New York Injury Talk Blog

A construction worker was killed in a New York City construction site accident after he plunged five stories when part of a scaffold collapsed in Brooklyn. According to a news article in the Insurance Journal, the worker had been resurfacing bricks on an apartment building's façade when the accident occurred. The 42-year-old man was moving from one scaffold to another when the second scaffold collapsed. While one man fell, two other workers clung to the tilted scaffold and were later rescued by firefighters.

Scaffold accidents can cause serious injuries and even fatalities, as in this New York construction accident. New York Labor Law Section 240 (1) states: "All contractors and owners and their agents, except owners of one and two-family dwellings who contract for but do not direct or control the work, in the erection, demolition, repairing, altering, painting, cleaning or pointing of a building or structure shall furnish or erect, or cause to be furnished or erected for the performance of such labor, scaffolding, hoists, stays, ladders, slings, hangers, blocks, pulleys, braces, irons, ropes, and other devices which shall be so constructed, placed and operated as to give proper protection to a person so
employed."

Continue reading "Brooklyn Fatal Construction Accident" »

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Posted In: Construction Accident , Personal Injury , Wrongful Death

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A 36-year-old man was killed in a New York car accident after he slammed into the back of a Department of Transportation dump truck on the Brooklyn Bridge, the New York Daily News reports. Traffic investigators believe the man was traveling from his East New York home when he lost control of his 2008 gray Honda Accord and crashed into the truck. The truck, which was unoccupied, had a flashing electronic arrow to alert drivers, the report said. New York police are not sure what caused the driver to crash into the truck, but are looking into whether alcohol may have been an issue.

New York auto accidents are caused by many factors. In some cases, a car accident is caused as a result of someone else's negligence. That could include a dangerous condition on the roadway or an auto product defect that caused the driver to lose control of his or her vehicle and crash. If the accident was caused as a result of a vehicle defect, the auto maker or the manufacturer of the defective auto product could be held liable. If a dangerous road condition caused or contributed to the car accident, the city or any entity that has jurisdiction over the roadway could be held liable. In New York, claims against governmental entities must be filed within 90 days of the accident or injury.

Continue reading "New York City Auto Accident Kills Man" »

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Posted In: Automobile Accidents , Personal Injury , Wrongful Death

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A teenager has been charged with drunk driving after a fatal New York car accident, which killed a 31-year-old man, according to an ABC news report. New York police said a 2008 Lexus four-door gray sedan driven by an 18-year-old man struck a 31-year-old man on Sutter Avenue in Queens, N.Y. The injured pedestrian was taken to an area hospital where he died. The teen was arrested and charged with operating a vehicle after consuming an alcoholic beverage.

Thousands of Americans lose their lives every year in drunk driving car accidents. Thousands more are injured – many disabled for life – because of negligent drivers who make a conscious decision to get behind the wheel while intoxicated. In the State of New York, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or higher. Those who drive drunk and injure people or damage property must be held accountable for their actions.

Continue reading "Fatal New York DUI Auto Accident" »

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Posted In: Automobile Accidents , Drunk Driving Accident , Personal Injury , Wrongful Death

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Honda has recalled an additional 440,000 Civic, Accord and Acura TLs to repair a potential airbag defect, according to this CNN news report. This defective auto product recall in New York and throughout our nation involves driver-side airbags in certain 2001-02 Honda Accords, 2001 Civic models and 2002-03 Acura TLs. In some of these cars, the airbag inflators can produce over pressurization of the driver's front airbag inflator mechanism during airbag deployment. This can cause the inflator casing to rupture and metal fragments could pass through the cloth airbag cushion material, posing the risk of injury or death to the vehicles' occupants. With a damaged airbag, occupants may not be protected in the event of a car accident.

Airbag defects are serious vehicle defects that can result in catastrophic injuries or death to a vehicle's occupants. We count on airbags to deploy and cushion the impact of a car crash. But when airbags do not work the way they are supposed to function, it can result in severe trauma to those in the vehicle.

