Category: Blog

Health Care Legislation = Many More Americans to Die

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

This President and this Congress are now trying to repeal and perhaps replace the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” or “Obamacare” with “Trumpcare”.

Time to examine where we are now and where we may soon be in the future.

Many More Americans to Expected to Die

The Congressional Budget Office has issued its report on the proposed American Health Care Act.

“in 2018, 14 million more people would be uninsured under the legislation than under current law.”

“In 2026, an estimated 52 million people would be uninsured, compared with 28 million who would lack insurance that year under current law.”

How Many People Die Each Year From Lack of Health Insurance?

“Depending upon the study, we can derive that between 20,000 and 45,000 Americans die each year due to a lack of health insurance.”

 
Red State vs. Blue State Analyses Point to More Deaths in Red States

Vehicle Violence Deaths and Death Rates have also revealed that people in Red States suffer more than people in Blue States.  See

http://www.fairwarning.org/2017/02/top-traffic-death-states-support-trump/

http://www.fairwarning.org/2012/11/traffic-deaths-a-surprising-dimension-of-the-red-state-blue-state-divide/

If we extend these analyses to include 2015 Medicaid Status and Percent Uninsured in each State we find that Blue States have more Medicaid coverage and fewer percentage of people without insurance and generally lower death rates.

The attached spreadsheet shows that the 13 best States are Blue and have lowest fatality rates, Medicaid coverage, and percent uninsured under 10%.

The attached spreadsheet shows that the 14 worst States are Red and have the highest fatality rates, only 6 States have Medicaid coverage, and 10 States have percent uninsured over 10%.

We can estimate that for each vehicle fatality there are an additional 4 serious injuries (e.g. brain and spinal cord injuries) where Medicaid and health insurance will be vitaly important.

Members of Congress should not let their constituents just die.  They have a duty to protect us all.

Lou Lombardo

The Deadly Wrong Strategy for A Livable Environment

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

The NY Times just reported on the Trump Administration’s EPA plans which will worsen two existential threats we all face: Climate Change and Public Health effects of air pollution.

See https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/07/us/politics/scott-pruitt-environmental-protection-agency.html

Also today Legal Reader published an article I wrote about my history as an EPA Whistle Blower during the Nixon Administration.  See

http://www.legalreader.com/presidents-livable-environment/

Lou Lombardo

The Legal Landscape for Driverless Cars (Highly Automated Vehicles)

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

Readers are invited to attend and participate in a Law School conference on the future of law governing driverless cars:

“On March 14, 2017, the George Washington University Law School, through its Innovation and Internet Initiative Program, will host a full day discussion bringing together industry representatives; officials with experience in regulation of motor vehicles from the federal and state perspectives, including two former leaders of the National Highway Traffic Administration – Joan Claybrook and David Strickland. Confirmed participants include auto safety advocates; workers whose jobs may be displaced by these vehicles; experts on legal liability, cyber-security, data privacy protection, and antitrust law.”

The Program Agenda, Speakers, and Reference resource are available at:
https://www.law.gwu.edu/driverless-cars-legal-landscape

Your Invitation is attached:  DriverlessCarsInvitation

Lou Lombardo

Takata and Automakers’ Airbag Saga: Who Knew What, When?

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

The NY Times reports:

“At least four automakers knew for years that Takata’s airbags were dangerous and could rupture violently but continued to use those airbags in their vehicles to save on costs, lawyers representing victims of the defect asserted in a court document filed on Monday.

The Justice Department’s criminal investigation into Takata’s rupture-prone airbags has so far painted automakers as unwitting victims duped by a rogue supplier that manipulated safety data to hide a deadly defect, linked to at least 11 deaths and over 100 injuries in the United States.

But the fresh allegations against Ford, Honda, Nissan and Toyota, made as part of a class-action lawsuit in Florida and based on company documents, point to a far deeper involvement by automakers that used Takata’s defective airbags for years.”

See https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/27/business/takata-airbags-automakers-class-action.html?ref=business

Lou Lombardo

Worker Deaths in Red States and Blue

 Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

 

Fair Warning has again produced an excellent analysis of Death Rates by State – Red and Blue.  This time it examined Worker Deaths in 2015.

“More than 4,800 American workers are killed on the job each year. But in states that were carried by Donald Trump, the chances of dying at work are higher than in states that Hillary Clinton won.” See  http://www.fairwarning.org/2017/02/grim-connection-voting-patterns-workplace-deaths/

The National Safety Council in its 2016 edition of Injury Facts reports that in 2014, there were 1,634 deaths that were motor vehicle related worker deaths and an estimated 200,000 medically consulted injuries.  (p. 4)

 

These data should help people build political support for addressing these problems of life or death importance in America.
Lou Lombardo

Building A Network for Auto Safety: The Center for Auto Safety Ditlow Fund

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

Legal Reader has published an article to help build a support Network for Auto Safety to continue Clarence Ditlow’s legal work of 4 decades to save people’s lives.

The article provides:

*  Job Description for the new Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety.

*   List 54 Lawsuits

*  List of 15 Major Defect Investigations

*  List of Advocacy on Federal Safety Standards

See http://www.legalreader.com/center-for-auto-safetys-ditlow-fund-networking-to-save-lives/

Fatalities due to Vehicle Violence now approaches 4 million American deaths.  See https://www.careforcrashvictims.com/death-clock/

Vehicle Violence is now growing in the U.S.A. today to exceed:

* 100 deaths per day

*  400 serious injuries per day (paraplegia, quadriplegia, brain damage, crippling skeletal injuries, and burn injuries)

*  Losses of about $2 Billion per day

The legal profession is organizing renewed efforts to reduce these human tragedies.

Let’s all do our part to build a Safer and more Just America.

Lou Lombardo