New York Injury Talk Blog

The U.S. government is proposing to fine Toyota Motor Corporation $16.4 million for improperly handling auto product defects involving faulty gas pedals, floor mats and brakes. So far, millions of vehicles have been recalled and nearly 100 deaths have been attributed to defects which caused sudden and unintended acceleration in several models of Toyota vehicles. The Washington Post reports the sanction would be the largest financial penalty ever placed on an auto manufacturer by the U.S. government. An even more significant issue for Toyota would be a potential civil class action suit representing the 6 million car owners whose vehicles have already been recalled.

So far, several internal documents and memos obtained by media outlets and the government have shown that Toyota knew about these serious products, but did nothing to fix them. On the other hand, the Japanese auto maker went to great lengths to make sure that no one found out about these defects. These defective autos have caused catastrophic injuries and deaths. No amount of money can bring back the deceased victims or give injured victims their life back.

If you have been injured due to Toyota sudden acceleration issues or brake defects, please contact a reputed New York City defective auto attorney with experience and a successful track record handling product liability cases against large auto makers. You may be able to seek compensation to cover your injuries, damages and losses. Please call Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro LLP at 212-986-7353 to determine whether you have a product liability claim.

A teenager from Deerfield, NY was found at fault in a two-car crash. The teen made a left hand turn and hit another vehicle at the intersection of Crookedbrook and Trenton roads, according to a WKTV news report. The driver had minor injuries and two passengers in the other vehicle were treated at a local hospital.

The teen driver was cited for failing to yield right-of-way. With over 300,000 auto accidents in New York each year, it’s important to know the laws relating to these cases and your legal rights. Under New York law, a driver intending to take a left hand turn must yield the right-of-way to any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction. Even if the two drivers pulled up to the intersection at the same time, since the teen driver was turning left, he was supposed to yield to the other driver.

Continue reading "Teen Cited in Deerfield Two-Car Crash" »

A 63-year-old woman was hit and killed by a Metro-North Train in Norwalk Connecticut. According to a 1010wins.com recent news report, investigators are still looking into the exact cause of the incident. The woman was immediately north of the South Norwalk station when she was hit.

Trains can be a safe and efficient way to travel, but accidents do happen from time to time. According to the Federal Railroad Administration Office of Safety Analysis, there were 10,529 incidents in 2009 involving 713 total fatalities. Some of these incidents include personal injuries where a driver or pedestrian are at fault, while others may be the result of negligent operation of the train resulting in personal injury or fatality.

One recent example of this was when a Chatsworth Metrolink crash lead to the death of 25 passengers and many more injured in the Los Angeles area. In this particular instance, it is believed that the engineer was text messaging while driving the train. Rightly so, those involved filed personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits against Metrolink. Whether you have been involved in a similar large scale commuter train crash or you are a pedestrian who has been struck by a train, you have legal rights if you have been injured as a result of someone else's negligence. You could seek compensation for your injuries, damages and losses.

If you or someone you know has been injured or killed in a train, bus or vehicle collision as a result of someone else's negligence, please call the skilled New York train accident injury attorneys at Wingate, Russotti and Shapiro LLP to schedule your free consultation. We will fight for your rights, conduct an independent investigation and make sure that the negligent parties are held accountable for their actions.

A jury awarded two victims of a New York bus accident more than $7 million in damages for injuries they sustained. According to a news report from 1010wins.com, the accident occurred in July 2005 when a Transit Authority bus struck the vehicle carrying the women who were traveling on Ocean Parkway Service Road at Avenue U in Brooklyn. The women said the bus driver ran a red light; however, the bus driver claimed that the female driver ran a stop sign and failed to yield right-of-way.

Apparently, the jurors took the victims' side and held the MTA liable for the injury collision. One of the women sustained punctured lungs and six fractures. She was awarded $7.2 million. The second woman was less injured and was therefore awarded $250,000. The total settlement could have been as low as $3 million had the MTA chosen to settle instead of going to trial. The two women decided to take the case to trial and to prove their case.

Under New York law, the driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection is required to yield the right-of-way to a vehicle which has entered the intersection. Failure to yield right-of-way can lead to serious collisions and personal injuries. There are nearly 200,000 accidents in New York involving two or more vehicles in New York State each year.

If you or a loved one has been in an auto accident, contact the experienced NY injury lawyers at Wingate, Russotti and Shapiro LLP. We will provide you with a free comprehensive evaluation of your case. Our attorneys will fight for your legal rights and make sure you receive the compensation you deserve.

A 17-year-old boy working at a New York City doughnut shop suffered fatal injuries after falling into an open cesspool as he was taking out the garbage. According to a news report, police pulled the teen from the cesspool and took him to the hospital. He was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.

