Archive for March, 2012

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26
Mar

Arkansas Has Dramatic Increase In Number Of Children Injured On Playgrounds

March 26, 2012

According to the National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS), from 2001 to 2008, 218,851 children were taken to emergency rooms because of playground equipment injuries, half of which occurred on public playground equipment.

Arkansas Children’s Hospital says that it has seen a 30 percent increase in the number of children being treated for these types of injuries. For instance, two young children recently suffered serious leg injuries on a piece of playground equipment at Root Elementary School in Fayetteville, Arkansas. An article released by NWA Online stated that the children fell from the equipment, which is now scheduled to be removed and replaced. The children were taken to a local hospital and are expected to make full recoveries from their injuries.

Donna Parnell-Beasley, a spokesperson with Arkansas Children’s Hospital, says that most injuries are to the hands and heads of children and are normally the results of falls. Beasley added that “children typically don’t have critical thinking skills until they get older, so they don’t realize there’s danger involved in some of their activities.”

In order to prevent these types of accidents, state laws require school districts to inspect equipment monthly to ensure safety, but this is not always enough to keep a child safe.

That’s why the Arkansas Brain Injury Lawyers with Rainwater, Holt & Sexton urge parents to always make sure your children are being supervised by a responsible adult when they are playing.

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19
Mar

New Guidelines Say Women Should Be Screened For Cervical Cancer Less Often

March 19, 2012

Government officials have issued new guidelines to better protect women from the dangers of pregnancy complications that can be caused by over-testing for cervical cancer. According to THV News, the U.S. Preventative Task Force has called for women to be tested for the disease less often.

Rather than being tested once a year, regulations now say that women ages 21 to 65 should be screened for cervical cancer only once every three years. Women ages 30 and over who are at a low risk for the disease need only be tested once every five years if they receive a Human papillomavirus screening at the same time.

Doctors have claimed in the past that over-screening is leading to a high number of false positives on tests that have women undergoing unnecessary procedures that could leave them with pregnancy and fertility complications.

While officials say that women should be tested for certain conditions less, they add that it does not mean that women should skip their annual appointment with their gynecologist. One doctor stated that there are numerous other factors of a woman’s health that are evaluated during that appointment, such as contraception, sexually transmitted diseases, breast health, bone health, hypertension, and diabetes.

The Arkansas Medical Malpractice Attorneys with Rainwater, Holt, and Sexton would advise you to seek a second opinion from another doctor if you believe you have been harmed by a doctor’s diagnosis of your medical condition.

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12
Mar

The 99 Makes Its Way To Benton, Arkansas Through March

March 12, 2012

A new way of educating teens and young adults about the dangers of risky behaviors, including drug use and drinking and driving, has come to Benton, Arkansas. According to FOX 16 News, the 99 Walkthrough Reality Theatre has been set up at 121 Alcoa Rd. since March 2 and will remain there until the end of the month.

Participants of The 99 will walk through five different scenarios being played by live actors. Each scene portrays how a different teen’s choice to participate in risky behavior ultimately leads to his or her demise.

The idea behind the reality theatre is based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s statistic that 99 young people in the country die in car accidents or from drug overdoses, domestic violence, homicides, and suicides each day.

The director of The 99, Terry Henshaw, says he hopes the program will help teens realize their decisions have consequences and that “when they see the reenactments, they’ll make better choices.”

One teen who walked through the program said it was “eerie” and thought provoking.

The 99 will be open Friday through Sunday from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. until the end of March and will be in Louisville, Kentucky, from April through May.

The Arkansas Car Accident Lawyers with Rainwater, Holt and Sexton would encourage all young adults and teens in those areas to check this event out and see the dangers of risky behaviors firsthand.

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5
Mar

Arkansas State Police Announce Start Of Anti-Drunk Driving Campaign

March 5, 2012

The Arkansas State Police announced yesterday that this week would mark the beginning of a statewide anti-drunk driving campaign aimed at teens. The agency stated that the campaign would run from March 9 through March 18. Then, from April 13 through April 22, officers will focus enforcement on intoxicated teen drivers.

Authorities say they chose those dates to coincide with the large number of student events scheduled for that time of year that’s known to be associated with teen drinking, such as spring break, proms, and graduation.

State troopers, sheriff’s deputies, and police officers from across the state will conduct saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints in an attempt to lower the number of alcohol-related teen fatalities in the state this year. In 2010, 47 teens were killed in alcohol-related accidents.

Law enforcement warns teens that they can be arrested for driving under the influence if their blood-alcohol content (BAC) is between .02 and .07 percent. A BAC of .08 percent or higher constitutes the more serious offense of Driving While Intoxicated (DWI).

Offenders can expect a sentence of possible jail time, fines of around $2,000, driver license suspension, and mandatory community service.

The Arkansas DUI Accident Attorneys with Rainwater, Holt & Sexton encourage all drivers to do their part in keeping Arkansas’s highways safe by not getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol. Instead, call a cab or a trusted friend to get you home safely.

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