How Safe is Your Sunroof?
Sunroofs are panels on the roof of your vehicle—car, truck, or SUV—that slide open for light and airflow. The panel opens completely to allow for an open window on the roof, but is non-removable. Moonroofs are similar, but typically only tilt open to allow in air. As spring approaches in North Dakota and it finally…
Read MoreSpinal Cord Injuries and Their Effects on the Body
Every injury sustained in an accident is a serious injury to that person. But a spinal cord injury (SCI) is often categorized as catastrophic, making it one of the most serious injuries there are. Many SCIs result in paraplegia, an inability to move the lower part of the body. Some result in quadriplegia, the inability…
Read MoreStaying Safe Out in the Field: The Most Common Oilfield Injuries and Accidents
The North Dakota oil fields, especially the Bakken formation, have provided our people with jobs and security for well over a decade. Our workers are strong and dedicated, and we appreciate all the hard work they do for our state. But when safety takes a back seat to meeting high quotas, employees can get hurt.…
Read MoreTrucking Companies Using Virtual Reality to Improve Safety
Trucking companies like UPS and Linde North America have started using virtual reality (VR) as part of their safety training to prepare new drivers for the dangers they might experience out on the road. This is just one part of the revamping of driver training to take advantage of new technologies, and attract a new…
Read MoreIs My Auto Mechanic Liable for a Crashed Caused by Negligent Repair Work?
When you drop your car at the mechanic’s garage, you are placing your trust in the employees to do a thorough job, and to repair your vehicle so that it works properly and is safe to drive. But what happens when a mechanic is negligent and fails to make the proper repairs, or uses shoddy…
Read MoreNorth Dakota Does Not Have a Burn Injury Center – But We Should
Burn injuries are unique, in that they can cause severe physical and psychological trauma to the victim. When a person suffers a severe burn, even after the wound has healed, there is almost always a terrible scar that disfigures the skin. During the healing process, the affected area can suffer from a limited range of…
Read MoreFive Factors That Cause Truck Crashes
As you might imagine, a collision with a large commercial truck can be a devastating experience. Colliding with such a massive vehicle can cause serious injuries, significant property damage and even death. Trucking companies have a legal obligation to maintain their trucks in safe condition, and to hire qualified, safe drivers. Those truck drivers also…
Read MoreOil and Gas Industry Safety Exemptions Put Workers at More Risk
Under federal law, workers are entitled to a safe workplace free of known health and safety hazards, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Workers have rights, including the right to speak up about safety concerns without fear of retaliation, to be trained in a language you can understand, and to be provided…
Read MoreA Child Died in a School Bus Crash, but ND’s Supreme Court Won’t Lift the Damage Caps
In January of 2015, a school bus carrying 13 children stopped on a railroad track. It was hit by a BNSF Railway train. As a result of that crash, the driver and 17-year-old Cassidy Sandstrom died, and ten other children were sent to the hospital. The North Dakota Insurance Reserve Fund set aside $500,000 to…
Read More4/20 “Holiday” Tied to Uptick in Fatal Car Crashes
Marijuana enthusiasts are familiar with April 20, or the shorthand 4/20. It’s an unofficial holiday popularized by High Times magazine in the early 1990s as a way to celebrate marijuana by lighting up in unison at exactly 4:20pm on April 20. But a recent study has linked 4/20 with an increase in fatal car crashes…
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