Most Albuquerque residents have driven some portion of U.S. 550. It runs from just north of the city up to Colorado.

For most of the New Mexico stretch of the four-lane highway, the north- and southbound lanes have only a paved median separating them. There have been several fatal crashes on U.S. 550 resulting from vehicles crossing over the 6-foot paved median. The only other major highway in the state with more deaths is Interstate 40, which carries more traffic.

A study conducted by an engineering and consulting company proposed installing a cable or concrete median to better separate northbound and southbound vehicles. The estimated cost for a cable barrier is $16 million, while a concrete one would run about $92 million. The study suggested that the state may want to try less costly measures such as warning signs and lighting first.

New Mexico’s Transportation Secretary Tom Church said this summer that a median barrier was a viable option to improve safety on U.S. 550. However, in a recent hearing held by state lawmakers, an official who works for the state Department of Transportation said that a barrier wasn’t feasible because the median isn’t wide enough. He also said that it would prevent motorists from being able to make turns along the route. He told lawmakers, “There are still crashes that happen on divided highways. I wouldn’t draw the conclusion that one is better.”

Although U.S. 550 was widened back in 2001, the 6-ft. median is well below the minimum width of 30 feet recommended by the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) back in 1993. While the FHA linked narrower medians to increased crashes, one New Mexico state senator said that drunk and distracted driving are the culprits behind many crashes. He said, “I don’t think it’s the road that is the problem.”

If you’ve been the victim of a car crash, it’s essential to determine the cause. At-fault drivers who are under the influence or otherwise distracted can be held civilly as well as criminally liable. However, if a crash or other incident occurred because a city, county or other government entity didn’t take proper safety precautions, it may be possible to seek damages from them as well. A New Mexico car accident attorney can discuss your legal options with you.

Many people may be surprised to learn that the mortality rate for women who give birth is higher in the U.S. than in any other affluent country in the world. There are many reasons for that, including, one could argue, a serious inequality in the care that women of different economic statuses receive. Maternal mortality rates, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are highest among women who live in rural areas and those who are African-American.

Some 700 to 900 women lose their lives every year in this country during pregnancy or childbirth. Sadly, more than half of these deaths are preventable.

One reason, according to a study just published in MCN: The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, is that postpartum nurses are not properly educated in the potential dangers to new mothers. Therefore, they’re not able to recognize what should be alarming symptoms or to tell their patients what symptoms are potentially dangerous.

These include headaches, breathing problems, heavy bleeding and painful swelling. While no woman feels physically comfortable just after giving birth, these symptoms can be indications of potentially serious and even fatal issues.

A survey of nurses found that on average they only spend about 10 minutes, if that, talking to new mothers about potentially dangerous symptoms. The survey also found that few nurses realized that heart failure accounted for over 25 percent of postpartum deaths.

Women are at least under medical supervision while they’re in the hospital. However, in the U.S., the average hospital stay for a new mother is just two days. Once they go home, they’re likely consumed with caring for their new child and paying less attention to their own health. If they don’t know what symptoms to be concerned about, they may not notify their doctors.

Numerous complications can occur before, during and after giving birth that can cause harm and even death to women. However, as noted, too often, this is preventable. If you believe that you or a loved one was not properly cared for by medical professionals during this crucial time, it’s wise to consult with a New Mexico personal injury attorney to find out what your legal options are.

Source: National Public Radio, “Many Nurses Lack Knowledge Of Health Risks To Mothers After Childbirth,” Nina Martin, ProPublica, accessed Sep. 14, 2017

At hospitals here in New Mexico and across the country, nurses face workplace dangers every day, from lifting heavy patients to contact with contaminants. They’re also at risk of being the victims of violence.

We all recently saw the disturbing video of a Utah nurse who was violently arrested by police when she refused to take a blood sample from an unconscious patient. The perpetrators of violence can be patients, visitors and even other medical professionals. This June, a disgruntled New York City physician fatally shot another doctor and injured several others at the hospital where he worked before he shot himself to death.

The problem of violence against hospital personnel seems to be getting worse. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), from 2011 to 2013, close to three-quarters of all workplace assaults happened in health care facilities. In 2015, according to other government statistics, the rate of hospital workers injured was five times that for all private industries.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that the rate of hospital employees intentionally injured on the job at the hands of another person is significantly higher than the rate across all private industries. In 2015, the most recent year available, there were 8.5 cases of injuries per 10,000 full-time hospital workers, versus 1.7 cases for all private industries.

Some of this violence is perpetrated by prisoners who are supposed to be guarded while in the hospital by correctional officers. Angry or distraught family members of patients, mentally ill people as well as people under the influence of drugs and alcohol can also present a danger. Some nurses have suffered sexual assaults.

While dealing with physical aggression and violence has long been viewed by hospitals as part of the job of being on the front lines. However, nursing advocates are increasingly working for legislation and other changes to help protect them. These include greater OSHA regulation, better staffing, stronger legal penalties for patients who attack hospital personnel and more training to help nurses learn to deescalate situations and spot signs that a patient could be violent.

Hospital workers have the right to expect their employers to provide adequate safety measures to help protect them from becoming the victims of violence. When a nurse or other medical professional is injured or killed at work, family members can and should determine what type of legal recourse they have.

Source: Peoria Journal-Star, “As hospital violence grows, nurses seek reforms,” Kate Thayer and Hannah Leone, Aug. 19, 2017