Megan Mullally - known for her role as Karen, the overbearing friend on the popular TV show Will and Grace - was in a car accident last week that left her with minor injuries, according to TMZ.com.

The actress was forced to cancel two theatrical performances as a result of the accident. She is currently performing in her play “The Receptionist” in Los Angeles.

Mullally was back on stage donning a wrist brace just four days after the two-car accident in Beverly Hills.

As of yet, no injury lawsuits have been filed, and according to TMZ.com, no party has been determined ‘at fault’ for the accident.

Chicago resident Michael Cordell Payne died at the scene according to the Cook County Medical Examiner, when a Chicago Transit Authority bus struck him on the city’s south side.

According to Chicago’s WBBM News Radio 780, Payne, 51, was hit by a No. 14 Jeffrey Ave. bus heading north. Payne was neither boarding or exiting the bus, and the bus driver was very shaken-up after the accident.

Witnesses of the accident say conflicting things, and an autopsy will be performed to help determine any possibility of foul play. The bus was in service and had passengers on board - but no one on board was injured.

At this point, there are no injury lawsuits. No further information is currently available.

Almost everyone flies at some point these days, and in our modern, fast-paced society, travelers wish to arrive at destinations the quickest way possible.

Some may have fears about planes crashing - but even the experience of a bumpy ride can be disconcerting.

According to a Washington Post report, in the past year, there have been eight incidents in which passengers suffered serious injuries from turbulence, and 42 incidents where minor injuries have occurred from rough rides in the air.

The Federal Aviation Association (FAA) reports that turbulence is the leading cause of injuries to both passengers and airline staff. For some it has caused severe injuries and there are even reports of death.

One Florida woman found out the dangers of turbulence on her flight back to Tampa, Fla. Jeanne Holton Carufel was using the restroom on a United Airlines flight when she heard the announcement to stay in your seats and to buckle the seat belts as the flight was experiencing turbulence. But unfortunately she did not arrive to her seat in time and suffered injuries to her head and back.

According to the Washington Post Holten Carufel said she “couldn’t’ get back to her seat fast enough. The plane took a big dive and she hit the roof of the plane and fell back to the ground.”

The paramedics arrived at the airport at 9:30 p.m. when the plane landed, and Holten Carufel was taken to the Reston Hospital Center where she was treated for her head and back injuries. She was never actually admitted to the hospital for these injuries, and was set to fly home a couple days after the incident.

The New York Times reports that most turbulence-related injuries occur when people are not seated with their seatbelts securely fastened. In most cases flight attendants advise fliers to remain seated during the flight especially if turbulence occurs, but they do not force anyone to take a seat.

United Airlines did confirm there was turbulence but will not release any other information about the flight. There is no information as to whether any personal injury lawsuits have been filed or even if they could be - since sufficient warnings are issued by the airlines when turbulence occurs.

Fantasy football, fantasy baseball, fantasy hockey - fantasy sports. Millions of Americans join fantasy sport leagues every season - drafting players from the pros to hype up their teams. So what happens when one of your virtual team members gets hurt in real life? He’s benched, and your team suffers.

Chew on this: How about insurance for your virtual players? This idea is being explored by some attorneys and insurance companies. FSI, or fantasy sports insurance, is a growing trend in the fantasy sports world.

It’s a product that joins several others specifically geared at the $800 million industry of fantasy sports, according to CNN.

Other organizations profiting from the Fantasy Sports craze include LeagueSafe, a company that stores entry fees in a bank until a payout issued at the end of the season; trophy companies; and fantasy dispute resolution, which allows participants to have disagreements regarding leagues settled by an actual lawyer.

Fantasy sports insurance is still relatively new to the industry, but some injury lawyers are already getting involved.

Last year, the New York Times published 15 articles on devastating results of repeated concussions related to athletics.  The cases included high school kids, college students and professional athletes. Almost all the concussed athletes returned to the field after the first blow to the head, but after a second or third time, most were no longer able to play.

Many different types of athletes are susceptible to head injuries, including participants in the following sports:

• Football
• Hockey
• Soccer
• Lacrosse
• Boxing
• Wrestling

All athletes should be aware of how to protect themselves if hit in the head not just once, but in some cases several times.

According to the New York Times report, studies have shown that it takes female athletes longer to recover from head injuries then it does male athletes; and younger athlete takes longer to recover then the older ones because they are more vulnerable to brain damage.

Most of these injuries could have been prevented if everyone involved in the sports recognized and knew about the symptoms of concussions. They could take the proper steps ensuring that the athletes’ brains were allowed to fully heal.

