Londonderry Law Blog

Study finds patients misdiagnosed with MS

On behalf of Solomon Law Firm posted in medical malpractice on Monday, February 25, 2019.

Doctors in New Hampshire and throughout the country often have difficulty diagnosing patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). There is no single test that can determine if a person has the condition. Instead, medical professionals must review a person's medical history, conduct an MRI and perform other evaluations. According to a study published in the journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, roughly 20 percent of patients sent to a pair of MS centers were misdiagnosed.

One of the centers was MS at Cedars-Sinai while the other was located at UCLA. Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center analyzed 241 patients who were referred to these clinics between July 2016 and June 2017. A total of 43 patients had been misdiagnosed, and these patients received care for the condition for an average of four years. Many of these patients actually had conditions such as migraine headaches, neuropathy and spondylopathy.

Study identifies most common reasons for divorce

On behalf of Solomon Law Firm posted in divorce on Tuesday, February 12, 2019.

Most people walking down the aisle in New Hampshire aren't thinking that divorce may be a possibility at some point. Statistically, however, it's not uncommon for marriages to come to an unexpected end. The National Center for Biotechnology Information recently participated in a study conducted to help identify common reasons for divorce. For the study, 52 people who had divorced after initially participating in a communication and conflict resolution course were questioned to pinpoint factors that contributed to their marital problems.

Surprisingly, a significant amount of divorced individuals questioned felt that they didn't receive enough premarital education even though they all had participated in a post-marital program. Religious differences were significant for just over 13 percent of the respondents questioned about their divorce factors. A book on this topic found that couples in same-faith marriages tend to be happier. Nearly 20 percent of former spouses who were questioned felt a lack of support from family was a major factor. In some instances, illnesses can take a toll on a marriage; more than 18 percent of divorced respondents cited health problems as a factor.

Why are grocery stores investing so heavily in robots?

On behalf of Solomon Law Firm on Thursday, January 31, 2019.

Most people are familiar with the image where a person steps on a banana peel and falls down, often with a bucket landing on their hand in pure slapstick imagery. While it’s a classic comic strip image, slip and fall accidents in real life are no laughing matter. Falls result in more than 8 million emergency room visits each year, and more than 20 percent of emergency visits overall.

Manufacturing workers face a wide range of injuries

On behalf of Solomon Law Firm posted in workers' compensation on Tuesday, January 29, 2019.

Every seven seconds, someone is injured on the job. If you are working in manufacturing, it is likely to happen to you at some point in your career. Whether you work in assembling, fabricating, welding or machining, the threat of a serious injury is always present.

While some manufacturing injuries are relatively minor and may require little to no accommodation, others can have devastating effects on a person's work and personal life.

Every workplace injury has the potential to be serious and requires medical assessment.

The impact of attractiveness on relationship stability

On behalf of Solomon Law Firm posted in divorce on Friday, January 11, 2019.

Couples in New Hampshire in which one person is more attractive than the other may face a higher likelihood of divorce. An article in "Psychology Today" reports that according to multiple studies, disparity in attractiveness between couples can lead to a number of problems in the relationship.

One of those potential problems is the less attractive partner's jealousy toward the more attractive partner. Another study found that when women perceive themselves as more attractive than their partners, they are more likely to flirt and are less committed to the relationship. Despite this, yet another study reported that men who are in relationships with more attractive wives are happier than other men in relationships. They are also reportedly more engaged with their wives in helping them solve problems.

Children are more likely than adults to be bitten by a dog

On behalf of Solomon Law Firm on Sunday, January 6, 2019.

Late in 2018, a New Hampshire man was arrested after his dog, which was not properly licensed or vaccinated, bit a 13-year-old girl in the face while she visited the man’s apartment with her aunt. A local newspaper reported that the man was charged with having a nuisance animal, a misdemeanor offense, and was arrested for not cooperating with police. The injury did cause the teen to bleed, and she was taken to a local hospital, but the newspaper did not indicate if the injury will have permanent effects.

Children are especially vulnerable to dog bites

Real estate mistakes to avoid when getting divorced

On behalf of Solomon Law Firm posted in divorce on Friday, December 28, 2018.

New Hampshire residents who are facing divorce should remember there are several common real estate mistakes of which they should be mindful. For example, choosing not to sell the house right away can result in legal headaches further down the road.

Many couples try to put off selling their house because they know it will clue in nosy neighbors. Others put it off because of emotional attachments to the home or because they do not want to uproot their children. Some couples try to avoid these problems by having one person stay in the house. However, one individual keeping the home has its drawbacks. For example, the house may not be as affordable to someone with a single income. If the other spouse eventually wants to sell the home, the person living in it may be unwilling to move. If a divorce agreement does not carefully outline the responsibility of property and shared ownership, the spouse who leaves the house should be removed from the deed to prevent all future financial or legal liability in the event his or her ex has problems affording the home.

Reducing car occupant injury with external airbags

On behalf of Solomon Law Firm posted in motor vehicle accidents on Friday, December 14, 2018.

Car manufacturers, insurance companies, drivers and passengers are all interested in improving car safety and reducing occupant injury. This is one of the reasons why New Hampshire residents may be interested in learning about steps that auto manufacturers are taking in adding external air bags to vehicles.

The safety benefits that come from having internal airbags in vehicles have been well-documented. However, when traditional airbags were introduced to vehicles, there were some glitches that needed to be worked out. From time to time, airbags would activate without there being an automobile accident. Manufacturers are doing additional tests on external airbags to minimize the chances of this happening.

What is social host liability?

On behalf of Solomon Law Firm on Wednesday, December 12, 2018.

When you attend a party at someone else’s house, you may wonder who is responsible if something goes wrong. In New Hampshire, social hosts have a duty to pay attention to how much alcohol a guest is drinking, and make sure that the person is old enough to drink under New Hampshire state law. The New Hampshire Supreme Court established this duty, called social host liability in the case Hickingbotham v. Burke. Peter M. Solomon and Thomas J. Corcoran successfully argued the case before the court in 1995.

Survey finds gap between doctors, nurses on capping hours

On behalf of Solomon Law Firm posted in medical malpractice on Monday, December 3, 2018.

Nurses and doctors in New Hampshire may have different opinions on whether surgeons and others giving operating room care should have their hours capped. A poll conducted by Medscape found that just 57 percent of physicians agreed with capping hours as a way to reduce the likelihood of medical errors. On the other hand, 87 percent of nurses believed that capping hours was a good idea. Similarly, 89 percent of nurses said that hours in the operating room for other medical professionals should also be capped, but only 62 percent of physicians agreed.

An editorial in favor of caps appeared in the Journal of the International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. The author of that editorial argued that transportation professionals who were responsible for the safety of others, such as train drivers and pilots, had their hours capped and that the same principle should be applied to physicians. However, physicians who resisted said that it was not possible to compare the professions. For example, pilots have copilots who can take over, but there may not be a physician available to take over in the operating room.