Toms River, New Jersey, Personal Injury Blog

Workers in various industries experience a lull in the afternoon where drowsiness sets in and productivity declines. This afternoon slump affects doctors and nurses too, increasing the risk for medical mistakes and negligence. This is the first important reason why people should avoid, when possible, scheduling an afternoon visit with their doctor. New Jersey residents can read on to discover five other good reasons.

The second is that anesthesiologists make more mistakes in the afternoon. A Duke University study found that the risk for an anesthesiologist mistake is 1 percent at 9 a.m. but 4.2 percent at 4 p.m. The third reason is that shift changes take place then, typically at 3 p.m. This means that one's surgery, for example, could be completed by a different team than the one that began it. Miscommunication between the two teams can have serious consequences.

New Jersey readers may have heard about the horrific Missouri duck boat accident that claimed the lives of 17 people, including 9 members of a single family, in mid-July. Now, the estates of two members of that family have filed a $100 million wrongful death lawsuit in federal court.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri on July 29, claims that duck boats are "death traps" that endanger passengers on both land and water. The suit alleges that the owners of Ride the Ducks Branson had been warned that the design of their boats was dangerous and that the vessels could take on water during harsh weather. It also contends that the owners of the company "repeatedly" compromised the safety of their customers in order to boost their profits.

New Jersey residents might be interested in a new national survey that indicates a problem that affects the health of all Americans. Most doctors are burned out, the survey says. The researchers say that this burnout could be a major contributing factor to medical malpractice.

The survey polled 6,700 physicians about workplace burnout, the symptoms of which include fatigue, depression and thoughts of suicide. The poll also asked doctors about medical errors and workplace safety.

Manufacturing and industrial workers often face a number of hazards in the workplace. These can include moving machinery, the potential for falls and even electrocution. Due, in part, to increasingly strict government regulations, fewer workers these days worry about asbestos exposure. Employers are now required to protect their employees by adhering to strict safety practices.

Sadly, many people who work with their hands for a living may have experienced high levels of asbestos exposure before this known carcinogen was carefully regulated by the government. Jobs in manufacturing, vehicle repair and maintenance, and even construction may have resulted in high levels of asbestos exposure. Even if you didn't notice symptoms at the time of your exposure, it is still possible for you to develop serious conditions decades later.