The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has compiled a number of statistics on how distracted driving affects people nationwide. The Administration reports that a total of 3,522 people were killed in distracted driving accidents in the year 2021. This number is out of nearly half a million total accidents that involved distracted driving! Estimates are that millions of drivers are making use of their phones while driving during daytime hours.

Clearly, we have a major problem here.

DISTRACTED DRIVING CASES IN NEW YORK

New York has specific laws for traffic offenses that involve distracted driving. Under New York law, an officer may stop someone simply because they see them making use of a phone while driving. The offense itself may carry up to 5 points on a person’s license, and has very steep penalties for persons with provisional licenses or learner’s permits. In addition, these laws place significant restrictions on how operators of commercial vehicles may interact with their phones. The penalties for these offenses increase with each offense, and can potentially result in a loss of license if a person accrues enough points.

While these violations are generally considered small traffic offenses and handled in a municipal or state court, the acts that constitute these offenses are often the cause of accidents that result in severe injuries or death. Some minor injuries may be dealt with through New York’s “No Fault” system, but a person – or in some cases, a company – could alsobeheldcivillyliableforinjuries caused by a distracted driving accident. Often, the same evidence used in court to convict a distracted driver on a traffic offense can be used in a civil case to show that the distracted driver was negligent, and that his or her negligence contributed to the accident.

In addition to criminal and traffic matters, an individual who suffers serious injuries as a result of a distracted driving accident is often entitled to compensation. This can be broken

down loosely into economic and non- economic loss.

ECONOMIC LOSS

Economic damages are financial losses associated with an accident that a plaintiff can prove to a court. In distracted driving accidents, these often include medical costs such as hospitalization and/or surgery, as well as costs for follow-up treatment such as physical or occupational therapy. Future medical costs (to the extent that the treatment is reasonably likely) may also be estimated and included in available compensation.

Lost wages are another type of economic damage that typically accompany serious injuries or death from a distracted driving accident. In addition to the period of time an individual is out of work in the immediate wake of an injury, there might be additional missed work due to follow-up care or, in severe cases and cases involving a death, an inability to sustain employment into the future. This loss of income is an often substantial element of damages inalawsuitfollowingadistracted driving accident.

NON-ECONOMIC LOSS

Non-economic damages are losses that can be more challenging to translate into a dollar figure, yet can be substantial. These include categories such as physical pain and suffering, as well as mental anguish. Testimony from physicians, psychiatrists and other experts can help to attribute a monetary figure to these types of losses.

HOW DO WE STOP THIS EPIDEMIC?

Distracted driving is one of the things that keeps us, as parents, up at night. It has to stop. But how?

First, we educate. We believe that we must all make efforts to educate both teenagers and adults about the real world risks associated with distracted driving, because this is not limited to teenagers. Many of us have, at times, been guilty of looking at our phones when we should be focused elsewhere.

We have also joined the organization End Distracted Driving, and have made the commitment to reach as many individuals in New York’s Capital District as possible to address this problem through speeches, presentations,andleadership.

Second, we litigate. Unfortunately, the reality is that some people don’t learn from directed education alone, and need to see real world examples of the risks of distracted driving to appreciate the risks involved. To that end, we represent victims and their families who have been injured or killed by distracted drivers. We will use every tool available to change the behavior and culture surrounding distracted driving, and sometimes, that will mean making examples of those who choose to continue to take this unnecessary risk despite the clear evidence of the danger this behavior presents.

If you have questions about what you can do to help, visit our distracted driving page at www.ignorethephone.com.

McCann’s Pharmacy & Adirondack Compounding is a remarkable multi- generational business with a storied history spanning over 125 years.

Situated at 166 Main Street in Hudson Falls, it was originally established by the visionary Joseph McCann in 1896. Little could Joseph have foreseen that his entrepreneurial legacy would endure for over a century, now being overseen by the capable hands of the third generation of the McCann family, namely Richard, Brian, and Kate. Jason McCann, who serves as the pharmacist, and Matthew McCann represent the promising fourth generation, poised to carry on this legacy.

Though the family members have changed, the business has always kept its welcoming hometown feel. As one of the only compounding pharmacies in the region, the McCann family takes pride in knowing that they are helping their customers and are an integral part of the community.

The clear vision and mission of McCann’s Pharmacy has stood the test of time. For well over 100 years, the McCann family has been ready and available to improve the health and wellness of their customers while also providing exceptional service.

