Jan Care Accident Injures Three People in Doddridge County: West Virginia State Police are investigating an ambulance crash that happened in Doddridge County on the night of May 20, 2013. A Jan-Care ambulance crashed on Route 50 near Arnold’s Creek just after 11 p.m. The ambulance driver told police that he had fallen asleep while driving.
The driver said he was traveling toward Parkersburg when the vehicle ran off the roadway and ended up in the guard rail and a ravine, according to West Virginia State Police. One person was flown to Ruby Memorial Hospital. There was one patient in the ambulance, according to 911 officials. The patient and another person in the ambulance were taken to United Hospital Center for treatment.
State police have not released the names of the people involved. Their injuries didn’t appear to be life threatening.
Drowsy Driving is one of the Leading Causes of Accidents on WV Highways
Most of us realize how dangerous driving under the influence or texting while driving is, but driving while drowsy can be equally dangerous. Sleepiness can cause slower reaction times, blurred vision, lapses in judgment, and delays in processing information.
Ambulance drivers are on call 24-7 — it is no wonder that the drivers are often driving while sleep deprived. It is especically sad when an ambulance driver whose only intent is to save lives falls asleep at the wheel and causes injury. This is the second major Jan Care accident in this area this year. I am confident the Jan Care company will be revising policies or will at least have a new urgency in working to prevent future accidents that could injure their staff and the patients who have been trusted to their care.
Specific At-Risk Groups for Drowsy Driving
Young people — especially males under age 26
Shift workers and people with long work hours-working the night shift increases your risk by nearly 6 times; rotating-shift workers and people working more than 60 hours a week need to be particularly careful
Commercial drivers-especially long-haul drivers – at least 15% of all heavy truck crashes involve fatigue
People with undiagnosed or untreated disorders-people with untreated obstructive sleep apnea have been shown to have up to a seven times increased risk of falling asleep at the wheel
Business travelers-who spend many hours driving or may be jet lagged
Fast Facts about Driving while Fatigued:
100,000 crashes each year are caused by fatigued drivers
55% of drowsy driving crashes are caused by drivers less than 25 years old
Being awake for 18 hours is equal to a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08%, which is legally drunk and leaves you at equal risk for a crash
In 2010, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety released a study that shows that fatigue is a factor in one in six deadly crashes; one in eight crashes resulting in hospitalization, and one in fourteen crashes in which a vehicle was towed.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that drowsy driving results in 1,550 deaths, 76,000 injuries, and more than 100,000 accidents every year.
Tips for avoiding becoming a drowsy driver statistic:
Get a good night’s sleep (seven to nine hours) before you begin your trip.
Plan breaks into your driving schedule; don’t be so rushed to arrive at your destination that you can’t stop for rest.
Stop every 100 miles or two hours for a walk, run, snack, or drink.
Bring a buddy who can share the driving.
If you think you could fall asleep, pull over and take a 15-20 minute nap — does not apply to ambulance drivers!
Avoid driving at times you would normally be asleep — also does not apply to ambulance drivers.
Avoid alcohol and medicines that cause drowsiness.
Caffeine can increase alertness for several hours, but you will still need adequate rest if you want to prevent fatigue related errors.
Warning Signs that it is time to pull over:
Difficulty focusing, frequent blinking, heavy eyelids.
Trouble keeping your head up.
Drifting onto rumble strips, swerving in your lane.
Inability to clearly remember the last few miles driven.
Missed exits or traffic signs.
Repeated yawning.
Feeling restless or irritable.
Robinette Legal Group, PLLC in Morgantown, WV. You may not have been able to avoid the collision that caused your injuries, but you can avoid the unnecessary pitfalls of dealing with the insurance adjusters who are motivated and trained to devalue your claim, if not destroy it altogether.
Call our office today for free books for WV accident victims: Collision Care: West Virginia Auto Collision Guide, and Righting the Wrong, West Virginia Serious Injury Guide: 304-594-1800.
Who Will Most Likely Be Named in the Resulting Lawsuits?
On Saturday, May 18th, 2013 an elderly driver plowed his 1997 Cadillac into a crowd of dozens of people at the Hikers Parade at the Trail Days festival, an annual celebration of the Appalachian Trail held in Damascus, VA. The cause of the accident is believed to be the result of a medical condition of the driver.
