New York Injury Talk Blog

A New York woman was killed recently when the elevator in her Midtown office building began rising as she stepped into it, and two other people were left injured and psychologically traumatized by the accident, according to a recent news report on MSNBC.

The elevator had stopped to pick up the 41-year-old woman, who worked in an advertising agency in the 90-year-old building. As she stepped onto it, however, it suddenly began moving, without the doors closing. The woman was trapped between the elevator and the wall of the shaft. Rescue workers rushed to the scene but were unable to save the woman’s life.

Two other people who worked in the building were already on the elevator as the woman stepped on. They saw the accident occur but were unable to stop it or to save the woman, according to investigators. A technical fault in the elevator’s wiring has been blamed for the accident, but the defective equipment investigation is still ongoing.

The elevator has been placed out of service in the meantime, but the building’s 10 other elevators are available for use. The elevator involved in the accident was temporarily taken out of service due to a safety problem in 2003, but that problem was corrected and the elevator had operated properly since, according to building personnel.

Modern society relies on all kinds of machinery, equipment, and programming to work correctly so that we can travel, work, and live safely. When something goes wrong, however, serious injuries can result. If you or someone you love has been injured by a defective product or equipment, please don’t hesitate to call the experienced New York elevator accident attorneys at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro. Our number is (212) 222-4336, and your initial consultation is free and confidential.

A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that drivers who used their cell phones while driving were four times more likely to cause a crash that sent at least one person to the hospital than drivers who did not use cell phones while driving.

The study followed 456 drivers ages 17 or older in West Perth, Australia who had also been to the hospital emergency room for treatment following a car crash. The researchers interviewed each of the crash victims and also looked at their cell phone records, examining when and how often these drivers had used their cell phones in the weeks leading up to the crash that injured them.

After analyzing the data, researchers concluded that the risk of having a crash while distracted by cell phone use increased fourfold over the risk of having a crash while not on a cell phone. The increase in the risk did not change when the driver was using a hands-free device. The researchers also found that, at any given time of day, approximately five percent of drivers were using cell phones, but that they caused considerably more than five percent of the accidents that sent at least one person to the hospital.

Distracted driving takes a driver’s eyes and mind off the road and his hands off the wheel, which increases the chance that the driver will not see or respond to a hazard in time to prevent a crash. At Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro, our experienced New York car accident attorneys are dedicated to helping injured people get the compensation they need after a crash. If you or someone you love has been injured, call us today at (212) 222-4336 for a free consultation.

Whether it's a quiet office building or a bustling construction site, a New York workplace has to meet stringent state and federal rules for worker safety. These rules cover everything from proper uses of equipment to what workers should wear to protect themselves from injury and employers are usually responsible for making sure a workplace meets safety standards. In order to lower healthcare costs and protect employee safety, however, some employers are looking into off-the-job safety training as well.

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), off-the-job safety programs are designed to help employees understand the major risks of injury that occur in their lives when they are not at work. Off-the-job safety programs are usually provided at work, but focus on accidents that occur at home, when out with family or friends, or when commuting.

Statistically speaking, workers are safer in the workplace than out of it, according to the NSC. Ninety percent of deaths and over 75 percent of injuries occur when workers are somewhere other than their jobs. Poisoning, falls, suffocation, and drowning are the most common causes of off-the-job injuries. Off-the-job safety programs focus on these accidents and their most common triggers, helping workers to stay safe in their daily lives and keep them healthy and ready for work.

Workplace injuries can cause more than just pain and suffering, as well as multiple trips to the doctor. They can also result in lost wages or even an inability to keep doing the work you did before. If you or someone you love has been injured while on the job in New York, the experienced Manhattan workplace accident lawyers at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro can help. For a free and confidential consultation, call us today at (212) 222-4336.

The winter holidays mean friends, fun, gifts, and decorations. According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), however, decorations and wrapping paper can increase a household's risk of fire. To keep your family safer over the holidays, consider the following fire safety tips.

Inspect your lights. Many people put up lights indoors and outdoors at this time of year. Before hanging any lights, look them over carefully for frayed or exposed wires, broken bulb sockets, damaged or dead bulbs, and any other wear. If you see any damage to the lights, dispose of them instead of hanging them up.

Use flame-retardant decorations. Check holiday decorations and their packaging to see whether the decorations are fire-resistant. Avoid using decorations that are not specifically marked “flame-retardant” or “fire-resistant.” Artificial Christmas trees should also be marked if they are flame-resistant.

Dispose of wrapping paper safely. Wrapping paper, bows, and boxes should never go in a fireplace or wood stove. Throw out used gift wrappings in the trash instead.

Supervise open flames and other heat sources at all times. Fireplaces, candles, space heaters, and ovens fired up for holiday cooking can all cause a fire if something flammable gets too close to the flame or heat source. Never leave a burning fireplace, candle, operating space heater, or oven unattended. Do not allow children to play with open flames or heat sources.