A large part of their success stems from their focus on each individual. That is the cornerstone of their business and an important aspect of the practice of compounding. Compounding is the process of taking various ingredients and combining them to create a unique medication. The technique dates back to earlier days of medicine when a pharmacist would create individual treatments for each patient. As these methods have evolved over the years, McCann Pharmacy still uses the practice today.

Jason McCann is the supervising pharmacist for McCann’s, a position that directs and controls the practice in a registered pharmacy. He attended Siena College in Loudonville, NY for undergraduate studies, after which he enrolled in the accelerated program at the Albany College of Pharmacy. Jason then worked as a traveling pharmacist before returning back home to take the reins of the family business. “Operating a business like this is very challenging,” he explained, “but also very rewarding because we are making a positive difference in our community. We are much more than just pill counters. Our pharmacy has developed great relationships with many practitioners in the area and works in a partnership with them to come up with whatever is needed to meet a patient’s needs.”

COMPOUNDING… AN ART AND SCIENCE.

At McCann’s, members of the McCann family as well as their staff can be found creating new creams, lotions, suppositories, and capsules right in front of the patient. Compounding is important for patients who cannot swallow pills, have allergies to dyes or if traditional medication is not working. Customizing the medication to meet the needs of the patient is where the art and science of compounding meet. This personalized form and dosage of medicine is tailored to each patient’s individual need. “I think the key to our success is our personal approach and our willingness to go the extra mile for our patients which many times does not happen in the chain stores. We also do many things that the other pharmacies don’t do,” Jason said, adding how compounding is just one of their specialized services.

Pain management is an area where the McCann family has found compounding to be helpful to their customers and, by extension, their community. Compounding helps to create additional options for patients; for example, using topical creams so patients can avoid side effects associated with oral medication. Utilizing medications and joining them with creams and lotions allows the patient to directly target the problem area for relief. McCann’s Pharmacy also works with the patient’s medical providers to more precisely locate the source of the pain. In addition to all these benefits, data has shown that medication in the form of a cream or lotion decreases the likelihood of a patient becoming addicted.

…AND PETS TOO!

McCann’s cares for the entire family and knows the importance of keeping pets safe and healthy as well. Animals have a unique ability to separate a pill from cheese or deli meat or any other masking agent and spit it out onto the floor. McCann’s works with local veterinarians to create medicines that are as effective as they are enjoyable. The process starts with making the medication into a liquid suspension. Then, flavors like beef, chicken or fish are added to make it more attractive and palatable for your four-legged companion. These medications can also be customized into topical creams or lotions, making it easier for pets with certain conditions to avoid taking the medication orally.

The key to our success is our personal approach and our willingness to go the extra mile for our patients, which many times does not happen in the chain stores.

– Jason McCann

MCCANN’S CONTINUES TO EVOLVE!

People are taking more medicines than ever before. More than four in ten older adults take five or more prescription medications each day. This is triple the rate from twenty years ago. Patients need to take the medications properly every day, at the right times, and as directed. McCann’s offers a Medicine-On- Time Service. For a $10 monthly service charge, McCann’s will help patients become more organized with their medications and more compliant with their regimens. One of the services that this option provides is synchronizing medications. This allows the various prescriptions for the patient to be filled on the same day. This program also sets up automatic refills and provides free delivery. The medications will come organized, in color-coded calendar cards. This system makes it easy to keep track of medication and maintain a system. The pills are labeled with the patient’s name, the date, the time to take the medication and a list of medications in each cup.

As a multigenerational business, McCann’s Pharmacy is aware of the importance of changing with the times. They have proven to be adaptable and to embrace technological advancements that help their patients. For example, they have an option to refill prescriptions online or over the phone. You can even use an app for that! Most smartphones and tablets have apps available to customers that are simple and easy to use as well as free. Go to the app store and search ‘RefillRX’. Download the app and follow the instructions for selecting a pharmacy. This allows the patient to enter refills and select if they will be picking up the medicine or would instead like free delivery.

Jason and his family hope that the next generation carries on the family tradition. However, he is aware that maintaining that tradition is ultimately their choice, so he looks to what previous generations have done for guidance. “I’m hoping for my son or daughter (or both!) to follow in my footsteps and decide to go into the pharmacy business to carry us on,” he explained. “But I’ll do the same as my father did and never put any pressure on them. It’s totally their decision.”