Motorcycle Deaths Down 10 Percent in 2009
The number of people killed in U.S. motorcycle crashes dropped 10 percent in 2009 after 11 years of steady increases, a study released Thursday said. Dr. James Hedlund of Highway Safety North, who prepared the report for the Governors Highway Safety Association, said a number of factors contributed to the drop, including the recession and […]
Insurance Lobby Concedes on Healthcare Language
U.S. health insurance companies said Monday they will comply with government regulations on covering children with pre-existing conditions. America’s Health Insurance Plans — the main lobbying organization for health insurance interests — issued the statement after Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told insurers in a letter she was prepared to issue regulations “in […]
Two Sisters Apparently Killed by Pesiticide
A 15-month-old Utah girl died Tuesday, three days after her 4-year-old sister was killed by apparent pesticide poisoning, officials said. Investigators say Rachel and Rebecca Toone may have been poisoned by pellets an exterminator used on their family’s lawn in Layton Friday, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. Fumitoxin aluminum phosphide pellets were dropped into burrows […]
States Go After Texting Drivers
The fight against distracted driving may be at a tipping point as 23 states debate legislation to ban texting while driving, a practice 19 states already prohibit. “Legislators are looking to see if it (texting) is enough of a safety issue that they need to intervene,” says Anne Teigen, a transportation specialist for the National […]
TVA Seeks More Time to Prep for Spill Lawsuits
Attorneys for the Tennessee Valley Authority told a federal judge Tuesday that they may need a year to prepare for dozens of lawsuits filed in the aftermath of the utility’s coal ash spill, contending the time could be shortened if the court allowed the utility to avoid repeated pretrial motions. TVA lawyers and nine attorneys […]
Court Again Delays DuPont Appeal Ruling
The West Virginia Supreme Court has again delayed a ruling in DuPont Co.’s appeal of a $400 million verdict against the company for polluting the Harrison County town of Spelter. Justices heard oral arguments in the case in early April, but did not issue an opinion before the spring term of court ended on June […]
Arizona Dust Storm Causes Deadly Pile-Up
A sudden dust storm south of Phoenix blinded drivers Tuesday morning on Interstate 10, setting off a chain of collisions that killed three people, police said. The pileups involved nine tractor-trailers and 13 cars and sport utility vehicles, The Arizona Republic reported. At least five people were evacuated by air to hospitals. I-10 eastbound in […]
New Safety Standards Manual Released
The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices — the U.S road safety standards bible — got its first update since 2003, Transportation chief Ray LaHood said. “Safety is this department’s top priority,” LaHood said Wednesday in a release. “These new and updated standards will help make our nation’s roads and bridges safer for drivers, construction […]
One-Third of U.S. Toys Still Have Toxins
Despite recent improvements, one in three toys still contains one or more harmful chemicals such as lead and cadmium, U.S. safety advocates say. Ann Arbor, Mich., non-profit group The Ecology Center said Wednesday that while the number of toys found to contain such toxic materials has dropped 67 percent since 2007, one-third of the 669 […]
Court Rules in Long-Running Insurance Feud
A California court has ruled in a long-fought legal battle between insurance companies and accident victims over who pays for medical care, and how much. Under California law, injury victims can seek damages from those at fault without deducting their own insurance benefits. The long-running dispute is whether damages should be measured by their total […]