Hit Backspace On Bullying

Many know the saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” That’s not the case in the 21st century. With the rise of technology came social media platforms where young teens, and even adults propel words at victims to cause them pain just as powerful as a punch to the stomach can. “You’re stupid,” “you’re dumb,” “get a life loser!” “UGLY!” are just a few tame examples of how hurtful a cyberbully can be in the comments section of many YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook posts.

Some people may be wondering what the differences are between traditional bullying and cyberbullying. Cyberbullying occurs when insults are directed at a victim through a virtual screen. As defined by stopbullying.gov, cyberbullying is, “bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.” Traditional bullying involves face to face insults and physical harm. Stopbullying.com further breaks down the differences between cyberbullying and traditional bullying.

Differences Between

Cyberbullying and Traditional Bullying

  • Anonymity: While victims usually know who their bully is, online bullies may be able to hide their identities online. The anonymity of the internet can lead to crueler or harsher abuses from the bully, all while the victim has no means of discovering who his or her harasser is.

  • Relentless: Bullying typically ends once the victim is removed from the negative social situation. However, smartphones, laptops, and other devices have made it possible for people to communicate with each other at all hours and from nearly any location. Cyberbullies may be able to torment their victim twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week, making it difficult for the victim to escape it by going home or even changing schools.

  • Public: With traditional bullying, often only people that interact with those involved will know of the abuse. However, when content is posted or shared online, it’s possible that anyone may see it. This opens up the victim to more potential ridicule or pain from strangers. This is compounded by the anonymity afforded by virtual spaces: while bullying in person may be done covertly or out of view to avoid punishment, cyberbullies need not fear being witnessed in the act if their identities are not known.

  • Permanent: Because online content is impossible to delete entirely, cyberbullying may damage the victim’s, or possibly the bully’s, reputation permanently. Even if the content is removed or deleted from the original site, someone may find it posted elsewhere later. This may negatively impact future employment, college admissions, or relationships for victim and bully alike.

  • Easy to Overlook: Cyberbullying may be harder for teachers, administrators, and parents to discover, because they may not have access to students’ online activities. They may not be able to overhear or see the abuse taking place. Unless someone comes forward, parents and teachers may never know that bullying is taking place.

The Michigan Law Firm, PC’s blog recently discussed how the effects of cyberbullying lead a young, 13-year-old girl, Zoe Johnson to commit suicide after a classmate tagged her name in a vulgar Facebook post. Unfortunately, while cyberbullying is on the rise, traditional bullying is still here too. On January 25, 2019 a 13-year-old, Michael Martin, took his own life after constant harassment and traditional bullying from kids at his school. Michael was constantly teased about his appearance and was even slammed against a wall in the school lunchroom, as reported by the Lansing State Journal.

Sticks, stones, and even words have major negative effects on the lives of people who are continuously being bullied. Under Michigan’s new cyberbullying law, perpetrators of cyberbullying will face major consequences for carrying out this harmful behavior. Bullying is bullying, whether its face to face or through the internet, and it’s always wrong.

Bullying hurts. Words should not cause such irreparable harm that a person chooses to end their life. Attorneys at The Michigan Law Firm, PC understand the emotional damage that traditional bullying and cyberbullying can have on a person, and happy to help cyberbullying victims find justice under the new cyberbullying law. Call us at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.

Cyberbullying Is Now A Crime In Michigan

On July 6, 2015, 13-year-old Zoe Johnson committed suicide a day after classmates tagged her name was tagged on a Facebook post reading, “tag a b**h you don’t like.” Zoe had just finished the seventh grade and was a member of the cheer team. According to her mother, Rebecca Abbott, Zoe had been experiencing bullying for many years and therefore suffered from mild depression. Towards the end of the school year, the bullying may have reached an all-time high, leading Zoe to her breaking point, Even after Zoe’s death, kids continued to post on the Facebook page, with one even writing, "good ur gone."

On December 27, 2018, former Governor Rick Snyder signed a bill, sponsored by Rep. Pete Lucido R-Shelby Township, into Michigan law that makes cyberbullying a misdemeanor crime. Going in effect in March 2019, Public Act 457 of 2018 mentions that cyberbullying includes posting a message or statement in a public media forum about any other person if both the following apply:

  • The message or statement is intended to place a person in fear of bodily harm or death and expresses an intent to commit violence against the person.

  • The message or statement is posted with the intent to communicate a threat or with knowledge that it will be.

The law defines cyberbullying as a “misdemeanor punishable by 93 days’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $500.” Repeat offenders could face a 1 year sentence, and fines up to $1,000. Individuals involved in a “pattern of harassing or intimidating behavior causing serious injury to the victim” are guilty of a crime punishable up to 5 years and, or a fine up to $5,000. If the online harassment is found to cause death, the violator is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.   

Governor Snyder stated, “Cyberbullying can cause just as much trauma as traditional bullying so it's important that it be considered a crime… With this bill, we are sending a message that bullying of any kind is not tolerated in Michigan.”