The driver’s car was a part of the parade. The car accelerated up to about 25 mph on a two-way bridge on the town’s main road when it struck the parade participants. Some people were pinned underneath the vehicle and were rescued by quick thinking and rapid action of family members and friends who lifted the car off those pinned by the car. No fatalities were reported, but 50-60 people were injured — some critically and some superficially. Three of the worst injured were flown by helicopter to nearby hospitals.
A man who jumped onto the car’s hood to avoid immediate impact said the driver was staring blankly and probably had no idea there was a man on his windshield.
Whenever there is a public function, city and county officials who are overseeing the function have a legal obligation to ensure that participants and the public are safe. So, an experienced personal injury lawyer will negotiate with the insurance companies of the driver who caused the injuries as well as those public and civic entities’ insurance companies, and if settlements are not reached, file suit and proceed to trial.
Similar Cases in West Virginia
I represented one of the parties in a similar incident which happened in 2001 in Moundsville, WV during a Christmas parade. A handicapped individual unintentionally lost control of the van he was driving and crashed into the crowd, seriously injuring many onlookers. One of the critically injured was an eleven year old child whose heart stopped beating 14 times on the way to the hospital. This child went into a coma and spent months in the hospital and two years in therapy. The child survived, but now is a young woman who has undergone 36 surgeries to correct problems resulting from that incident. She is glad to be alive, and appreciating the little things as she manages a life wrought with medical difficulties.
In this case, insurance companies of the driver, as well as companies insuring the city officials and other entities which hosted the event were held financially responsible for past and future losses suffered.
A more recent WV injury case involved the driver of a truck who lost control of his vehicle and ran into a tent at the All Good Festival, killing one person and seriously injuring several more. Sizable settlements were eventually reached with the driver, the event sponsors and promoters, and a security firm who had been hired to maintain a safe environment for participants. For more information, see our blog about the event: Settlements Offered for Wrongful Death and Injuries from All Good Festival.
The Value of an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
Some injury claims are so small they may not require legal representation, but my best recommendation as a former insurance defense lawyer is if you have suffered serious injuries from a collision, you need to promptly seek advice from an excellent personal injury lawyer who knows how to gain compensation for your past and future medical needs and lost wages.
An experienced trial lawyer whose focus is auto injury litigation knows how to preserve all your legal rights, not just some of them, against the attempts of the insurance adjuster and their defense attorneys to defeat or minimize your claim.
A lawyer whose focus is auto accident law has handled hundreds of claims for injured people. A skilled advocate will ensure you are not taken advantage of by the complexities of the insurance claim process and will receive the compensation due to you.
Retaining an attorney adds credibility to a client’s threat to file suit, to pursue a claim to trial, and to negotiate a larger payment. Thus, a client gains more experience, more knowledge, and more negotiating credibility and power in dealing with the insurance industry.
Morgantown WV Injury Lawyers
If you or your loved one has been injured due to negligence, whether intentional or unintentional, it is important to act quickly to protect your claim. Mr. Robinette has handled hundreds of cases involving serious injury and wrongful death and can provide the insight you need right now. Call Jeff Robinette today for a free evaluation of your case at 304-594-1800 or after hours, 304-216-6695 or visit our Robinette Legal Group, PLLC website: http://www.robinettelaw.com
On Tuesday, May 7, 2013, Michael Mario Schreiner, while changing a tire on the northbound shoulder of Interstate 79 near the Star City exit, was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer. Schreiner was found already deceased when the investigating trooper arrived on the scene.
Schreiner was a passenger in a black Nissan pickup driven by Charles Kennedy who was also struck by the passing truck, but suffered minor injuries. The pickup has Pennsylvania tags. The victims’ hometowns were not listed.
Gregory Riffle, an Ohio resident, was identified as the driver of the tractor-trailer. Riffle was not injured by the impact. The accident remains under investigation.
Tire Changing Safety
If you get a flat tire and have no other choice but to change it yourself, it is essential that you do everything you can to make yourself visible to other drivers. Some drivers drive too close to the shoulder and may not see you in time to stop when they are traveling between 70 and 80 miles per hour.
• Turn on your hazard lights (emergency blinkers).
