Charleston WV Personal Injury Law Blog

Can your employer force you to get a vaccination for the flu or anything else?

The recent flu outbreak -- which has gone into round two late in the season -- has put many employees at odds with their employers. While some people don't believe that their employers should be entitled to force them to get a vaccination, others are religiously opposed to the process. Some also fear negative reactions from the vaccine itself, especially if they are pregnant or have chronic health problems.

Last month, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey announced a new unit in his office that will be tasked with preventing and litigating cases of elder abuse. Prosecutors who work in the unit will focus on cases involving the abuse, neglect and exploitation of older West Virginians.

This includes financial abuse. As Morrissey noted, "Unfortunately, all too often, con artists, deceptive businessmen, caretakers and even family members take advantage of our elderly friends. Such conduct cannot be tolerated."

Do exercises for the brain actually do any good for people hoping to fend off the mental ravages of age? What about people who have suffered traumatic brain injuries as a result of accidents?

There is an entire national industry that has grown up around "brain training." Unfortunately, legal action against some of those companies over their claims has somewhat tarnished the reputation of brain training altogether, which may not be fair. It could also unnecessarily discourage people who suffer brain injuries from getting the help that they need to improve.

It doesn't matter how much time you spend behind the wheel of your vehicle, it only takes one distraction to increase the likelihood of an accident.

It's important to understand the risks of distracted driving, as well as the tips you can follow to avoid trouble on the road. Here are three points of advice you can use to your advantage:

• Stay away from your cellphone when you are behind the wheel. This means you shouldn't send text messages, receive text messages or talk on your phone. In a perfect world, you'd pull to safety before you ever use your phone.
• Don't get caught up in passenger conversations. There will be times when you're driving with other people in your vehicle, especially if you have a family. While there is nothing wrong with small talk, you don't want to get so deep into conversation that you forget about what you're doing.
• Don't multi-task. Maybe you forgot to eat breakfast, so you stop by your favorite fast food joint to pick up something on the fly. While there's nothing wrong with this, you don't want to eat while you're behind the wheel. Any type of multi-tasking increases the chance of a crash.