Continue reading "Honda Recalls Cars for Airbag Defects" »

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Posted In: Auto Product Liability , Automobile Accidents , Personal Injury , Product Liability & Recalls , Product Recalls

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A 20-year-old man was critically injured and killed in a Staten Island motorcycle accident after his motorcycle collided with a livery cab. According to a news report in the Staten Island Advance, the motorcyclist was thrown off his bike after he crashed into a livery cab. The motorcycle also caught fire in the incident. Apparently, this summer has been deadly for motorcyclists in Staten Island. This was the fourth motorcyclist to die in separate accidents since June, the report states.

Motorcycles may be fun to ride especially during the summer, but they also come with inherent danger. Motorcycle crashes may occur due to the rider not wearing proper protective gear. But often times, motorcycle accidents occur because other motorists are not paying attention. Many of us do not realize that we share the road with motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians. As experienced New York motorcycle accident attorneys, we see almost on a daily basis that motorists do not consciously look for motorcycles, bicycles or pedestrians when they are changing lanes or making a turn. A lot of motorcycle accidents particularly occur when the other vehicle is attempting to make a left turn.

Continue reading "Fatal Staten Island Motorcycle Accident" »

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Posted In: Automobile Accidents , Motorcycle Accidents , Personal Injury , Wrongful Death

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Crime reports show drunk driving arrests among women are rapidly rising in the United States while DUI arrests among men are falling, according to a news report. A fatal New York car accident caused by an intoxicated female driver, which killed eight people including four children, has drawn attention to this issue in the last month. Experts say more and more women are driving drunk and here's the disturbing part – they're doing it with their children in the vehicles. According to FBI crime reports, the number of women arrested while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs was 28.8 percent higher in 2007 than it was 10 years earlier.

Drunk driving is a serious offense in New York and other states. In most states it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 percent or more. A new study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also confirmed the FBI statistics. That study shows about 2,000 traffic accident deaths a year involve an intoxicated female driver.

Continue reading "More DUI Car Accidents Caused by Women" »

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Posted In: Automobile Accidents , Drunk Driving Accident , Law & Information , Personal Injury

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A woman suffered critical injuries in a Queens pedestrian accident after an out-of-control van struck her inside Flushing Meadow Park, ABC News reports. Witnesses say the van was weaving in and out of traffic on the Van Wyck Expressway and then sped down the ramp, crashed into a parked vehicle, hopped a curb and then hit the woman.

The injured victim was apparently enjoying a family picnic at the park when she was struck. The 49-year-old driver has been charged with reckless driving, endangerment and leaving the scene of an accident.

In cases where unsuspecting victims are injured as a result of someone else's recklessness, negligence or callous disregard for public safety, victims and their families can seek significant compensation for their injuries and loss. This is especially true in cases where someone has been killed, critically injured, is incurring a lot of medical expenses, and also in cases where the victim needs 24/7 medical care for the long term.

Continue reading "Queens Hit-and-Run Car Accident Critically Injures Woman" »

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Posted In: Automobile Accidents , Pedestrain Accidents , Personal Injury

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Six companies have recalled about 4.2 million roll-up blinds and 600,000 Roman shades for a strangulation hazard that has reportedly resulted in the death of four young children and the near-strangulation of seven other children. According to a news report in The Baltimore Sun, the blinds and shades were sold at retailers nationwide including Target, Pottery Barn and IKEA. The defective product recall has been issued by the six firms in collaboration with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The problem with these blinds was exposed cords and loops, which caused children to get accidentally strangled or nearly strangled.

Thousands of people in the United States die each year as a result of defective products that are sold on the market. Some of these products are sold despite the product manufacturer's knowledge of their dangers and risks. What's worse is that consumers are not warned about these risks and dangers. In cases where innocent consumers are seriously injured or killed as a result of dangerous or defective products, the product manufacturers must be held liable.

Continue reading "Defective Blinds and Shades Pose Strangulation Hazard" »

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Posted In: Law & Information , Personal Injury , Product Liability & Recalls , Product Recalls , Wrongful Death

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New York State lawmakers have officially passed a law that bans texting while driving across the state. According to a WKTV news report, texting while driving was banned in some counties, but now texting while driving is illegal across the entire state. Those who break the law face a $150 fine. However, some worry about a catch with the new law, which is considered a "secondary offense." This means that a driver can only get a ticket for texting and driving if they are pulled over for breaking another law.

