Do bicycle helmets prevent head injuries? The answer may not be as obvious as you think.
Protect your noggin
If you were given the option of being hit on the head with or without a helmet, which would you choose? Wearing a bicycle helmet reduces the risk of head injury by approximately 85-percent. The choice seems obvious doesn’t it?
If the choice is so clear then why do one-third of Nova Scotian’s still not wear helmets when cycling? According to Statistics Canada approximately 35% of Nova Scotia’s still refuse to wear bicycle helmets on a regular basis.
Protecting yourself from adverse drug reactions
For younger Canadians an adverse reaction to a pharmaceutical drug could be an inconvenience, but to seniors it could be life threatening. A report from the Canadian Institute of Health Information (“CIHI“) states that roughly 27,000 patients a year over the age of 65 end up in the hospital as a result of adverse reactions to their drugs.
According to the CIHI approximately 0.5% of Canadian seniors end up in the hospital every year due to their medication.
Further the cost to health carecare system in Canada of adverse drug reactions among seniors comes to approximately $35.7 million a year.
Kids and Cars Canada offers warm weather warning
The tragic deaths of two toddlers in less than two weeks has brought attention to the dangers of leaving children unattended in cars: Children, cars and hot temperatures a deadly mix
Through my volunteer efforts with KidsandCars.org I have learned how dangerous it can be to leave children unattended in cars.
There are two facts that most people simply are not aware of that contribute to the danger.
The Cost of an Offer to Settle: Visual Design Consultants Inc. v. Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance Company of Canada
Litigation can be costly and time consuming. As a result, most personal injury claims in Nova Scotia are settled before trial. Most settlement negotiations are “without prejudice”, meaning neither side is allowed to refer to the negotiations at trial. This allows either side to make concessions in the negotiations that they will not be held to at trial.
Formal offers to settle
However, there are times when you may want your negotiations to be “with prejudice”. If the claim ends up going to trial, a “with prejudice” or formal offer to settle can have a major effect on the amount of costs awarded, even if the offer is rejected.
Hockey Canada insurance doesn’t cover concussions! Say what?
As a personal injury lawyer I have seen many examples of the dangers of brain injuries in sports. In particular I have written about the potential lasting effects that brain injuries can have on child athletes. See for example:
Sudden Impact: Liability for Sports Related Concussions
Brain Injuries: Minor Hockey Players 10x More Likely to Suffer Brain Injuries
Predicting recovery time from concussions: New research may help brain injury claims
As a personal injury lawyer in Nova Scotia I commonly deal with clients who have suffered head injuries and concussions.
One thing that I have noticed is the symptoms and severity of head injuries, and how long it takes the patient to recover can vary greatly.
One of the challenges brain injury lawyers face is proving what the long term consequences will be for someone who has suffered a traumatic brain injury. I discuss this in more detail in my public legal education guide: Brain Matter: The Survivor’s Guide to Brain Injury Claims.
End Distracted Driving in Nova Scotia
I received a very kind note today from one of the teachers at Bicentennial JHS about the presentation we gave to the students a few weeks ago.
Talking with the students at BJHS
“Thank you again for your dynamic presentation to our students two weeks ago. You handled them really well and they took in the importance of what you had to say. Your presentation had an impact on me, too. I drive every day and am consciously trying to focus more on the road and let distractions wait!”
In the last 4 months I have been able to give this presentation to more than 1600 students at 14 schools throughout HRM. My goal for next year is to give this presentation to every high school and junior high school in HRM. I’m recruiting volunteers to give this presentation to schools in other parts of Nova Scotia and I have teamed up with Trial Lawyer Associations across the country to get the message out across the rest of Canada.
Nova Scotia’s New Cyberbullying Law A Big Step Forward
I was going to write an article summarizing Nova Scotia’s proposed new Cyber-Safety Act. Legislation that the government has introduced to battle cyberbullying. However, my colleague David Fraser has done an excellent job noting the highlights of the Act on his Canadian Privacy Law Blog so I would commend his article to anyone interested in this issue. You can read it here.
Almost a year ago I wrote an article for the Atlantic Canada legal Examiner: More Needs To be Done in Nova Scotia to Protect Children Against Cyberbullying. The province has now tabled the new legislation and it does do more to help protect our children so I thought I would share my views of the proposed legislation.
Parental responsibility
McKiggan named to Lexpert Directory
I am pleased to say that I have been included in the 2013 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in the field of Personal injury Law.
What’s important about the Lexpert directory is that you can’t pay to be included. Selection is based upon nominations and voting by a lawyers peer group.
It’s an honour to be included again. I want to say thanks to my clients who have allowed me to work on such challenging and interesting cases and thanks to my colleagues for their recognition and support.