• If possible, keep rolling until you get to a straight stretch of highway so that you are not hidden to other drivers by a curve in the road.
• Pull off as far away from the highway as possible to keep yourself off the roadway as you are working to change the tire safely.
As fellow drivers, we have a continual responsibility to look out for others in distress. This fact makes it essential that we do everything possible to ensure that we are not distracted by anything while driving.
If You Were Injured in a Truck Accident
When you are suddenly involved in an auto collision causing you serious injuries, you will likely have plenty of questions about how the insurance claims process and court system work. In essence, you want to be informed so that you can be fairly compensated for your injuries.
You need to understand your legal rights to ensure that you are compensated fairly for the injuries you received due to someone else’s negligence. The Robinette Legal Group has made available Collision Care, a Guide for WV Accident Victims, free of charge for West Virginians and those injured in WV.
Collision Care will answer your important questions about how to enforce your legal rights against the persons responsible for causing your injuries; how to navigate through the complexities of the insurance claim process and legal court system; and how to avoid being taken advantage of by insurance adjusters and their team of defense lawyers who are determined to minimize your recovery for your auto injury claim.
If you or your loved one has been injured due to negligence or willful violation of safety regulations on the road, it is important to act quickly to protect your claim. Mr. Robinette has handled hundreds of cases involving serious injury and wrongful death and can provide the insight you need right now. Call Jeff Robinette today for a free evaluation of your case at 304-594-1800 or after hours, 304-216-6695 or visit our Robinette Legal Group, PLLC website: http://www.robinettelaw.com
J.P. agreed to settle her claims for an undisclosed amount, according to a dismissal order entered April 23 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia.
Six weeks earlier, she reached settlements with Best Buy’s co-defendants. They were Mountaineer Property Co., E-P Equipment USA Corp. and EP Equipment Co.
J.P. was an employee of Best Buy and was trained by Best Buy to inventory merchandise in the store, according to a complaint filed Nov. 8, 2011, in Monongalia Circuit Court.
J.P. claims her job duties did not include the loading and unloading of merchandise delivery trucks and she was not trained to load or unload trailers using a Model EP 55-II pallet jack.
On Sept. 23, 2010, J.P. was injured when she was ordered to use the pallet jack when she was not trained on it, nor was she familiar with the use of the pallet jack, according to the suit, and claims her supervisor failed to acknowledge the seriousness of her injury and ignored her request to not work on her injured foot.
The supervisor admonished her for not getting the job done and instructed her to continue working on her injured foot, in violation of OSHA workplace standards and practices, according to the suit.
J.P. claims the defendants had actual knowledge of the existence of the specific unsafe working conditions and of the high degree of risk and the strong probability of serious injury or death presented by the unsafe working condition.
A month after the complaint was filed in Monongalia Circuit Court, Best Buy removed the case to federal court on the grounds that the defendants were out-of-state corporations and the amount in controversy exceeded a $75,000 threshold.
Best Buy later filed a third-party complaint against Mountaineer Property, which had built the loading dock area of the Best Buy store.
Representing plaintiff was Jeffery L. Robinette of Robinette Legal Group, in Morgantown, while Best Buy was represented by Andrew D. Byrd of Mannion & Gray in Charleston.
From the West Virginia Record: Reach John O’Brien at jobrienwv@gmail.com.
Guest Blog by Adam Rosenblum, a personal injury lawyer who is admitted to practice in both New York and New Jersey.
If you have been involved in a car accident and are unsure of what to do, it is important to understand the best course of action to take. Understanding your rights and how to proceed can help ensure that you are given proper compensation and are well on your way to repairing your vehicle or gathering the compensation to purchase another one.
As soon as you are involved in a car accident the first step would be to seek aid by way of calling the police and an ambulance for medical attention if anyone is in need of it. If you find that someone is seriously injured and attempting to move that person would result in further damage, contact emergency services immediately.
As police arrive and begin making an accident report, it is important to remember to never admit fault at the scene of an accident to the other driver, police, or even persons that were in your vehicle at the time the accident occurred. When the police begin the process of filing an accident report, make sure all information is filled out accurately and correctly. You should get the name, license number and other essential information from the other driver involved in the accident.
If the police officer issues you a traffic ticket in connection to your accident, it is important that you seek the advice of an attorney to protect your rights.
