Today’s youths are growing up almost as attached to their cell phones, PDA’s, iPod’s and other mobile electronic devices as they were upon birth to an umbilical cord. By the time they learn to drive, they have the habit and won’t let go. The trouble is, driving while calling, texting or checking the Internet can be fatal.

Recent studies show an increase in teen car crash traffic accident fatalities that’s attributable to two things: more driving by teens at night, and more driving by teens while texting or using a cell phone.

In the years between 1999 and 2008, nighttime fatal car crashes with teen drivers rose by 10 per cent. Night driving deaths increased at a lesser rate for older drivers, and driving fatalities overall declined in this time.

A senior research specialist for the Texas Transportation Institute, Bernie Fetts, told the Associated Press that the increased deaths come from a “perfect storm” of key elements. One is driving at night, which is inherently more risky for anybody in any age group. Another is texting or calling while driving, which impacts a person’s ability to focus on driving.

Teens tend to think otherwise, since they know they send text messages with ease. But texting is still a distraction, diverting them from giving their full attention to driving. And momentary inattention while driving can be fatal. Indeed, the yearly toll for drivers calling, emailing or texting is about 6,000 persons dead and 500,000 injured. Were those texts worth it?

Increasingly, Americans are recognizing the dire consequences of calling and texting while driving. So far, 23 states have passed laws banning texting while driving. The national organization FocusDriven was formed to fight distracted driving via cell phones or texting in much the same way Mothers Against Drunk Driving was formed to fight DUI accidents.

Oprah Winfrey of talk show fame also has created her own response to the car carnage: a “No Phone Zone” pledge for teens to sign. Those who sign promise not to text or use their cell phone while they are driving.

Jim S. Adler & Associates strongly endorses such safe driving initiatives and exhorts all drivers of all ages to save their phone calls and texts for a proper time – when they aren’t responsible for guiding a multi-ton vehicle through complicated traffic at often high speeds. Teens may say such calling and texting won’t be enough to divert them from driving safely, but those who have died in texting car accidents indicate otherwise. Texting car crash accidents occur daily, and your teen’s surprise first time may prove to be their fatal final time.

Jim S. Adler & Associates is a longtime Texas personal injury law firm with offices in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas and Channelview. The law firm offers a free case review and represents victims of car, auto, truck, SUV, motorcycle, bus and other traffic accidents, as well as drunk driving accidents.

Paxil Birth Defects Can Be Defective Drug Side Effects

On March 6, 2010, in Lawyer, by Bruce Westbrook

Antidepressant drug Paxil has been sold since 1992, and in that time has become known for serious side effects, starting with violent and suicidal behavior by users. Now it’s getting worse. Now, pregnant women who use Paxil risk having their baby born with birth defects such as problems with their brain, spinal column, lungs, heart or other vital organs.

Accountable for these Paxil side effects injuries is GlaxoSmithKline P.L.C., an English pharmaceutical giant which gained about $1 billion last years in sales of Paxil alone – sales which were only about 2 per cent of Glaxo’s total sales. However, as Glaxo made billions, many Americans suffered from disastrous Paxil side effects. And such suffering must end.

A definite means of fighting Paxil side effects including debilitating birth defects is to issue a strong message to Glaxo that its manufacturing negligence won’t be tolerated any longer. Already, more than 600 Paxil side effects lawsuits have been filed against Glaxo, showing negligence in its creation and selling of the dangerously defective drug.

One Paxil side effects lawsuit involved a Pennsylvania couple whose son was born with heart problems after his mother took Paxil during pregnancy as an antidepressant. The boy survived, but required several surgery. In October of 2009, a jury in Philadelphia awarded the couple $2.5 million in compensatory damages in their Paxil defective drug lawsuit.

As a result of Paxil side effects injuries, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has placed public health advisories on the defective drug. In fact, the FDA recently strengthened the warning to consumers that it placed on Paxil’s label. Yet the drug continues to be sold, and the number of victims continues to mount.

Can you do anything about Paxil birth defects and other Paxil side effects injuries? Yes. You can contact a knowledgeable and experienced defective drugs lawyer or attorney to battle for your rights in the legal arena. A Paxil side effects lawyer or Paxil birth defects attorney can work to get your financial compensation for medical costs, lost income and pain and suffering.

Alert a defective drugs lawyer or Paxil side effects attorney promptly with the Bob Goldwater Law Firm, and you can get legal representation in your Paxil birth defect case in any of the 50 states. Pharmaceutical corporations that reap billions of dollars in profits can’t be allowed to harm innocent Americans via their negligence in creating and marketing their defective drugs.

Jim S. Adler & Associates is a longtime Texas personal injury law firm with offices in Houston, Dallas, Channelview and San Antonio. The Texas law firm provides a free case review and represents Paxil birth defect victims, victims of car, auto, SUV, truck, motorcycle and other traffic accidents, as well as other defective drug victims.