Kelley & Ferraro

The role of drivers' failure to yield in car accidents

On behalf of Kelley Ferraro of Kelley & Ferraro, LLP posted in Car Accidents on Wednesday, January 16, 2019.

As every driver in Ohio or elsewhere should know, certain rules apply to the movement of vehicles on roadways. When everyone obeys those rules, the flow of traffic gets everyone to their destinations safely. However, when a driver deviates from the rules either mistakenly or intentionally, it leads to car accidents. Each year, numerous people suffer injuries, and perhaps die, due to a driver's failure to yield the right of way, which is an important part of keeping everyone safe.

Turning vehicles often need to yield the right of way to other vehicles. When this does not happen, the results can be catastrophic. For example, an 18-wheeler was attempting to make a turn onto U.S. 35 here in Ohio from a secondary roadway. As the mammoth vehicle began its turn, a passenger vehicle already on the highway could not avoid crashing into the back of it.

Could an MRI result in pharmaceutical litigation?

On behalf of Kelley Ferraro of Kelley & Ferraro, LLP posted in Pharmaceutical Litigation on Friday, January 11, 2019.

Back in 1977, the magnetic resonance imaging system came onto the medical scene. Since then, the MRI has helped revolutionize modern medicine since the images received show doctors more than X-rays and other imaging systems of the time. This machine helps to diagnose conditions such as stroke, brain tumors and more that could have gone undetected otherwise. With all of the benefits associated with this machine, the potential harm was largely ignored until May 2018. Now, an MRI could result in pharmaceutical litigation from patients here in Ohio and elsewhere.

In 1988, it was discovered that the use of Gadolinium-based contrast agents helped medical professionals receive even better images when using an MRI. This rare-earth metal, which is silvery-white in color, enhances images. The medical and pharmaceutical communities told everyone that Gadolinium was safe to use since the kidneys quickly process and eliminate it from the body. Last May, the Food and Drug Administration announced that may not be the case.

Car accidents bring communities together for grieving families

On behalf of Kelley Ferraro of Kelley & Ferraro, LLP posted in Car Accidents on Wednesday, January 9, 2019.

One wrong decision or lapse in judgment behind the wheel can change the course of an Ohio family forever. Distracted, impaired and drowsy drivers may not mean to endanger the lives of everyone around them, but they do. Several serious or even deadly car accidents occur for these reasons. When they do, the deceased victims' communities tend to rally around the surviving family members.

Two such families need the support of their community after each lost a loved one in a recent crash. Both individuals, one age 34 and the other age 28, were thrown from their vehicle after a second vehicle reportedly ran through a stop sign and slammed into their vehicle. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the accident occurred at around 2:30 a.m.

Will you be exposed to asbestos during your home renovation?

On behalf of Kelley Ferraro of Kelley & Ferraro, LLP on Monday, January 7, 2019.

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You may choose to do your next home renovation project yourself to save money and build pride in homeownership. When homeowners choose to renovate older homes, they may not know of hidden dangers and may unknowingly expose themselves to asbestos.

Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral that is very heat-resistant. Many building materials were made with asbestos and were commonly used in homes built throughout the 20th century. Asbestos is still found throughout most older homes.

Food and Drug Administration issues recalls for many reasons

On behalf of Kelley Ferraro of Kelley & Ferraro, LLP posted in Pharmaceutical Litigation on Wednesday, January 2, 2019.

Many Ohio residents take medications for either acute or chronic conditions. Occasionally, some of those medications become the subject of recalls issued or disseminated by the Food and Drug Administration. The question is how the drug that is subject to a particular recall presents a danger to particular consumers.

Deficient manufacturing processes could result in products contaminated with foreign substances or of substandard quality. In other cases, the medication listed on the bottle may not be what is in the bottle. For example, a bottle labeled as a blood pressure medication could actually contain something to treat heart failure. It is not hard to imagine that this could cause significant harm to someone who takes the wrong medication.