Cesspools are where waste from sinks and toilets are collected. They are normally covered by a manhole. In this incident, however, there was no cover. There is no word yet as to why the manhole cover was missing, and who is to blame for this tragic death of a teenager. Sadly, cesspool deaths are not a rare occurrence in Long Island. Back in 2001 a man died in his backyard in Huntington when a cesspool caved in under him. In 2006, a 76-year-old woman fell into a 10-foot deep cesspool in her front yard. In June 2007, a man died in Deer Park while driving a lawn mower after he fell into a cesspool.

In cases where injuries or fatalities occur on the job, employees or family members of an employee are provided New York workers’ compensation benefits. However, in addition to claiming these benefits, victims or their families can also file a personal injury or wrongful death claim against the negligent party who is directly responsible for the injuries or death. This, in many cases, could be an entity other than the employer, such as the city, or those in charge of maintaining roadways.

Continue reading "Teen Worker in Long Island Fatally Injured after Fall into Cesspool" »

An off-duty police officer in New Jersey was sentenced to 10 years in prison with the possibility of parole in three and a half years, for striking and killing a pedestrian who was crossing a street in Lower Manhattan. According to a news report, the woman died at the scene and her boyfriend was critically injured. The driver was reportedly driving double the speed limit and authorities have stated that he was under the influence at the time.

Of the approximate 9,000 car crashes in New York that occurred in 2008 and involved alcohol, 355 were fatal accidents. Of those 355 fatal accidents, 77 involved pedestrians. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs puts your life and others at great risk. Unfortunately, drunk driving in New York is a common cause of fatality and injury. Clearly the life of the abovementioned victim’s family will never be the same. Drunk driving is a no-win situation for everyone concerned, as seen in this particular case.

Continue reading "Fatal New York DUI Accident: Police Officer Sentenced" »

If you own a Toyota Camry model dated before 2007, your car was probably not included in the recent massive Toyota vehicle defect recall. However, new studies show that these older Camry models have been linked to speed control and sudden acceleration problems as well. Since 2000, there have been more complaints about sudden or unintended acceleration in Toyotas than any other make of vehicles. In fact, one out of every 20,454 Toyota vehicles since 2000 has been involved in a speed-control crash. Yet, Toyota only recalled cars made after 2007.

Toyota claims that they looked into all issues involving 2007 Camrys and earlier models, and that they have cleared all inspections. They say there is nothing to suggest that those vehicles should be included in the recall. Despite this claim, federal auto safety officials are expanding their investigation to pre-2007 Camrys. Of the 125 crashes reported in 2004 linked to speed control, 80 involved Camrys. Is that a rather high percentage to just be coincidence? That seems to be the question investigators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) seem to be asking as well.

Continue reading "Are You Safe in Your Toyota Camry?" »

A sanitation worker in Queens suffered fatal job injuries in Astoria when he was struck by a tractor trailer. The 41-year-old man, who was an 11-year veteran of the Department of Sanitation of New York, had just collected trash near the intersection of Ditmars Boulevard and 35th Street when the truck hit and killed him, according to a news report in the Queens Courier. The worker was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. It is not clear what caused the truck to strike the worker.

This is no doubt a tragic accident. However, in vehicular accidents that are caused by someone else's negligence, an injured victim or a deceased victim's family could file a personal injury claim or wrongful death claim against the at-fault party. When a person is fatally injured on-the-job, his family will be entitled to New York workers compensation benefits. However, in cases where a third party is involved, the family can also file a claim against that negligent party.

Continue reading "Fatal Accident Claims the Life of New York City Sanitation Worker" »

A 37-year-old man was killed in a New York auto accident after a 28-year-old man rear-ended his vehicle at high speed on a Queens highway. The driver, who officials said was under the influence, sped his black PT Cruiser past traffic on Grand Central Parkway in Hillcrest and plowed through four cars, according to a news report in the New York Daily News. The car that he struck - a 1996 Volvo - exploded and burst into flames. The victim was burned beyond recognition. Three people in the other cars that were hit were not injured. The allegedly impaired driver was charged with driving while intoxicated and vehicular manslaughter.

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a serious criminal violation in the state of New York. It is illegal to operate a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher. If the act of driving while intoxicated fatally injures a person other than the drunk driver, he or she could be charged with vehicular manslaughter. Under New York law, a person is guilty of vehicular manslaughter in the second degree if he or she causes the death of another person while driving under the influence (Section 125.12). A person is guilty of vehicular manslaughter in the first degree if he or she has a BAC of 0.18 or higher, is driving under a suspended or revoked license, has a prior DUI conviction or causes the death of more than one person.

Continue reading "Fatal New York Auto Accident Caused by Drunk Driver" »