Fall in New Jersey means crisper air and beautiful colors as the leaves turn. Seasonal changes can also lead to more car accidents.

Falling leaves

Falling leaves are a regular fixture during the fall. When they fall into the road, they can make it slippery. If your vehicle cannot maintain traction over the slick leaves, you can get into a car accident. You should avoid parking your car near a pile of leaves and be aware that leaves can gather and conceal road hazards like potholes.

Glare from the sun

During the fall, the sun sets earlier, so there’s a good chance you’ll have to deal with it while driving. By the time work lets out for many people, the sun hangs lower and can hit your windshield or even your eyes, which can be blinding. This all makes it easier to get into a collision. Sunglasses can help with this problem. If you wear glasses, lenses that darken in the sun are helpful.

Frost

The fall is when the first frost occurs. Temperatures dip at nighttime, which means the roads might be icy the next morning. Driving can be challenging in such situations. You can stay safer by slowing your speeds and staying farther behind the vehicle directly ahead of you.

Fog

Fog is more likely in the fall, which means decreased visibility. Be especially careful while driving. Use your low beams, slow your speed and be extra cautious at all times.

Tire pressure

As the temperatures grow cooler in the fall, you should check your tire pressure more. The changing temperature means that your tires can lose inflation more quickly. If your pressure is low, get to your nearest service station to refill your tires.

Be aware of these hazards during the fall. Awareness can help you drive more safely and avoid accidents.

Drivers may travel many of the same routes for years without any near misses, much less accidents. Don’t assume any New Jersey commutes come without risks, as vehicle collisions could happen anywhere at any time. 2021’s statistics involved an alarming increase in traffic deaths, and those figures reflect a trend that may not subside by 2022’s end.

The deadly statistics of 2021

Understanding the deadly accident wave of 2021 may require looking at the 2020 landscape. 2020 proved to be an unusual year due to many unexpected factors that led to fewer drivers on the road. For some, a reduced number of drivers led them to engage in speeding and other moving violations, practices not safe under any circumstances. When 2020 turned into 2021, a segment of drivers let their reckless behaviors on the road continue, leading to increased fatalities.

Of course, many drivers didn’t need any prompting from 2020’s unique situation. Whether someone engages in one-time reckless driving or is a habitual offender, an unsafe driver could cause a crash.

2021 saw many crashes that left people dead. Government agencies noted that the year saw nearly 43,000 people die in traffic accidents, a shocking figure. While not wearing seat belts played a role in some fatal collisions, negligent drivers contributed significantly to the statistics.

Negligence behind the wheel

Speeding receives a fair share of the blame for the increased fatalities, which is unsurprising. Speeding is dangerous under all circumstances since it could cause an accident or make it challenging to avoid one.

Lane-splitting and making numerous land changes without turn signals are other behaviors that open doors to personal injury lawsuits. Truthfully, any moving violation known for putting oneself and others in jeopardy may present the same legal risks.

Hopefully, someone’s misguided behavior behind the wheel won’t cause a fatal accident. However, even a minor accident comes with a potential legal fallout. Accident victims who suffer only property damage, such as a wrecked rear fender, would likely want compensation for their losses.

In New Jersey and around the country, the time period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is often referred to as the 100 deadliest days of summer. During this time, there is a dramatic increase in the number of teenage vehicle crashes and fatalities.

More than 7000 people were killed in motor vehicle accidents involving teenage drivers from 2010 through 2019 during the period, and many believe that parents are the first line of defense to prevent this from happening to their teenagers. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you have a teen who will be driving this summer.

Understanding the cause

Researchers have discovered the main cause of teen motor vehicle accidents is distracted driving. Texting while driving and talking on a cell phone can certainly be a factor in distracted driving. However, studies show that most teenage driver distraction comes from other passengers. Interestingly, 15% of crashes involving teens were caused by distractions from passengers verses 12% caused by cell phone usage while driving.

Educating your teen driver

Parents must continually remind their young drivers of the dangers of distracted driving and of the responsibility they have as drivers to protect others. Caution teenagers to never touch their cell phones while driving and to concentrate on speed limits and highway laws. Remember, teenagers might not be capable of fully understanding the risk they take to themselves and others when they get behind the wheel. It is up to the parents to help them take their responsibility as a driver as seriously as possible.

Be the best example possible

Your children pay attention to how you conduct yourself behind the wheel. Therefore, it is important that you take steps to prevent an automobile accident by not using your cell phone and by paying attention to your surroundings while driving.

It is also important to offer reassurance to your children that you will pick them up if they have been drinking, or that you will be there to help them if they experience a mechanical issue with their car. Giving your teenager the confidence to know they can rely on you for help can go a long way in preventing a deadly accident.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) accident reports for 2021 overall have not been positive. Not only have the number of accidents and motorist death rates increased, but all accident numbers were up across the board, including in New Jersey where many people in urban areas use public transportation, walk to their destinations or use some form of alternate transportation such as bicycles or scooters.

The problem by the numbers

Just as reflected in the NHTSA report regarding overall traffic fatalities on the highways in 2021, pedestrian fatalities increased at an exponential 10.5% from 2020 levels. This is the largest increase since 2005. Additionally, it is the highest since the agency began tracking such statistics in 1975. These reports do not include personal injury claims, which could be even higher.

Plan of action

While the NHTSA is specifically a statistics bureau for maintaining traffic safety records, the GHSA actually sets forth a plan of action when troubling issues like this are brought to public view. Officials from the GHSA have stated that this number of fatal injuries is unacceptable and that states such as New Jersey should take a proactive stance in improving pedestrian safety in all areas. According to the GHSA’s executive director, the first step should be identifying the root causes of these accidents.

