Kansas City Workers' Compensation Law Blog

If your child is visiting a friend or family member with a trampoline at their home, you're right to be a bit concerned. Trampolines can result in injuries, including broken bones and concussions in more serious cases. That's why it's crucial to take the proper steps to safeguard kids jumping on trampolines, especially when there are multiple children present. The Mayo Clinic makes the following recommendations. 

Placement of a trampoline must be considered carefully for optimum safety. They should be kept far away from potential hazards on flat, even ground. If the ground is uneven, it's possible the trampoline will tip over. If it's placed near a steep drop off, a child may be seriously injured if he or she falls off the trampoline. In the same token, certain safety features should be used to make jumping as safe as possible.

Some workplaces are more dangerous than others. For instance, those working within a medical clinic or hospital may come in contact with biohazards in the forms of blood or other bodily fluids. These biohazards can carry serious diseases, which may be transferred to workers if the right steps aren't taken to protect them. Aftermath.com explains the steps workers can take to protect themselves, as well as the obligations of employers when it comes to keeping employees safe and secure. 

When working in direct contact with known biohazards, protective gear is of the utmost importance. This includes suits to cover your clothing, face masks, respirators, goggles, gloves, and protective coverings for shoes. This gear prevents you from making direct contact with bodily fluids or other hazards, which can pose issues if they make contact with your skin. Even if a situation doesn't seem hazardous, it's better to be overcautious. 

Many in Kansas City may believe anxiety to be something that every working professional has to deal with. Yet for many of those that we here at The Law Office of Michael J. Joshi have worked with in the past, they anxiety is such that it seriously impedes their ability to work. If this describes your current situation, then you may also be experiencing additional stress at the thought of not being to provide for yourself and your loved ones due to your anxiety keeping you from working. You will be happy to learn, however, that anxiety is indeed listed among the disabling conditions recognized by the Social Security Administration. 

As is the case with all conditions, however, your anxiety must be demonstrated to be at a certain level before you can qualify for Social Security Disability benefits. First and foremost, you must be suffering mental limitations when it comes to comprehending basic information, interacting with others, being able to concentrate or adapting to different situations. On top of that, you must be experiencing one of the following symptoms: 

• Anxiety disorder characterized by a combination of fatigue, restlessness, irritability, muscle tension, difficulty concentrating and/or sleep disturbance 
• Panic disorder demonstrated by either panic attacks or agoraphobia (a disproportionate fear of public situations)
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder characterized by repetitive behaviors or an involuntary preoccupation with intrusive thoughts

Most might assume that the need to seek legal action after someone has suffered a traumatic brain injury disappears if the victim appears to have recovered after the incident. "Recovered" is often assumed to be walking, talking and doing all of the activities most associate with a healthy individual. Yet when watching your loved one following their TBI, you may notice something about them just appears to be off. Many have come to us here at The Law Office of Michael J. Joshi having noticed the same thing wondering what sort of assistance may be available to them in dealing with it. 

What you are noticing may be a cognitive deficit. Cognition is the capacity to function and communicate in everyday settings (such as at home and in the workplace). People who have suffered brain injuries (even mild TBI) may often develop deficits that make accomplishing the same things they did prior to their accidents difficult. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, common symptoms associated with cognitive deficits include: 

• Memory loss
• Poor judgment
• Visual impairments
• Difficulty regulating mood and emotions
• Lack of attention 
• Difficulty in analyzing and solving problems