Symptoms of concussions can include headaches, sleepiness, short attention span, memory loss, mood swings, and personality changes. Other symptoms of concussions may include blurred visions, nausea, dizziness, sensitivity to noise and light.

Repeated concussions could cause long lasting and sometimes permanent effects. Sometimes the results even led to death.

In America last year, at least four students died from head injuries, the New York Times reported. They suffered from what is called second-impact syndrome, which impairs brain activity when a person receives another hit to the head before the brain has fully recovered from a prior concussion.

According to Dr. Cantu, a clinical professor at Boston University School of Medicine, anyone responsible for an athlete’s well-being and physical health should use the 25-item graded system checklist to determine the seriousness of the concussion. This may prevent repeat concussions and protect the athlete from any further damage.

For younger athletes who suffer a severe blow to the head, it’s advised they don’t be placed back into the game.  Their brains are more vulnerable to damage and need to be protected. Even if the player appears to be fine after a twenty minute period, they should still stay put on the bench.

If they suffer a repeat concussion, then it might be best to let them rest for a week or so longer.

Dt. Cantu also stressed the importance of allowing an injured brain to rest. If this time is not allowed than the symptoms can worsen, prolonging recovery and causing permanent damages. This occurs when the brain cells die because there has not been enough time for them to recover.

Special helmets have been developed to track the intensity of hit and relay it back through wireless signals to computers on the sidelines. This alerts coaches to possible concussions and allows them to look out for their players. In many cases, players might not want to tell their coaches that they are hurt, so they can remain in the game.

Everyone involved should learn the consequences and damages caused by severe hits to the head to prevent and protect all athletes from any further personal injuries.

Laser hair removal has become a popular cosmetic procedure - and it’s admittedly painful - but that’s just part of the procedure, right?

Not for all patients. Filing personal injury lawsuits against spas that perform laser hair removal is not that out of the ordinary. According to a report from News Inferno, regulations at the facilities that handle the procedures are not incredibly strict, which could lead to a plethora of lawsuits in the future.

The procedures can burn and scar patients - causing sometimes severe injuries - and that is what is sparking the lawsuits. The spas need to make sure all the risks are made known to patients, and require a signature - if that isn’t already required.

Toyota is facing a class action lawsuit for illegally hiding evidence from car accidents across the country.

The automaker giant has been accused of concealing and destroying evidence that should have been provided to consumers filing personal injury lawsuits against the company, according to a CBS report.

The class action lawsuit wants to reopen cases either won or settled by Toyota, in order to get the plaintiffs in the cases what they might actually deserve.

Toyota’s company lawyers have allegedly not yet had time to review the class action complaint - so as of right now no action is being taken by the car company.

According to Life Mojo, bicycling injuries account for 75 percent of all transportation related injuries, but only seven percent of those injuries involve another vehicle.

Here are some of the most common bicycle injuries:

• Back and Neck Injuries - Soreness in the back or neck can be caused by improper bicycle fit, or by a fall or collision.
• Knee Injuries - Very common in cyclists, because the knee joints are overused when riding your bike frequently.
• Hand Injuries - Can be detected by tingling or numbness in your hands.
• Shoulder Injuries - Usually occur on long bike rides, caused by putting too much weight on your hands while riding.
• Sprains and Contusions - Normally occur when there is a fall or collision with another bike/vehicle/stationary object.
• Fractures - Occur in a fall or collision. Collar bone fractures can be common in cyclists.
• Abrasions - General scrapes and cuts that come from falling off your bike or being involved in an accident.

If you are injured in a bicycle accident that does involve another vehicle, talk to an injury lawyer to explore your options.

Geron Corp.’s drug tests in animals for an experimental cell therapy that is designed to help spinal injuries cause cysts, according to a Reuters report.

The cysts were microscopic, and they did not turn into tumors, which is good - but tests are still being done to see if the treatment is usable on people.

The procedure involves embryonic stem cells, which do have the potential to grow uncontrollably and turn into tumors, researchers said. But it seems unlikely, and a spokesperson for Geron said she thinks investors are relieved that tumors - the worst case scenario for the test - did not occur.

The company has submitted data to the FDA in hopes of moving forward. Geron is at the forefront of stem cell research in medicine.

The answer is yes - and one young girl and her family have experienced it first hand.

According to ABC News, six of every 10 babies born acquires jaundice in the first few weeks of life - so when Lexi Haas showed symptoms at just three days old, her doctor was not worried.

Now, seven years later, Lexi is having surgeries to combat a movement disorder from which she now suffers - as a result of jaundice when she was an infant.

The brain injury condition Lexi has could have been avoided with one simple test - but she never received that test, said her mother Susan.