Despite this loophole, the ban on texting while driving has been a long time coming in New York State. While driving while using a hand-held cell phone has been proven to be dangerous, the chance of getting into an accident is much more while texting and driving because the driver loses use of both hands. Your hands are not on the wheel and your attention is hardly on the road when you are texting and driving!

If you have been seriously injured by a distracted or negligent driver, you may be entitled to seek compensation to cover medical expenses, cost of hospitalization, loss of earnings, cost of long-term care and other related expenses. If a death occurs as a result of such an auto accident in New York caused by a distracted driver, the family of the deceased auto accident victim may even be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit. In cases where the texting driver was on the job or communicating with his or her employer, the employer may also be held liable for injuries in addition to the negligent driver.

Continue reading "Texting Ban Takes Effect in New York State" »

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Posted In: Automobile Accidents , Law & Information , Personal Injury

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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has fined a Long Island concrete contractor $72,000 for repeated safety violations after a worker was injured in a construction accident, the Associated Press reports. Federal safety officials say the worker suffered non-life-threatening injuries in March when he fell 10 feet from the 34th floor to the 33rd floor of a midtown Manhattan building. Agency officials said the worker had dislodged the unsecured cover of a floor hold and that the contractor failed to put sufficient fall protections in place. Officials also say the company did not train workers to recognize or deal with such hazards at construction sites. The contractor has 15 days to pay the fine or appeal it.

This worker was very lucky that he did not plunge to his death as a result of this fall. A number of construction site accidents, especially falls, occur in New York and other cities because contractors do not follow state and federal safety standards that are mandated by law. New York State law prohibits employees from suing their employers for on-the-job accidents. However, third parties, such as contactors, sub-contractors, architects, manufacturers and property owners may be held liable for injuries or wrongful deaths that take place at a construction site.

Continue reading "Contractor Fined in New York City Construction Accident" »

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Posted In: Construction Accident , Law & Information , Personal Injury , Workers Compensation , Workplace Injuries

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Fiesta is issuing a product safety recall for its Blue Ember gas grills after getting reports of burn injuries and other incidents. According to this consumer safety report, Fiesta has received 192 reports of grill fires resulting in nine injuries. Two of these incidents involved major burns on different parts of the body, six incidents of relatively minor burns and one incident involving temporary hearing loss. Apparently, the hose of the gas tank can get too close to the firebox and cause a burn hazard. This defective product recall involved 88,000 units in the United States and about 25,000 in Canada.

Each year in the United States, thousands are injured as a result of defective products. These faulty products range from toys to cars, to household appliances. Design defects, misleading or deceptive marketing, and manufacturing defects can pose threats of serious injury to unsuspecting consumers. Improper warnings or instructions on a product's packaging may also cause injuries to a person using a defective product in New York.

Continue reading "Defective Gas Grills Could Cause Burn Injuries" »

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Posted In: Burn Injuries , Personal Injury , Product Liability & Recalls

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A Queens, New York, man, his sister and his cousin were killed on the Interstate 95 in Georgia after a drunk driver heading the wrong way plowed head-on into their minivan, the New York Daily News reports. The 59-year-old man and five of his relatives were reportedly driving from New York to Florida for a wedding when the pickup truck driven by a drunk driver slammed into their 2001 Mazda MPV. All three were killed. The driver of the pickup truck was also killed in the car crash. His Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck was apparently littered with bottles of alcohol, officials said.

Every year, at least 17,000 people are killed as a result of alcohol-related car accidents. The drunk drivers who cause these fatal car accidents and heartbreak to the members of the victims' families should be held accountable for their reckless and senseless actions. In New York State and most other states, it is illegal to driver under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs and to drive with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher.

Continue reading "New York Man Killed in DUI Car Accident" »

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Posted In: Automobile Accidents , Drunk Driving Accident , Personal Injury , Wrongful Death

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