Automobile accidents are a real risk for postal workers

On behalf of Kelley Ferraro of Kelley & Ferraro, LLP posted in Car Accidents on Wednesday, January 2, 2019.

Postal workers here in Ohio and elsewhere who deliver mail spend a significant amount of their workdays in their vehicles. This increases their risk of being involved in automobile accidents. Many have suffered serious or deadly injuries over the years due to other drivers' mistakes.

Recently, a postal worker here in Ohio suffered fatal injuries in a crash on Route 94. The 59-year-old was headed north at around 4 p.m. on a Wednesday afternoon. At the same time, a Dodge Caravan was closing in on him from behind. For some reason, the minivan failed to stop and slammed into the back of the postal worker's vehicle. It then flipped over and ended up coming to a stop off the roadway.

Take precautions to limit asbestos exposure in the workplace

On behalf of Kelley Ferraro of Kelley & Ferraro, LLP posted in Asbestos-Related Deaths on Thursday, December 27, 2018.

Even though this toxic substance is recognized as a carcinogen and is not used as widely as it was in the past, it still exists in many Ohio workplaces. For instance, construction workers who do demolition work could easily find themselves facing asbestos exposure. They and others can take proactive steps to protect themselves from this eventuality since it often causes significant health problems -- at some point in the future.

Of course, the more asbestos that an Ohio worker is exposed to, the greater the probability that he or she will suffer from one of its related diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. Airborne dust and fibers end up inhaled or ingested. Over time, they create scar tissue, primarily in the lungs, which makes breathing difficult and increases vulnerability to a deadly cancer for which there is no cure.

Truck drivers are not always at fault in vehicle accidents

On behalf of Kelley Ferraro of Kelley & Ferraro, LLP posted in Car Accidents on Tuesday, December 25, 2018.

Anytime people here in Ohio or elsewhere see a crash involving an 18-wheeler, it would be easy to assume that the truck driver caused it. However, big rig drivers are not always at fault in vehicle accidents. Often, passenger car drivers are the ones who end up causing an accident.

Law enforcement officers here in Ohio report that the evidence in a recent crash involving a tractor-trailer and a passenger vehicle was not the fault of the truck driver. More than likely, the driver of the 18-wheeler did not have enough time to avoid the accident. The size and weight of these vehicles make quick stops or fast evasive maneuvers nearly impossible.

Innocent victims often lose their lives in head-on collisions

On behalf of Kelley Ferraro of Kelley & Ferraro, LLP posted in Car Accidents on Friday, December 21, 2018.

Like everywhere else, Ohio residents rely on drivers to follow the rules and keep the safety of others in mind as they travel the state's roadways. The sad reality is that many people each year end up disappointed because some drivers fail to do so. In fact, innocent victims often end up losing their lives or suffering serious injuries in head-on collisions.

One man's family now feels this disappointment after a crash that recently took place on U.S. 42 here in Ohio. It was shortly after 2 p.m. when a vehicle crossed over the centerline and slammed head-on into the other vehicle. The innocent driver who was in the path of the wrong-way vehicle failed to survive the injuries he suffered in the impact.

New report could lead to more asbestos litigation for J&J

On behalf of Kelley Ferraro of Kelley & Ferraro, LLP posted in Asbestos-Related Deaths on Wednesday, December 19, 2018.

Johnson & Johnson has been in the news lately due to claims that its baby talcum powder causes cancer. The company has already spent time defending itself in asbestos litigation, but a recent report could cause a rise in the amount of time J&J will spend in court. The report indicates that the company knew for decades that its product, which is used here in Ohio and across the country, contained asbestos, but did nothing about it and even hid the fact.

Reuters conducted an examination of the company's internal memorandums, along with other documents. It was determined that J&J knew about the presence of this toxic carcinogen in its products since somewhere around 1971. Even so, it failed to inform the public or regulators.