New York Injury Talk Blog

A Tappan Zee Bridge tractor trailer accident involving a passenger vehicle and a loaded propane tanker sent two drivers to the hospital, according to this news article. Fortunately, there was no fire or leaks from the propane tank, which could have had led to catastrophic injuries.

The injured truck drivers were reportedly taken to an area hospital with minor injuries. According to officials, 50-year-old Roy Steiner, the propane tank driver was stopped in a construction zone. A car driven by Michael Zahorchak was slowing down in the construction zone when it was hit from behind by a tractor trailer. The big rig driver is identified as Amadu Bah, 43, of Staten Island. While the car struck the center barrier, the tractor trailer moved and struck the propane tanker. Steiner suffered neck and back injuries while Bah broke his left wrist. Zahorchak was uninjured.

According to this report, it appears as if the driver of the tractor trailer failed to slow down in the construction zone rear-ending the passenger car, which set off the chain reaction auto accident. If it is determined that the driver of the big rig was at fault, he and the trucking company could be held responsible for the accident, injuries and damages.

In any New York truck accident, it is important that you call an experienced New York personal injury lawyer to handle your case. If you have been injured in a big rig accident, you may be entitled to monetary compensation to cover medical expenses, loss of wages and property damage. Call Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro for a free consultation.

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Posted In: Automobile Accidents

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Steven Economos, 18, of Staten Island died after losing control of his car and crashing into a utility pole on Amboy Road near Buffalo Street in Bay Terrace, according to this news report. The teenager was driving with three teenage passengers in his mother’s blue 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt when the accident occurred.

The roof of the vehicle had to be cut open to remove Economos, police officials said. He was admitted to an area hospital with critical injuries. He died a little later in the hospital, the report said. His passengers were two men – ages 19 and 17 – and a 16-year-old girl. The Amboy Road auto accident left the teens in stable condition.

It is not clear what caused Economos to crash his vehicle into the pole. There are no details about how fast he was traveling and whether drugs or alcohol played a part in the accident.

It takes an experienced Staten Island personal injury attorney to investigate the facts and find out what or who was responsible for an auto accident. Some auto accidents may involve a defective auto product that triggered a mechanical malfunction. In such cases, the auto manufacturer could be held liable for the accident, injuries and damages. If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident, call an experienced personal injury attorney at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro for a free consultation.

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Posted In: Automobile Accidents

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New York pastor and gospel singer Timothy Wright suffered critical injuries in a Central Pennsylvania auto accident, which also killed his wife, 58-year-old Betty Wright, the Associated Press reports. Wright’s 14-year-old grandson, D. J. Wright, was also injured in the accident, which was apparently caused by a wrong-way driver who hit their vehicle.

The 61-year-old pastor and his grandson are recovering from their injuries. The wrong-way driver, 44-year-old John Pick, also died. A passenger in a third vehicle who was also injured is also in fair condition, the news agency reports. Pastor Wright is said to be in critical condition.

Wrong way auto accidents are deadly because they are usually head-on collisions often occurring at high speeds. The impact usually results in fatalities and serious injuries. Often, the person who is responsible for a wrong-way crash could be held responsible for the accident, injuries and damages.

There is not much information about how this wrong way accident occurred and whether the wrong-way driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. That will certainly be a part of the investigation and will be revealed when the autopsy results are released.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a New York auto accident, please call an experienced New York auto accident attorney at Wingate Russotti & Shapiro for a free consultation.

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New York Fire Department investigators have said candles are to blame for a fatal Harlem fire that led a man and a boy to jump off the burning building to their deaths to escape getting burned. According to an NBC news report, the fire broke out in a six-story building at West 148th Street and Broadway. Eight people, who suffered burn injuries, were transported to area hospitals, including two firefighters.

According to fire officials, the boy was about 5 years old and the man, 45. The boy’s mother was not able to get out because of a child safety bar on the window, which ended up saving her life.

