Archive for January, 2012

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31
Jan

Why Are Teens Waiting Longer To Get Their Drivers Licenses?

January 31, 2012

With laws changing to require longer waiting periods and more training for teen drivers licenses, a growing number of teens are choosing to wait until they are older to get their license. According to reports from CW 33 News, a study from the University of Michigan found that in 2008, only 31 percent of 16-year-olds had a license as compared to 46 percent in 1983; for 18-year-olds the numbers were 65 percent in 2008, down from 80 percent in 1983.

These numbers compare two different generations with two completely different sets of laws. In 1983, a teen only needed to be 16-years-old and able to pass a driving test in order to get a license.

Now, although teens can begin a graduated licensing program at age 15, it requires extended classroom and driving hours that can take up to two years to complete. Because of the increased time commitment required, many teens today are choosing to wait to get their license at 18, when requirements are less stringent.

While many feel waiting may make help teens make wiser decisions, others feel that teens need experience on the road to become better drivers.

The Dallas car accident lawyers with Ferrer, Poirot & Wansbrough would like to hear your opinion on whether or not teens waiting to get their license will make better drivers. Tell us your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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24
Jan

Research Shows FDA Drug Warnings Receive Different Responses

January 24, 2012

Not all drug warnings are created equally. At least that is what new research from a doctor at the University of Chicago shows. According to MedPage Today, his data confirms that the attention people pay to drug warnings from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can vary greatly.

The researcher examined 49 studies that were published over a 20-year period and conducted extensive interviews with doctors and patients to gather results on how fast and to what extent the studies’ warnings were heeded by doctors. What they found was astounding.

The first thing they noticed was that similar warnings against drugs received different responses depending on the severity of the danger. For instance, they saw that while the use of Avandia dropped after warnings of cardiovascular events, the use of long-acting beta-agonists (LABAs) without inhaled controller medications did not decrease after warnings.

They also found that warnings aimed for certain age groups spilled into other age groups. For example, after warnings for antidepressant use in children, decline in adult use followed as well.

The most disturbing discovery was that most physicians do not heed warnings about increased monitoring of patients taking certain medications. For example, glucose testing for patients on antipsychotics did not change after the FDA warned to watch for hyperlipidemia and diabetes in those patients.

The Dallas drug injury lawyers with Ferrer,Poirot & Wansbrough urge citizens to educate themselves on medications recommended to them by a doctor before taking anything. If you have been injured from taking a drug at no fault of your own, contact an experienced attorney today.

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17
Jan

FDA Yaz Advisory Members Had Ties To Drug’s Manufacturer

January 17, 2012

It has been discovered that several members of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee that backed the drospirenone-based birth control pills, Yaz and Yasmin, had ties to the drugs manufacturer, Bayer AG. The news was released in an article by Washington Monthly and said that four of the panel members that voted in favor of the drug at a December 8th meeting also had received money from Bayer in the past.

It was uncovered in the article that the panels chairwoman, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, had received money from Bayer for work she did in 2009 involving clinical trials of drugs containing drospirenone.

Also, three other panel members had received research funding in the thousands of dollars from the company.

Although the monetary exchanges were disclosed to the FDA and determined to have no influence over the panel members, it was determined that one panel member did present a conflict of interest. The panel member was also an author of a book that told readers to stay away from drospirenone-containing medications because of the increased risks of blood clots and deep vein thrombosis.

The Texas Yaz® drug injury lawyers with Ferrer, Poirot & Wansbrough see first-hand, on an almost daily basis, the dangers that drugs like these can present to patients. Contact us today if you have suffered from thrombosis, blood clots, heart attacks, or strokes while taking a drospirenone-containing medication.

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10
Jan

Three Killed In Single-Vehicle Car Crash Near Irving, Texas

January 10, 2012

Three people were killed in a single-vehicle crash early last Wednesday morning in Las Colinas, Texas. The accident is believed by the Irving police department, who is heading up the investigation into the crash, to be alcohol related. According to NBC 5 News, if alcohol is to blame, the bars that over served the driver could be held responsible for the accident.

The night started as a young couple from Austin, Texas, went to a Dallas Stars hockey game. After the game, they went to the Hilton Hotel bar, where they met a 41-year-old local attorney.

The attorney was in the midst of a divorce from his wife and had been living in the hotel.

The group got acquainted and by 1:00 AM, all three were seen leaving the Hilton in the attorney’s Porsche sedan. They soon arrived at a local gentleman’s club, where the driver was served one final drink. The group left by 2:45AM.

Ten minutes later, a neighbor reported hearing a sound similar to “a dumpster being smashed.” Investigators determined that speed was a contributing factor to the Porsche leaving the road and crashing into a canal.

Investigators say toxicology reports will take approximately eight to ten weeks to complete. They say if the driver was over served, the bars and bartenders may be haled accountable for the accident.

The Texas auto accident attorneys with Ferrer, Poirot & Wansbrough ask that motorists watch their speed and refrain from drinking if you are going to get behind the wheel.

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3
Jan

Tarrant County Drunk Drivers Put On Wall Of Shame Website

January 3, 2012

More than sixty people will have their name and age placed on a website as being individuals who were arrested on DUI Charges over the New Years weekend in Tarrant County, Texas. According to NBCDFW 5 News, Assistant District Attorney Richard Alpert says that Tarrant County is placing the names on the web for the whole world to see in an effort to deter people from driving drunk. He says if people believe their reputation could be effected if they are caught, they may be less likely to drink and drive.

Over the holiday weekend, extra officers from several different departments were on patrol to help deter and catch drunk drivers. Of the sixty individuals arrested on suspicion of DUI, thirty have been charged and had their names and ages listed on the site.

The holiday weekend was a “no refusal weekend,” which allowed officers to get warrants from judges very quickly to obtain breathe and blood samples from suspected drunk drivers who refuse to submit to testing.

Opponents to the “shaming” website say that listing names and ages will not, and has not, acted as a deterrent to drunk driving. They say in the six years the program has been around, there have consistently been 5,000 to 6,000 arrests in Tarrant County each year for DUI.

The Texas DUI victim attorneys with Ferrer, Poirot & Wansbrough want to know if you think listing people’s names, ages, and possible mug shots would deter people form drinking and driving. Tell us what you think by posting to our Facebook page.

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