Car accidents are a serious public health hazard in the United States. In every year since 2010 there has been more than 30,000 fatalities on the road. While traffic deaths in the U.S. had been declining in recent years, we are currently on pace for the deadliest year on the roads since 2007 when there were more than 41,000 deaths from traffic accidents.

Car accidents in New Hampshire have seen a 61 percent increase in fatalities so far this year. This is the second highest rate of increase in road deaths in the country, trailing only Vermont.  New Hampshire has launched several programs aimed at reducing accidents on the road, but for now drivers should be aware that it's a particularly dangerous time to be on the roads.

Fatalities may be the most severe outcome of traffic accidents, but there have also been more than 2.2 million non-fatal injuries from car accidents through the first 6 months of 2017. These injuries can be costly in terms of medical care and treatment, but can also lead to missing time at work and other disruptions at home and in our communities.

If you are unlucky enough to be in an accident its important that you know how to respond. The New Hampshire DMV lists some helpful tips on its website, but the key things to know are:

With summer here and school out, more and more of us are on the move in cars with kids in tow. 

As our little ones travel back-and-forth between daycare, camp, the beach and play dates, they'll also find themselves riding in other people's cars. According to the Center for Disease Control, 150 children between ages 0 and 19 are being treated in emergency departments across the country for injuries sustained in motor vehicle crashes every hour. With this in mind, it's important that we do everything we can to keep our children safe from road traffic injuries. Thankfully, there are small steps we can take which have a huge impact in securing that our children will get from place to place safely this summer. One of most obvious places to start is with our childrens’ car seats.

We all know it's important that we make sure our children are properly buckled up in a car seat. However, it can be a challenge to install a car seat correctly and even more of a struggle sometimes to wrangle wiggly kids into their restraints.  As a result, friends or caregivers who are tasked with transportation this summer but who aren't as familiar with your car seat, might have a hard time tucking your children in safely. 

Employees who suffer an injury at work may be eligible for additional coverage and workers' compensation benefits.  It’s important to be informed right from the start to get the greatest protection possible.

Worker’s compensation benefits include:

• Wage replacement benefits
• Payment for medical bills
• Job protections 
• Payments for permanent injuries

In addition, some cases end up settling for what is called a lump sum settlement.  This is only entered into when both sides agree and it usually involves a final payment with an agreement to end the right to many of the benefits. 

The process for making a claim begins when the employee files a first report of injury to give notice to their employer of the fact that an injury took place at work. This notice then triggers a claim being filed with the Worker's Compensation insurance company who will then review the claim and make a determination as to whether they will cover the claim or not. 

When an employee gets hurt during and in the course of work, it is usually true that the "exclusive remedy" for the worker’s losses comes from the workers' compensation laws and the workers' compensation insurance company. However, that isn't entirely true. While the employee’s exclusive remedy against the employer comes from workers' compensation (assuming the employer carries workers' compensation insurance), the employee may also obtain damages or benefits from another person who is not the employer and who is responsible for the damages suffered. This is what's known as a "third-party claim."

Workers’ Compensation As The “Exclusive Remedy” for Injuries At Work.

Usually, if an employee gets hurt at work, the employee can make a claim for workers' compensation, but the employee cannot file a lawsuit against the employer. This is generally thought of as a good thing, because it means that employees who are hurt at work typically do not have to file a lawsuit with the time and cost that entails in order to get benefits.  Lawsuits are tough, and in order to get paid under a personal injury claim, the injured person has to prove that someone else was negligent and responsible for the injury. That’s a problem for two reasons.

• First, not all injuries at work ARE caused by someone else. Often they are just bad luck, or might even be due to the employee’s own mistake.  Under workers’ compensation, these injuries are covered regardless of whose fault it is or if there is any fault.  As long as the injury is work related, it is covered, and that is a tremendous benefit. 
• Second, personal injury cases can take years. In the meantime, the injured person might not be able to work, and the medical bills will continue to stream in.  In a personal injury claim (for an injury that happens outside of work), there is no built in coverage to help pay medical bills or to cover the lost wages that occur while the lawsuit is going on.  If the injured person doesn’t have health insurance, they are in a difficult place, as they can’t force the other person to pay for those bills until they can prove their case and show the other person was at fault. Similarly, lost wages are not paid as they occur, but only after settlement or a favorable judgment in court.  Last but not least, there is no guarantee of job protection for a person who is out of work for an extended time during the pendency of a personal injury law suit. 

As a result, people with serious injuries that occur outside of work have to hope they can prove someone else was liable, but they also have to figure out how to hold on financially while the lawsuit is pending.  This can be a huge stress, as the courts are backed up and this process can take time.

Most employees know that if they are hurt during and in the course of work that they are likely entitled to workers' compensation benefits to help them with their lost wages and medical bills as a result of their personal injury. Few employees are aware, however, of the time limitations for providing a notice of personal injury or filing a workers' compensation claim and the consequences of late filing are huge.

Employees who fail to complete a notice of injury or fail to also file a workers' compensation claim within the appropriate time limits might lose out completely in their benefits if they are not careful. 