Not included in the numbers was how much traffic has increased from 2020 to 2021 as states lifted restrictions regarding public movement after the health emergency. The GHSA’s suggestion is that communities should focus on pedestrian safety as much as traffic flow when they design new roads and improve intersection safety.

One thing that can make it difficult to diagnose cancer is that its symptoms can resemble those of other illnesses, such as menopause. Take a look at some of the signs of cancer that can be mistaken for menopause symptoms.

Common cancer signs that can be mistaken

One of the most common signs of cancer that can be mistaken for menopause symptoms is a sudden change in appetite. Many women going through menopause experience changes in their appetite because as estrogen reduces, ghrelin levels seem to rise. People with cancer often lose appetite because their bodies aren’t using carbohydrates, proteins and fats as they should.

Fatigue, hot flashes, weight loss and night sweats are also common symptoms of menopause, so it can be tricky to tell it apart from cancer. While these signs can also occur in people with cancer, they are not always present.

Working with a doctor

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above and are unsure if they could indicate cancer or not, it’s important to talk to your doctor right away. However, there are times when a doctor can also misdiagnose you and not catch your cancer in time for the most effective treatment. If this happens, you may be able to file a medical malpractice claim to get the help or recompense you need.

It’s helpful to be aware of the signs of cancer so that if you experience any of them, you can get checked out sooner rather than later. While the two conditions can share some common symptoms, they have vastly different long-term effects on the body, so it’s important to know the difference and get proper treatment.

Few people would state that driving a tractor-trailer is easy. However, some may believe that loading cargo onto an 18-wheeler doesn’t involve much strategy, only a lot of heavy lifting.

In reality, proper care and attention to safety should go into any cargo loading. Safety failures with the cargo can lead to accidents on New Jersey roads.

Cargo safety and semi trucks

Cargo loading and transport require numerous safety steps. Overlooking any actions could lead to a catastrophe, as poorly secured cargo might come loose. With open-carry loads, items could fall off the truck and cause fatal injuries. Not inspecting the loads before departure may lead to a disaster.

Another point worth mentioning is that cargo enclosed inside the trailer could move around and shift the weight. A truck driver might have a difficult time handling the vehicle. Considering the size and weight of a semi truck, the vehicle may inflict significant harm if the driver loses control.

Negligence and loading problems

Other loading mishaps could lead to a big rig accident. Overloading may be among the most common, as a truck can only handle so much weight. Putting too much cargo onto the trailer may strain the engine, resulting in operational problems. For example, the truck could gain additional speed going downhill due to the weight or struggle when going uphill. Serious accidents could happen under these circumstances.

Any negligence that contributes to cargo problems could leave the responsible party open to a lawsuit. Sadly, some accidents involve severe bodily injury or death. With proper cargo loading, those terrible incidents may have been avoidable.

Medical malpractice or medical negligence is defined as medical care that causes harm to a patient. A New Jersey plaintiff in such a lawsuit has to show that the medical facility or practitioner provided poor care and that it led to harm.

Proving the medical provider’s treatment was below the standard of care is the easiest question to answer. Causation is the second part and is much harder to prove.

Proving medical malpractice

The standard of care for medical malpractice lawsuits require other medical experts to examine the details of the claim. Medical experts can see if the medical care was on par with the requisite standard of care. The standard of care depends on the resources available and the seriousness of the issue. The experts then check the provider’s care against the standards of care. Once the experts determine whether the provider’s care was below the standard, the next question is causation. A patient needs to prove the provider’s care was factually a cause of their harm with a reasonable degree of medical certainty.

Situations with medical malpractice

All surgeries can produce complications. The patient accepts the risks of surgery before the procedure begins. It’s hard to prove a surgeon’s neglect caused a negative outcome from the surgery. Along the same lines, it’s hard to prove a doctor caused cancer. A delay in a cancer diagnosis can be deadly, but most cancers need in-depth and extended medical treatments. In court, the patient would need to prove their condition worsened after prognosis and treatment.

Orthopedic injuries are complex as well. Sometimes fractures don’t heal properly and give patients issues or limitations. Situations like this can happen even if the doctor does everything correctly for the patient. The medical malpractice lawsuit could involve an unset bone, refusing surgery or refusing hardware. Proving the causation of an injury in court is hard.

Medical malpractice is complex and requires understanding the risks of the provider’s care. A court requires the patient to prove medical malpractice. Other experts can help a patient confirm a low quality of care, but causation is harder to prove.

Many New Jersey residents have undergone surgical procedures. If you are scheduled for one, you expect it to go smoothly, but sadly, medical errors can happen. Surgery is one of the most common reasons for medical malpractice lawsuits.

Why are medical malpractice claims so common with surgery?

According to a report that looked at five years of medical malpractice claims from 2014 through 2018, it was found that surgery made up for 25% of all claims. Surgery errors can result in significant harm to patients. Surgery-related claims rank as the second most common in medical malpractice cases. The only claims that were higher were diagnosis-related, which comprise 32% of medical malpractice claims.

Additionally, 78% of claims had to do with the performance of the doctor during the surgical procedure, according to the report. The report mentioned that all phases of the process of the surgery, from making decisions through after the surgery itself, can result in claims.

What types of surgery most commonly result in claims?

General surgery accounts for the majority of instances of personal injury and medical malpractice claims at 22 percent. Orthopedic surgery was the second at 17% and neurosurgery came in third at 8 percent. Many of the patients who filed medical malpractice claims stated that their injuries were permanent. Some even resulted in the death of patients.

A lack of technical skill was the most common complaint in the claims at 39 percent. Meanwhile, 27% of patients stated that there was a miscommunication issue or a failure in judgment, resulting in their injuries. Some patients reported that a foreign object was left inside their body after the surgery and others reported that they had an unnecessary procedure, the wrong side of their body was operated on, or they experienced a delay in a procedure they needed.