This is obviously a huge tragedy for the family and a traumatic experience for everyone living in that apartment building. Although it has been ruled an accident caused by burning candles, it is important to find out whether the sprinklers and fire alarms in the building were working at the time of the fire. Under New York law, it is the responsibility of the building owner to prevent defective building safety systems in their building.

Burn injuries can be severe, leaving permanent marks, scars and in some severe cases leading to disfigurement. Victims of burn injuries often face steep medical bills. If you have been injured in a fire, you may be entitled to compensation to cover medical expenses and loss of wages. If you or a loved one has been injured in New York, please call an experienced and knowledgeable New York personal injury attorney at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro for a free and comprehensive consultation.

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Posted In: Burn Injuries

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A 12-year-old is dead after a head-on dirt bike collision in New York. Kody Beasock was killed after his brother, 16-year-old Christopher, struck him head-on, throwing him from his bike. The crash occurred on a rural road; Kody died and Christopher is now in critical condition. The community of Leyden and Boonville, New York, is mourning Beasock, with grief counselors available at Kody’s school. The ongoing investigation has not yet revealed the speed of the crash; no criminal charges will be pursued. It is thought that excessive speed and Kody’s inattention led to the head-on collision. Christopher’s condition has not changed since the accident, and his family remains at his bedside waiting for him to recover.

This accident is just one in a recent spate of dirt bike accidents that has devastated families in Maine, Massachusetts, and Virginia. ATVs and dirt bikes, like many other recreational vehicles, tend towards catastrophic injuries and improper operation – circumstances that can lead to motorcycle accident injuries or death.

The New York accident raises a number of questions about safety, training, and age. Were the boys old enough to really be driving dirt bikes? Where were their parents? Though a lawsuit seems unlikely given that the victims were brothers, there is the potential of lawsuits involving supervising family members or even the dirt bikes’ manufacturers or sales people. The complexity of dirt bike collision investigations is clear – everyone from insurers to third-party manufacturers can get dragged into the fray.

Because of the variety of complications of a motorcycle or dirt bike collision – and the severity or even deadliness of the involved injuries – it’s vital to find the right attorney as soon as possible after the accident to protect your legal rights. Your motorcycle accident attorney can help you file a personal injury lawsuit to get the compensation you deserve for the physical and psychological aspects of your injury.

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Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

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We reported on May 30’s fatal crane accident. Now we can confirm that New York has suspended all crane construction until June 2 and will be hiring over 20 new engineers to monitor construction sites as part of a new $93 million initiative to increase construction safety.

Many claim New York’s current construction boom for two crane crashes since March 2008, which were unrelated but both fatal. In at least one of the cases, an inspector reported having been on-site though he had not in fact inspected the cranes. Such negligence and incompetence has had an impact not only on the lives lost during the accidents, but on the enforcement of construction safety laws within New York City. Since March, over 21 claims seeking nearly $400 millions in damages have been filed with the New York City’s Comptroller’s Office. And the lawsuits aren’t likely to slow down any time soon.

Unfortunately for the victims of these and other construction accidents, construction litigation can be slow going. After all, each construction site involves countless contractors, vendors, and individuals, all of whom can be held accountable in some way when negligence and poor training has its inevitable effect. The good news is that construction accident victims have rights – and with the right legal representation, these rights can be protected in court. The right construction accident attorney can investigate your accident, file the appropriate lawsuit, and vigorously act on your behalf to obtain financial and other compensation for your injuries. This can act as a deterrent to unscrupulous contractors whose negligence hurts innocent workers...and help you pick up the pieces after a debilitating or even deadly accident affecting you or a family member.

Have you been injured in a construction accident in New York? Turn to the New York construction accident lawyers of Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro, the firm that helps the victims of negligence take back their lives and get the compensation they deserve. Call today for a free phone consultation – your consultation is completely confidential.

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Posted In: Construction Accident

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