also being pulled. Eisai issued a statement saying it withdrew the drug voluntarily but disagrees with the FDA's interpretation of the data. It said it still believes Belviq has benefits that outweigh the risk.
In the future, repeat DUI offenses could put you on a registry
"DUI is epidemic in the state, it takes too many lives - too many innocent lives - and this is going to be a tool to try and address that and stop it," says State Representative Glen Casada.
Could your school contain asbestos-tainted materials?
Recently, a class of plaintiffs in another state accused a school district of failing to warn school employees and students that there was asbestos and lead in many of the district's buildings. According to the lawsuit, the school district received test results in 2016 from environmental engineers identifying asbestos in several schools. Despite having that information, the district took no action until January 2020.
Injury and death take a toll on the family
A catastrophic injury or death in your family can leave you in shock. Suddenly, you do not know what to do or how to move forward.
Johnson & Johnson to pay $344 million in pelvic mesh suit
Recently, a California judge ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay the state $343.99 million for violations of California unfair competition and false advertising laws.
Arrested for DUI after the Super Bowl? Time to call a lawyer
Super Bowl Sunday is a fine time to enjoy a celebration, even if your team is not in the game. All across the nation, people threw Super Bowl parties and hosted their friends, neighbors and relatives. In many cases, alcohol was abundant.
Addicted to Purdue Pharma opioids? June 30 deadline for claims
People injured by their opioids can file personal injury claims directly against Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of the painkillers OxyContin, MS Contin and Ryzolt. Purdue is in bankruptcy, and part of that process involves divvying up the company's assets among creditors and claimants.
Talc in makeup: What should women know?
As we have discussed in recent blog posts, the FDA has found talc contaminated with asbestos in a variety of makeup products. Contaminated talc places many women at risk of mesothelioma since there is no known safe level of exposure to asbestos.
Another state considers lowing the BAC standard to 0.05%
In Tennessee and most states, you are considered "per se" under the influence for driving if your blood-alcohol content is measured at 0.08%. However, the National Transportation Safety Board has issued a recommendation encouraging all states to lower their per se standards to 0.05%. In 2018, the state of Utah became the first to do so.
