News & Press
What COVID Long-Haulers Should Know About Disability Benefits
As we approach the two-year anniversary of the COVID pandemic, we are beginning to understand the far-reaching physical impacts of this virus. While the effects on the healthcare system, the economy and society began immediately, other impacts are only now coming to light. In all of this uncertainty, one thing is certain, the symptoms and…
Read MoreNHTSA Announces 5 to Drive Campaign to Help Parents Instill Safe Driving Habits in Teens
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently announced a new safety campaign to reduce the rate of fatal auto accidents among teenage drivers. The campaign, called “5 to Drive,” encourages parents to discuss one safety topic each day with their teenage children. The five topics are: Refraining from cell phone usage, including text messaging…
Read MoreAmid Rising Pedestrian Fatality Rates, Federal Agencies Unveil Grants and Online Tools for Safety Initiatives
A recent report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) covering auto accidents involving pedestrians shows that in 2011, for the second year in a row, the number of pedestrian fatalities increased from the year before. In response, the Department of Transportation (DOT), which includes the NHTSA, announced the availability of pedestrian safety grants…
Read MoreSocial Security Disability Advocates Respond to NPR Story
A story recently aired on National Public Radio (NPR) has sparked a national conversation on a federal government benefit program, including passionate defenses and calls for its overhaul. The program is Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and as the NPR series “Unfit For Work” described, its payroll, after sharp growth in recent years, now numbers…
Read MoreComputerized Medical Records to Streamline Social Security Disability Claims
Software developers at the Wright State Research Institute have developed a system that may dramatically streamline Social Security disability claims. The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) evaluates an individual’s claim for disability benefits; the system will soon use electronic medical records to reduce the decision time from 100 days or more to as little as…
Read MoreLawsuits Filed over Highway Crashes in Florida
Thirteen lawsuits were recently filed against the state of Florida’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles from family members of people who were killed on Interstate 75 or from individuals who injured in those accidents. Eleven people died on Interstate 75 near Gainesville on January 29, 2012. It is highly unusual for such a…
Read MoreReports of Burns Prompt Coffee Maker Recall
Sunbeam Products, Inc. has announced a recall of over half a million Mr. Coffee brand coffee makers. The recall is in response to reports of a defect that has already caused injury to a number of users. “Product safety recalls are serious business,” said Zephyrhills personal injury attorney Robert Alston. “The media do a good…
Read MoreChild Seriously Injured in Florida Interstate Crash
A 6-year-old boy was seriously injured in an accident on Interstate 10 in Santa Rosa County in western Florida on Friday night. The driver of a Ford F-150 veered off the roadway onto a shoulder to avoid a vehicle directly in front that slowed suddenly. In the process, the truck’s driver from Crestview struck a…
Read MoreRisky Driving Behavior an Indicator of Mortality On or Off the Road
While it may seem obvious that reckless driving can lead to injury or death in an automobile accident, a new study suggests that a record of risky driving is a good indicator of general mortality as well. The study, “More Than Just Data: Motor Vehicle Records as Lifestyle Indicators for Life Insurers,” was completed by…
Read MoreSocial Security Disability Adds 13 Conditions to Compassionate Allowances Program
The Social Security Administration recently added 13 new conditions to the Compassionate Allowances program that fast-tracks disability decisions within the agency. The new conditions were introduced in December as part of an ongoing effort to innovate and streamline the agency’s work, according to Social Security Commissioner Michael J. Astrue. The conditions that were added to…
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