How Do I Go About Filing a Claim?
If the accident has left you injured or has resulted in damage to your vehicle or the other person’s vehicle, it is important that you file a claim with your insurance company.
Filing a claim is the best way to get legal compensation and help yourself or anyone else involved in the accident get on the path to medical recovery or monetary damages for your vehicle.
As soon as the accident occurs you should exchange insurance information with the other drivers involved. This step is especially important if you were not the one at fault during the accident as you could potentially end up paying a higher deductible fee after an accident. Document any damages that occurred by taking pictures of the accident itself and the surrounding environment. The insurance representative will also take their own set of photos, but pictures will help in explaining your own personal experience in the accident.
Claiming Damages
All states require by law that drivers insure their vehicles in order to legally operate them. This prevents any potential mishaps that might occur when getting into an accident with the other driver not having insurance and covers both yourself and others in your policy from personal injury resulting from an accident. If the other driver does not have insurance, then it is important you call the police to make a report.
Your own insurance policy also helps cover you if the other driver involved in the accident does not have his or her own insurance. If you find yourself struggling to receive a claim for either monetary damage or a personal injury settlement resulting from a car accident, contacting an experienced personal injury attorney will get you well on your way to successfully gaining compensation and reduce an liabilities that you might forced to pay as a result of the negligence of another party.
Adam Rosenblum is a personal injury attorney licensed to practice in New York and New Jersey.For more information concerning car accidents in New York and New Jersey, visit Adam Rosenblum at personal-injury-nj.com and rosenblumlawfirm.com.
Update: The Tyler County Sheriff’s Dept. reports Raymond Miller, 43, of Jeanette, Pa., died Monday evening, April 15th, 2013, at the West Penn Burn Center in Pittsburgh. Miller suffered burn injuries which proved to be fatal from the natural gas pigging station flash fire near Wick, WV. Marietta, Ohio resident Bruce Phipps, 56, died last Friday from injuries in suffered in last Thursday’s flash fire at the Eureka-Hunter facility.
The third worker who was burned in the flash fire remains hospitalized.
April 14, 2013: The Tyler County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that 56-year-old Bruce Phipps of Marietta, Ohio, died shortly before midnight on Friday from injuries sustained in the flash fire at the Eureka-Hunter pig receiving station near Wick, WV.
Original Post: Authorities are investigating the cause of an explosion at a gas well compression station site in Tyler County. The Twin Hickories Road compression station explosion happened on Thursday, April 11, 2013 in Wick near Middlebourne. The facility is owned by Marietta, Ohio based Eureka-Hunter. Three people employed by third-party contractors suffered severe burns and were flown directly to the West Penn Burn Center in Pittsburgh. A fourth employee was injured, but treated and released at a local hospital.
Later, Eureka officials corrected initial reports. The senior vice president of Eureka Hunter clarified the reported explosion was a flash fire, and the location was a pig receiving station along the pipeline, not a compression station as first reported. The “pig” is a device to clean out pipelines to remove accumulated liquids. This particular line carried methane as well as natural gas liquids such as ethane, propane and butane from the wellhead.
At about 7 p.m. on April 11th, Tyler County 911 received a call from a Eureka Hunter employee of an explosion with storage tanks on fire and at least two people injured at the Twin Hickories Road compression station near Wick, W.Va.
Fire and emergency responders were sent to the scene along with the Tyler County Sheriff Deputies. According to a press release, fire units from Shirley, Alma, Middlebourne, Sistersville as well as Saint Mary’s from Pleasants County and Paden City from Wetzel County responded.
Two Tanks on Fire near Tyler County Compression Station
“When we arrived on scene we had a track-hoe on fire and two tanks were on fire,” said Jason Maisey, Assistant Chief of the Middlebourne VFD. “This was not a well, this was a compressor station.”
Maisey said the workers were using a new piece of equipment to “pig” the line. However, it’s unclear what caused the fire. The blaze was intense and rekindled several times due to the heat. He said firemen took more than an hour to get it out. Early reports indicated the natural gas liquids in the tanks fueled the fire. The fire remained above ground and did not progress to the underground pipe lines.
