Innovative technology may enable thousands of paralyzed accident victims to walk again. Biometric exoskeletons are currently being tested by patients at different medical facilities across the country. So far, the results have been positive.

Marketed under the name Indego exoskeleton, the device works on the same principle as a Segway does. If a user leans forward, the device moves faster, while leaning back slows it down. The Indego essentially does the walking for a paralyzed person, allowing him or her to stand up and walk away. The device is constructed of with equipment that regulates a user’s posture, returning him or her to a balanced position.

When a user leans forward, the Indego enables him or her to stand up. Once standing, if a user leans forward again, the device will vibrate, which is a signal that a forward step is about to occur. To stop that step, a user only needs to lean back. If a user stays leaning forward, the device will continue to take steps until he or she leans back. The device even allows users to climb stairs.

The device is light, only weighing approximately 27 pounds and can snap apart in order to be easily transported. The manufacturers are hoping to receive FDA approval sometime this year.

According to national statistics, there are almost over one million people who have some form paralysis as a result of a spinal cord injury. Approximately 30 percent of injuries—362,000—happened from work-related accidents. Almost one-fourth of those injuries—311,000—are the result of a motor vehicle accident. Another 16 percent of spinal cord injury victims—206,000—were injured in a sports-related accident, and 9 percent of victims—112,000—were injured in some type of fall.

The cost of living with a spinal cord injury can be financially devastating. In the first year after a spinal cord injury, the average expenses can be anywhere between $228,566 and $775,567. The estimate lifetime cost is approximately $681,843 to over $3 million, depending on the severity of the injuries.

If you or a loved one suffers from paralysis or other spinal cord injuries as a result of an accident, contact an experienced Westport personal injury attorney to find out what legal recourse you may have against the party or parties responsible for the accident.

A fatal train crash has occurred—this time in Valhalla, New York. Six people were killed and another 15 injured when a commuter train smashed into an SUV that was stopped on the tracks at the crossing. According to officials, the “electrified third rail on the tracks became dislodged after the impact and pierced the floor of the front train car.” Almost 400 feet of track will need to be replaced. The investigation into what caused the crash is currently underway by both state and federal officials.

Railroad Crossing Accident Causes

One of the most tragic, and often avoidable, fatal accidents are those that occur at railroad crossings. The impact of a train slamming into a car at a crossing has been compared to the impact of a car crushing a tin can. In the U.S., every 90 minutes a train and vehicle collide. Every year, there are approximately 250 people killed and another 1,000 seriously injured in railroad crossing accidents.

Many of these accidents are often caused by a vehicle driver attempting to get around the gates of the crossing, or through flashing lights which signal that a train is coming through. By law, drivers are required to stop when these warning signals are in place. Most of these crashes occur within 25 miles of the vehicle driver’s home.

However, it is not always an impatient driver who is at fault in these accidents. Statistics from the Federal Railroad Administration reveal that more than 80 percent of railroad crossings have inadequate warning signals, leaving drivers completely unaware that a train is approaching.

The consequences of train/vehicle accidents can have a dangerous ripple effect. Many of these crashes result in the train derailing off the tracks which greatly endangers the passengers. There are also dangers when the involved train is a freight train. Many freight trains transport hazardous cargo, which can put an entire community in danger if the toxins are exposed to the atmosphere in a crash.

Contact a Westport Wrongful Death Attorney

If you have lost a loved one in a train or vehicle accident, please contact an aggressive wrongful death attorney in Westport, Connecticut to discuss your case and determine what legal recourse you may have against those parties whose negligence were responsible for your family’s tragic loss.

When a major accident occurs and severe injuries are sustained, victims may be airlifted to a medical facility for treatment. Typically, the mode of transportation used as an air ambulance is a helicopter. However, there have been major concerns raised over how safe these air ambulances really are, especially in light of the number of crashes that occur every year.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), there have been 185 medical helicopter crashes since 1998—the latest occurring just this past October in Wichita Falls, Texas. Three people were killed in a crash, bringing the total number of victims killed in medical helicopter crashes to 174. This total includes both crew members and patients being transported to medical facilities.

One of the reasons cited for this increase in crashes is the incredible growth the air ambulance industry has seen over the past two decades. Up until 2002, the only air ambulances in operation were owned solely by hospitals. These ambulances were typically twin-engine aircrafts and the medical staff who flew with patients was comprised of emergency room physicians and critical care nurses. The hospitals usually lost money in these transfers, and, after much lobbying, Medicare agreed in 2002 to reimburse hospitals for the actual costs of these patient transports.

However, instead of using the increased funds from Medicare to ensure equipment and staff was of the utmost in safety, companies instead downgraded. They began using single-engine helicopters to transport patients and hired crews with limited experience. The number of air ambulance companies in operation exploded, from 545 medical helicopters flying in 2003 to 1,020 medical helicopters in operation as of 2014.

Most air safety analysts agree that it is the for-profit companies who are responsible for the dramatic number of crashes and fatalities. Even though for-profit air ambulance companies only make up 40 percent of the number of businesses in operation, it is their aircrafts that account for 80 percent of helicopter crashes.

The NTSB also points out that one popular model of air ambulance—the Bell 206—are well-known for problems which cause the aircraft to spin uncontrollably. This is what happened in the Texas crash. Also contributing to safety issues is the shortage of available pilots. This has caused many companies to lower their flight hour requirements when hiring people to fly air ambulances.

Tragically, it appears that the profits companies are making on these medical helicopter transports have taken priority over the safety and welfare of both patients and medical and flight crews. If you have lost a loved one in an aircraft crash, please contact an experienced Westport wrongful death attorney to find out what compensation you may be entitled to for your pain and loss.