Here is what you need to know about filing a notice, claim and appeal if you get hurt at work:

1. Notice of injury.  

Claims for workers' compensation injuries begin with something called a "notice of injury."

A Personal injury claim arises when there is a physical, mental or emotional injury, which occurs as a result of negligence on the behalf of another individual, business or other entity. Typically, personal injury claims arise out of "accidents" such as auto accidents, traffic accidents or slip and fall accidents where a person is injured due to the negligence of another. 

Where there is a personal injury claim, the victim may be entitled to compensation for damages resulting from the injury such as payment for medical bills, lost wages and compensation for pain and suffering.  Often there is insurance available to cover these losses.

To bring a personal injury lawsuit to recover compensation for damages resulting from an injury, the injured victim must establish that:

The other person involved in the accident had a "duty" to the victim which was "breached" due to "negligence" (or intentional wrongful acts) and which thereby resulted in injury and damages. 

Each of these terms has a particular meaning under the law which can vary from our common sense understanding. Therefore, most people find having a personal injury attorney can be a valuable resource in determining if they have a claim and if so, in managing the claim process. 

When you are injured, through no fault of your own, often times it’s the result of someone else’s negligence. Whether it be a car accident someone else caused, a dog bite from a loose dog, an accidental slip and fall on the grocery store’s wet floor or some other form of painful bodily injury; the fact is, you wouldn’t have been injured, if somebody else had been taking care of their responsibilities. 

If you are wondering whether or not you should seek a personal injury attorney, here are four great questions to ask yourself in the process:

1. As a result of your injury, have you had to seek medical care? If the answer to this question is “yes”, then you should definitely consider the help of a personal injury attorney. Serious injuries usually result in huge medical bills and even if you’re lucky enough to have health insurance, you still have co pays and deductibles because of an injury someone else caused. The good news is the person who caused your injury may have liability, motor vehicle or home owner’s insurance which is intended to cover just this kind of loss and an attorney can help you with your claim.

If you were injured in an automobile accident which was not your fault, you may be entitled to payment for your medical bills, damage to your vehicle, pain and suffering, lost wages, permanent injuries, and for other expenses incurred as a result of your injury. But that's only half the story. Usually, victims of car accidents leading to serious physical injuries also have significant lost time from work that puts wages, benefits, and job security at risk.

If you've been seriously injured in an automobile accident which results in lost time from work, medical bills, or lasting injury, you will want to immediately consult with an attorney who is experienced in BOTH injury and employment law to ensure you get the most protection available. An experienced injury/employment attorney will consider all the resources available to address your injury, but also to help you with your loss of income during the healing process. 

New Hampshire is currently considering legislation that would expand the “drug court” system, which proponents say are more effective in reducing crime and fighting addiction. The drug courts offer an alternative to incarceration for high-risk drug offenders by providing a program with treatment, accountability, and supervision.

Tina Nadeau, chief justice of the New Hampshire superior courts, has come out as a strong and vocal advocate for the drug court system. Judge Nadeau has pointed towards evidence that drug courts reduce crime and save money by providing an alternative to expensive incarceration. The issue is particularly pressing given the current opioid epidemic facing the state.

New Hampshire currently has six drug courts, but is looking to increase this number to eleven. In 2007, Texas enacted a drug court system that led to reductions in parole violations and crime rates while saving the state billions in prison costs. Judge Nadeau cited the example, and said “if Texas can do it, we can do it.”

New Hampshire needs to confront its drug abuse problem head on, and this means honestly addressing the problem in ways that will lead to positive results. Rather than jailing drug abusers, we need to help them find treatment—it’s cheaper and more effective. Judge Nadeau’s bold stance in support of drug courts is one we should all support.

New Hampshire is currently in the midst of an opioid epidemic, and the problem can be traced in part to high rates of prescription for opioid painkillers. New Hampshire ranks third in the country in terms of prescription rate for high-dose and long-acting opioid pain relievers according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

There has been a great deal of effort expended on reducing unnecessary opioid prescriptions across the country and more particularly in NH. This June, Senator Kelly Ayotte co-sponsored a law that would create a “Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force”. At the state level, New Hampshire established a prescription drug monitoring program in 2012 that is still in the implementation process.

Patients can be their best first defense against prescription drug addiction by being informed, asking doctors if there is an alternative to narcotic pain medication and understanding whether the dosing is optional or required. Patients often think they have to take the meds as prescribed, but if they asked, they would find many narcotic prescriptions are only by choice and need not be taken as often or for as long as the bottle says.

New medical studies are showing that the body may actually become acclimated to narcotic medications, leading to increased sensitivity in pain receptors and a greater reliance on medication for pain management. Many studies show that alternate pain management treatments are as effective as opioids without the risk of addiction. Each case is unique, but patients should be proactive in understanding the treatment they are receiving. 

It’s important to listen to your doctor, but if you’re being prescribed high-dose opioids for pain relief you need to be informed and engaged in determining if this is the best course of treatment. Ask about dosage, risks, and alternatives to be sure you are receiving the best care.