“We went in and shut the valves off feeding the tanks. What was burning was what was in the tanks on top. It was very flammable,” he said. “It kept reigniting and burning off. We climbed on the tank, shut the lid, and put it out.”
West Virginia Gas Drilling Injury Lawyers – Robinette Legal Group, PLLC
The development of the Marcellus Shale oil and gas drilling in West Virginia provides many jobs to hard-working West Virginians. West Virginia workers have a long-standing tradition of working hard in spite of dangerous and exhausting conditions.
In most cases, a worker who is injured on the job will be able to receive some benefits from a Worker’s Compensation claim. In West Virginia, if employer is found to have intentionally placed their employee in harm’s way, resulting in serious injury or death, that employee may qualify to file a claim against the employer’s insurance company. If the cause of your injury was due to faulty equipment or a negligent contractor, you may be entitled to seek additional monetary compensation from that third party.
If you or your loved one has been injured due to negligence or willful violation of safety regulations in the workplace, it is important to act quickly to protect your claim. Mr. Robinette has handled hundreds of cases involving serious injury and wrongful death and can provide the insight you need right now. Call Jeff Robinette today for a free evaluation of your case at 304-594-1800 or after hours, 304-216-6695 or visit our Robinette Legal Group, PLLC website: http://www.robinettelaw.com
Does it really matter if I wait to contact a lawyer about my wrongful death claim?
If you think that waiting a few months to speak with a lawyer won’t impact your wrongful death claim, think again. Every day that you wait to seek legal counsel equates to a loss of opportunity to obtain full compensation for your injuries. In reality, it is the first 30 days following the fatal injuries to your deceased family member that are most critical to your case.
It is within this relatively short time period that initial inspections should be completed and necessary evidence and testimony secured. It is always best if a lawyer is consulted within the first few days following the tragic event, because certain evidence won’t last even 30 days. If you wait too long to develop your wrongful death claim, it will make the job of even a good lawyer more difficult to obtain a full recovery for the estate.
Waiting even a few weeks to get legal advice about your case may be just enough time for evidence to be lost or destroyed or an important witness to disappear. Loss of vital evidence and witness testimony will cause permanent shortcomings in your wrongful death case. Without evidence you have no way of proving liability against the responsible parties who caused the death of your family member.
You don’t know if or when your evidence will disappear or be destroyed. An important witness to your case will not likely call you up and give you their testimony and forwarding address before they skip town. When they skip town, there goes your evidence, too. And that documentary evidence — the tangible information like records and parts — you need to prove your case can disappear. Nobody is going to alert you to that either.
Also, please keep in mind that West Virginia allows only two years to file suit after the occurrence. After this time, your claim will be forever barred.
It doesn’t matter if your evidence is accidently lostor intentionally destroyed; both have the same adverse impact on your fatal injury claim. All these things happen without you knowing it — these are some of the legal ramifications of waiting too long to get legal counsel. You don’t have to end up being further harmed — you can exercise your right to consult with your own lawyer about your injury claim today.
For further information about moving forward after a tragic, unexpected death, we offer a free resource for you to help guide you through the process of moving forward with your lives. Click this link to gain the insight you need today: Beside Still Waters: West Virginia Fatal Injury Guide.
No words or amount of remuneration could ever compensate all that you have lost when your loved one is taken from you. As you move forward with your life, those who are responsible must be held accountable to give you a sense of justice and closure. Jeff Robinette and his staff are available to answer your questions. Every call is handled with compassion, and every case is handled with dignity and professionalism.
“It’s just crazy how many people went by and didn’t stop. If I was in his situation, I’d want someone to stop and help me.” Nathan Foreman
Kingwood, WV: On Wednesday, January 30, 2012 Brian Delaney of Morgantown, 47, was driving east in a Tri-State Mortuary Plymouth Voyager van that veered into a ditch, crashed into the embankment and rolled several times during a rainstorm. Delaney works for Tri-State Mortuary Services, of Poca, WV and was “on his way to Martinsburg, transporting someone to a funeral home,” according to Senior Trooper Wood of the WV State Police.
Nathan Foreman and Carl Wilson, education specialists at the USP-Hazelton, came upon the van near the Coopers Rock exit as they were returning from Morgantown. The two men stopped to see if they could help. They found Delaney “hanging upside down on the seatbelt,” according to Wilson.