Hopefully now that cyberbullying is illegal in Michigan, fewer people will engage in this harmful behavior. They say that the pen is mightier than the sword, but in the case of cyberbullying, the keyboard can hurt people so deeply that they consider suicide as the only option to make the pain stop. The cyberbullies who inflict this pain on innocent victims deserve to be punished by the fullest extent of the law. The Michigan Law Firm, PC can now assist cyberbullying victims with obtaining pain and suffering compensation for cyberbullying in Michigan. Please call us at 844.4MI.FIRM. for a free legal consultation.

Total Knee Replacements Common After Automobile Accidents

Total knee replacements are one of the most common surgical procedures in the country. In fact, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality expects that by 2030, about 11 million Americans will have had either a hip or knee replacement. In 2010 alone, approximately 7 million people underwent joint replacement surgery. And while many people may associate knee replacements with the elderly, patients of all ages undergo the procedure. This is due in part to the fact that car accidents can result in damage to the joint of the knee, and car accidents don't care how old you are.

The knee is made up of three bones - the lower end of the thigh bone known as the femur, the upper end of the shin bone known as the tibia, and the knee cap, also called the patella. Where these bones all meet is covered by protective cartilage. When the cartilage starts to wear away (either over time with old age, or sped up by a traumatic injury such as an automobile accident), this results in knee pain, also known as arthritis. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), “damaging a joint raises your chances of developing arthritis sevenfold.” When unbearable pain, deformities of the knee, and loss of mobility are not being effectively treated by medication and/or physical therapy, a total knee replacement surgery is the final option.

Victims of automobile accidents who undergo total knee replacements are likely suffering from post-traumatic arthritis. According to the Cleveland Clinic, post-traumatic arthritis occurs when an intense force hits the knee, such as the impact from a car collision. This results in fracturing of the bone and damage to the surrounding cartilage, which alter how the joint moves and wears out the cartilage more quickly.

During a knee replacement surgery, the surface of the bone as well as the cartilage are replaced with an implant, creating a joint that glides much more smoothly than an arthritic joint does. The implant can be made out of metal, ceramic material, or plastic. According to the AAOS, there are 4 basic steps of a total knee replacement operation.

Steps of a Total Knee Replacement Operation

  1. Prepare the bone. The damaged cartilage surfaces at the ends of the femur and tibia are removed along with a small amount of underlying bone.
  2. Position the metal implants. The removed cartilage and bone is replaced with metal components that recreate the surface of the joint. These metal parts are cemented onto the bone.
  3. Resurface the patella. The undersurface of the patella (kneecap) is cut and resurfaced with a plastic button. Some surgeons do not resurface the patella, depending upon the case.
  4. Insert a spacer. A medical-grade plastic spacer is inserted between the metal components to create a smooth gliding surface.

Patients are likely to experience some pain and discomfort directly after surgery. This is managed through medication and physical therapy. Health Care providers encourage the use of over-the-counter pain medications as much as possible, as opioids can have severe side effects, namely addiction. Physical therapy is used to help strengthen the muscle surrounding the knee, and restore range of motion. In the long term, total knee replacement patients experience a dramatic reduction of pain, and can enjoy low impact activities such as walking, swimming, and biking.

While overall quality of life is greatly improved for the vast majority of patients, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic are working to minimize pain and improve patient satisfaction in both the short and long term.

Research on Improving TKR Experience:

  • Robotic Total Knee Replacement: Using robots can improve accuracy and precision during surgery. This leads to a more exact placement of the implant, resulting in better patient outcomes.
  • Press-fit Implant Technology: This type of implant does not require cement to adhere it to the bone. This allows the bone of the knee to regrow better, allowing implants to last longer. This is especially beneficial for younger patients, who need their implants to last 20+ years.
  • Customized 3D Implant Printing: Knee implants typically have one design that only varies in size, even though human anatomy varies tremendously. Custom printed 3D implants that more closely match the patient’s anatomy improve function and satisfaction.
  • Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation: This utilizes a brace that sends electrical stimulation to the muscles surrounding the knee. This causes the muscle to contract, strengthening the joint. These braces can be used before surgery, to make sure the joint is strong enough, and after surgery during recovery.

Accidents happen, so while there is no way to completely prevent needing a total knee replacement due to a car collision, there are other areas of your life in which you can take steps to minimize your risk. Maintaining a healthy weight so as not to put extra strain on the joint is what most doctors recommend. More so, be sure to wear the proper safety equipment, such as knee pads and shin guards, when playing high impact sports such as football or soccer. And who knows, since most car crashes are caused by human error, maybe with the future of autonomous vehicles we will be able to minimize the risk of knee injuries from automobile accidents. The good news is that total knee replacements are a relatively safe and effective procedure, should you find yourself needing one, and doctors and researchers are working to make the experience even better.

Knee injuries make the simplest things in life, such as anything involving walking or moving, difficult. The experienced attorneys at The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC understand that it is especially frustrating to have sustained a knee injury due to a motor vehicle accident, since medical treatment can be very expensive and auto insurance companies can be difficult to work with. If you have suffered any injury from a car accident, including a knee injury, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation. Let our attorneys handle your legal situation while you focus on recovery.