Now, at age seven, Lexi’s mental functions are completely in tact, but for her, voluntary physical movement is an impossibility.

Her mother estimates that medical costs throughout Lexi’s life will cost upwards of $25 million. The family can hire an injury lawyer and seek damages from the hospital or doctor that might be responsible for Lexi’s condition.

According to a study on car accidents and safe driving, most motor vehicle related accidents in the United States involve people aged 25 and younger. Injury lawyers typically handle court cases that arise from these accidents.

It might seem like no secret that personality can affect driving behavior, but could it be a reason for causing more car accidents than there would be otherwise?

People tend to drive faster if they have an aggressive personality, and aggression can be aggravated by anger. According to the study, personalities also varied depending on alcohol and drug use.

Most people know that alcohol and drug use not only affect your personality, but also your capability to drive a car, which makes it more likely anyway that an accident will occur.

For the full report about personality and driving, visit the Gulliver/Begg study at http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/13/6/376.

According to research from the University of Wisconsin Extension program, more than one million kids aged five and under die of poisoning each year.

There are many factors in every household that contribute to home safety - and when you have young children or elderly adults in the house, being extra cautious is even more important.

Below are some steps that can be taken to avoid personal injury and make sure your home is as safe as possible:

1. Keep toxic cleaning supplies in locked cupboards or closets - or up high so children cannot reach them
2. When very young kids are in your house, use electric socket blockers to prevent electrocution
3. Don’t leave plastic bags in places available to children to avoid suffocation
4. Put potentially hazardous plants on shelves or windowsills instead of on the ground
5. Install a smoke alarm in each room for fire safety
6. Store matches and lighters in a secure, fire-retardant location

For more suggestions about home safety, view this Home Safety brochure.

According to an investigation by the Hearst Corporation, they found that about 200,000 deaths are because of medical mistakes and mishaps each year.

The report is titled “Death by Mistake,” and it shows preventable medical errors and infections spread throughout hospitals may be responsible for thousands of deaths annually.

Back in 1999 when the federal government came out with their report about medical malpractice called “To Err is Human,” many hoped it would spur some changes and improvements in the world of medicine. Unfortunately, Hearst’s new report shows that hospitals, medical organizations and the federal government have done little to change safety/health practices.

According to CBS News, here are seven factors that cause or contribute to the thousands of medical deaths yearly:

• Operating on the wrong organ or wrong side of the body
• Improper medication (wrong doses, patients given meds they’re allergic to)
• Miscommunication or no communication between doctors and patients  before surgery
• Bad documentation
• Sleep-deprived doctors/surgeons
• Illegible handwriting
• Low nurse-to-patient ratios

Patients can help doctors and hospitals improve medical malpractice statistics by opening a higher level of communication with their care providers. Doctors and surgeons can help by talking to patients before they are sedated for procedures - to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Doctors and hospitals don’t want to face injury lawsuits, and no one wants to see the statistics of 200,000 deaths by medical mistake. If you’re a doctor or a patient, take a little extra time and care, and see what you can do to help!

After a brief hiatus from the automobile market, Ford Motor Company has brought back its old pal from the 1980s, the Ford Taurus. The new 2010 Taurus and Taurus SHO were introduced yesterday, and according to TheCarConnection, they are more than just near-luxury sedans.

The updated Taurus was rated the top safety pick - making it a great car for anyone and everyone - particularly families. The safety rating will definitely help cut down on the number of personal injuries sustained as a result of car accidents.

Some of the Taurus’ exceptional safety features include:

• Post-crash alert system
• Automatically unlocking all doors when airbags deploy
• Hazard lights automatically turn on
• The horn automatically sounds
• Optional rearview camera
• Optional blind-spot and cross-traffic alert system

The Taurus is a well-known car name, and Ford is hoping it will help keep the company highly regarded by consumers - they already have an edge since they are the only one of the Detroit ‘Big Three’ that didn’t declare bankruptcy.

You might think that back or neck injuries are the most commonly sustained injuries associated with car accidents - however according to Forbes.com, it’s something far more simple: Slamming your finger in the car door accounts for almost 150,000 car-related accidents annually.

Also near the top of the list of  personal injuries that happen when the car is stationary are:

• Injury related to a hoist or car jack
• Injury from a falling vehicle or vehicle part
• Injury from loading or unloading a car
• Injury from pushing a car that has stalled

According to the Forbes article, injuries that happen when the car is not moving are not covered by insurance. The research shows that nearly 2,000 deaths and more than 800,000 injuries each year are caused by non-traffic accidents and non-crash incidents.