“He wasn’t breathing,” Foreman said. According to Wilson, “It was a dire situation. I used my body to take that pressure off the seatbelt.”
The two borrowed a pocket knife from a man who stopped to help. Another man at the scene was small enough to get into the crushed van “to unclick the seatbelt,” according to Wilson. Once the seatbelt was loose, the men removed Delaney from the van and Wilson, a paramedic who once taught emergency medicine, began CPR.
“He slowly started breathing again,” Foreman said. Wilson added, “He didn’t regain consciousness, but he did start to breathe on his own.”
“It’s just crazy how many people went by and didn’t stop,” Foreman said. “If I was in his situation, I’d want someone to stop and help me.”
Delaney was in fair condition at Ruby Memorial Hospital late Wednesday, according to a hospital spokeswoman.
Good Samaritan Laws: Most states have a statute to protect individuals that assist a victim during a medical emergency. Most Good Samaritan laws are created specifically for the general public and assumes that there is no medically trained person available to assist the victim. Since the Good Samaritan typically does not have medical training, the law protects him or her from being liable from injury or death caused to the victim during a medical emergency as long as the care was given in good faith and without malicious intent.
Submitted by the Robinette Legal Group, PLLC, West Virginia Injury Lawyers. Free books and downloads for WV accident victims — Call us today: 304-216-6695 or 304-594-1800 for your free copy of Righting the Wrong: WV Serious Injury Guide; Collision Care: WV Auto Injury Guide; or Beside Still Waters: WV Fatal Injury Guide for Families. We are glad to answer your questions.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been designated as the signature injury of the recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and as a result many injured soldiers and their families suffer in silence. In response to the need, the US military is now funding new research and has established multiple centers for those soldiers with traumatic brain injuries to receive effective therapies to rebuild and reroute their neurological pathways in the hope returning to work and building a better future.
Though most of the traumatic brain injury cases we handle are the result of vehicle and work accidents, hazardous military duty and sports activities also often lead to traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Injury to the brain is usually the first injury to occur, and the last to be diagnosed. Thanks to new funding by the US military and the NFL, more hope, treatments, and tests are available to help heal the wounds.
Symptoms of TBI involve a wide range of symptoms including vomiting, persistent headaches, sensitivity to light, memory loss, mood disorders, inability to focus, slow reaction time, dizziness, depression, blurred vision, and loss of balance.
On the leading edge of TBI research are studies concerning the use of Omega-3 fatty acids and new cognitive therapies designed to reroute and stimulate neurological pathways where healthy parts of the brain can compensate by learning to handle new functions. Rest augmented by a battery of mental exercises involving memory drills, math, and hand-eye coordination can help a brain accomplish neuroplasticity, a term which means that the brain repairs, regenerates, and reconnects.
In January of 2013, the results of the examination of the brain of the former NFL player, Junior Seau, were published indicating that Seau’s brain was found to be clearly damaged by the repeated blows inherent to football. Prior to his death by suicide, he had been diagnosed with degenerative brain disease. Results of an NIH study of Seau’s brain revealed abnormalities consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a severe problem experienced by dozens of top football players.
The NFL may be facing thousands of lawsuits right now from former players who say that they were not protected or informed enough about the result of concussion. In response, The NFL, both directly and in partnership with the NIH, Centers for Disease Control and other leading organizations, is supporting a wide range of independent medical and scientific research that will both address CTE and promote the long-term health and safety of athletes at all levels.
PET Scans and Chemical Markers Can Identify Progression of Brain Diseases in Athletes
More and more, researchers have speculated a connection between sports-related concussions and mild traumatic brain injuries with the development of degenerative brain diseases later in life – most notably chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and even Alzheimer’s disease.
Previously, the only way to confirm a connection between repetitive brain injury and these debilitating brain conditions was through an autopsy.
But now, there may be a new way to identify or track the progression of these brain diseases while a current or former athlete is still alive.
For the first time, researchers from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) have utilized positron emission tomography (PET) scans and a newly developed chemical marker called FDDNP to do brain imaging tests on five retired NFL players. The new imaging technique ultimately revealed the buildup of the abnormal tau protein, which has been associated with repetitive head trauma, as well as the onset of Alzheimer’s.
New Research Indicates Omega-3 May be Part of the Answer
Brain Health Education and Research Institutewas founded by Dr. Michael Lewis in 2011 to pursue educational and research endeavors to further knowledge of natural and nutritional ways to improve brain health. The initial focus of the Institute is educating providers and the public on the use of omega-3 fatty acids for the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of the brain prior to or following injury such as traumatic brain injury or concussion. With Dr. Lewis’ 30-plus years of military experience, a special emphasis is working towards improving the care and outcomes of our military personnel and veterans who have experienced psychological or physical trauma to the brain.
Dr. Lewis is a pioneer in the use of omega-3 for concussion and TBI – a simple, yet profound concept. Everyone is different, but his theory is if the basic building blocks of the brain aren’t present, the brain is going to have a more difficult and longer time putting the pieces back together. Here is something essential to know:
According to Dr. Lewis, there is no cure for concussion and TBI. All medical providers can do is optimize the conditions to help the brain do the healing. That is what using omega-3’s will do. It provides a tool, the basic building block, for the brain’s healing.
Omega-3 Aids Brain Recovery of Randal McCloy, Survivor of the Sago Mine Disaster
Neurosurgeon Dr. Julian Bailes is often at the cutting edge of the latest treatments for people with brain injuries. Former NFL players and other notable people with brain injuries—including Randal McCloy Jr., the sole surviving miner in the 2006 Sago Mine disaster in West Virginia—have received his care. Dr. Oz talks with Dr. Bailes about how he used omega-3 fatty acids, a common nutritional supplement, to aid in Randal’s brain recovery.
On January 2, 2006, the nation was captivated by efforts to rescue 13 men who were trapped in the Sago coal mine explosion. While news sources initially reported that all 13 men were alive, tragically it was only Randal who survived. After more than 40 hours of exposure to carbon monoxide, Randal was entrusted into the care of many doctors, including Dr. Bailes. “He’s had a massive heart attack from the carbon monoxide exposure, he was in kidney failure, liver failure, he was dehydrated, he was hypothermic and he was in the deepest of coma,” he says. “We didn’t have anything promising.”
Soon though, Dr. Bailes says he and the other doctors were confident they could save Randal’s life, but it was uncertain if his brain would recover from its extensive injuries. Randal was given three hypobaric oxygen treatments, but Dr. Bailes says there was no drug available that could help repair his damaged brain. “Since there was no drug to do it … why don’t we give him what his brain was made from in the first place, when he was an embryo in his mother’s womb?” Dr. Bailes says. That substance was omega-3 fatty acids. “Omega-3 fatty acids—EPA and DHA—[are] what people commonly would call fish oil, but we gave him a super variety in extremely high doses, up to 19 grams a day that we delivered to him in a liquid form through his tube that was in his stomach,” he says.
As Randal’s brain functions started to improve, Dr. Bailes recorded his findings and now says people suffering from minor to severe brain injuries can benefit greatly from omega-3s. “Consider this as a nutritional supplement, if you will, for their recovery, which I think has very profound effects on the brain,” he says. While Randal was the first known person with brain injuries to be treated with omega-3s, Dr. Bailes says he won’t likely be the last. And, Dr. Bailes says everyone can benefit from the supplement—in fact, he says he takes 800 milligrams of algae-based DHA a day.
Randal McCloy has gone on to live a normal life in a small town in West Virginia, and has become the father of two children since the Sago coal mine disaster.
US Army Funds Three-year study of Omega-3’s Effect on Brain Health
Research published last year by Brain Health Education and Research Institute’s Michael Lewis, MD, in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry reported that active duty military with lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids were 62% more likely to have committed suicide compared to those with higher levels. In October, 2012, the military announced they are funding a three-year study to do just that. In cooperation with the NIH, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina led by Bernadette Marriott, PhD, a professor in the Clinical Neuroscience Division of the Institute of Psychiatry, will test whether omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils can relieve the anxieties and quiet the suicidal thoughts plaguing many combat veterans.
“The potential good versus the potential extraordinarily low risk and low cost make this a type of intervention that can be – if findings are warranted – rolled out extremely fast and on a large scale,” said Dr. Ron Acierno, a co-investigator on the project at USC. “Omega-3s are among the primary fatty acids in the brain… They’re responsible for neural generation and neural repair – for new neurons to be made and for broken ones to be fixed.”According to Dr. Hibbeln, “Research conducted in our lab [at the NIH] during the last 20 years points to a fundamental role for omega-3 fatty acids in protecting against major depression, substance abuse and other problems. Here we hope to be successful in understanding if omega-3 may play a role in reducing risk of severe suicidal behaviors among U.S. military veterans.”
If research by the Army and Cleveland Clinic is successful, then diagnosis for brain injury could include an inexpensive blood test. Medical researchers are developing a test that will determine the presence of a protein that is released into the bloodstream after a person suffers a brain injury.
Researchers are currently testing their findings by analyzing the blood of college football, hockey, and soccer players to even diagnose concussions. Current methods of diagnosing brain injury involve the use of a CT scanner. These scans are expensive and may also fail to detect slight bleeding and other signs of a brain injury.
The military has also ordered nearly 50,000 sensor helmets with the ability to measure severity of blows to the head and to detect for possible concussions. The NFL is partnering with the military to place similar sensors in the helmets of professional football players.
Research indicates that the potential for serious lifelong traumatic brain injury is increased greatly if a subsequent head injury occurs a short time after a concussion, so a quick and inexpensive means of determining mild brain injuries could be a lifesaver for military personnel, workers, children, and sports participants.
Jeff Robinette, Experienced Brain Injury Litigation Attorney
As a lawyer who has helped victims of TBI navigate and receive substantial settlements from insurance companies, my great hope for these injury victims is that they would be able move forward with their lives and receive the best care and treatment available. Kudos to those who are at the forefront of this helpful new research designed to overcome TBI and help those people function in a manner close to that of their pre-injury selves.
Submitted by the Robinette Legal Group, PLLC, West Virginia Injury Lawyers. Free books for WV accident victims — Call us today: 304-216-6695 or 304-594-1800 for your free copy of Righting the Wrong: WV Serious Injury Guide; Collision Care: WV Auto Injury Guide; or Beside Still Waters: WV Fatal Injury Guide for Families. We are glad to answer your questions.
An ambulance and a flatbed semi-truck collided on Interstate 79 south near Weston Tuesday morning and closed the highway for almost two hours on Tuesday, January 15, 2013.
Jan-Care Ambulance Services confirmed Tuesday morning that a Jan-Care EMT died following the accident on Interstate 79 in Lewis County.
A Jan-Care ambulance was returning to the station from an EMS transport when it collided with a flatbed semi-truck Tuesday morning, according to Paul Seamann, Director of Operations at Jan-Care Ambulance Services.
Lewis County sheriff’s deputy F.J. Turansky says Jan-Care EMT, Mark Kinder, 26, a passenger in the ambulance, was injured in the accident and later died as a result as his injuries at Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital. Turansky says the ambulance’s driver was treated and released. No patient was on-board the ambulance at the time of the accident.
Paul Seamann of Jan-Care reflected that “It is a real tragedy when something like this happens to someone who has devoted so much timeand effort to helping others.”
The Lewis County Sheriff’s Department said the driver and passenger of the semi-truck involved in the fatal crash were not injured.
The collision happened south of the Weston exit at mile marker 97.5. Lewis County Sheriff’s Department and the Weston Fire Department were called to the scene. Drivers on I-79 south of Weston were stuck for an hour and a half until crews opened the shoulder to allow them to pass through.
The cause of the accident is unknown.
The Lewis County Sheriff’s Department and State Police are investigating the accident.
Submitted by the Robinette Legal Group, PLLC, West Virginia Injury Lawyers. Free books for WV accident victims — Call us today: 304-216-6695 or 304-594-1800 for your free copy of Righting the Wrong: WV Serious Injury Guide; Collision Care: WV Auto Injury Guide; or Beside Still Waters: WV Fatal Injury Guide for Families. We are glad to answer your questions.
Jan Care Accident Injures Three People in Doddridge County: West Virginia State Police are investigating an ambulance crash that happened in Doddridge County on the night of May 20, 2013. A Jan-Care ambulance crashed on Route 50 near Arnold’s Creek just after 11 p.m. The ambulance driver told police that he had fallen asleep while driving.