The holidays are a great time to relax and enjoy the company of family and friends. At Wingate, Russotti, & Shapiro, our experienced New York burn injury attorneys are dedicated to helping injured people and their families get the compensation they need to pay medical bills and other expenses on the road to recovery. To discuss your case with us, call (212) 222-4336 for a free consultation.

As every New Yorker knows, winter driving presents a whole list of challenges that don't occur during the summer. Snow, ice, freezing rain, and other inclement weather can turn an ordinary commute into a skating rink – only without the fun. To help protect you and your loved ones while you're traveling this holiday season, consider the following safe winter driving tips.

Give your vehicle a safety once-over. Have your vehicle tuned up, including fixing any needed alignment, tire rotation, or new tires. A car that's in top shape will respond best in a sudden emergency.

Clean your car thoroughly. When you're in a hurry and it's cold outside, it's tempting just to clear enough snow and ice from your car so you can see.

But that snow and ice you leave on the car can prevent other drivers from seeing you. Make sure all your lights are visible, and clear extra snow from the top of your vehicle so that it doesn't fly into the windshields of other drivers.

Buckle up. Seat belts are an easy way to reduce your risk of death or serious injury in an accident. Always buckle up and require your passengers to do the same.

Slow down. Driving more slowly in winter weather gives you more time to stop, swerve, or respond to other emergency situations – without becoming an emergency yourself. Give yourself more time to start, stop, change lanes, and make turns.

Car accidents can cause serious injuries. If you or someone you love is injured in a crash this winter, please don't hesitate to call the knowledgeable New York City car accident injury attorneys at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro. For a free and confidential case evaluation, call our office today at (212) 222-4336.

In soccer, players may not use their hands or arms to control the ball. Any other part of the body is fair game – including the head. Now, however, parents of soccer players might want to think twice before encouraging kids to try a “header” and hit the ball with their heads. A new study reveals that repeated blows to the head from a soccer ball “header” can cause serious, lifelong brain injuries.

The study examined the brains of 32 adult amateur soccer players, some of whom “headed” the soccer ball over 1,000 times each season. The results showed that the more times players hit the ball with their heads, the more damage they showed to areas of the brain responsible for attention, memory, and high-level visual functions – skills needed to do basic everyday tasks like drive a car or work with tools, as well as skills required to succeed in school and in challenging intellectual careers.

The researchers compared the damage found in the soccer players' brain scans to scans of people who suffered traumatic brain injuries in auto accidents. They found several similarities between the two. While more research is required to understand how these injuries affect a person over an entire lifespan, researchers warn that children should especially be encouraged to avoid “headers.” Damage to a growing brain may be permanent.

Sports accidents, slip and falls, auto accidents, and many other situations can cause permanent traumatic brain injuries that can alter the course of a young person's life. If you or someone you love has suffered a serious head injury, the experienced New York brain injury attorneys at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro can help. For a free consultation, call us today at (212) 222-4336.

General Motors, makers of the Chevrolet Volt, recently stated that the company would buy back the electric hybrid vehicles from owners if they were concerned with safety after recent fire-related incidents, according to an article in The New York Times. The buyback is unusual, but not unheard-of, especially when a new type of vehicle or a serious possible defect is involved, according to a spokesperson for the automotive giant.

In testing, the Chevy Volt’s battery pack has caused or contributed to a fire after an auto accident in at least two different situations, leading the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to launch an investigation into possible defects. In one crash, the battery pack was damaged but the damage wasn’t noticeable until three weeks later, when the battery pack caught fire. In another, the battery pack emitted sparks immediately after the crash, which could set other vehicle components or even the car’s fuel tank on fire. Vehicle fires have been known to cause serious injuries and even death in crashes where the car’s occupants might otherwise have survived.

Car accidents aren’t always caused by poor driving. Sometimes, a defective vehicle part may be to blame. A defective part might also cause additional injuries, even serious ones, in what would otherwise have been a minor crash. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, the experienced New York auto product liability attorneys at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro can help you find out what happened and hold any negligent parties accountable for their actions. For more information, call us today at (212) 222-4336.

A 90-year-old Brooklyn man was recently injured in a hit and run accident when a box truck struck him in a Metropolitan Avenue crosswalk, then fled the scene. Thanks to the help of a Good Samaritan, however, police believe they have caught the driver who hit the elderly man.

The box truck that sped away from the scene after the pedestrian was injured did not go very far. According to police, another driver followed the box truck through traffic and called 911, explaining that he had seen the truck’s driver hit a pedestrian, then leave the scene. Police were able to track down the box truck and the driver who had followed it fairly quickly. The man driving the truck, a 47-year-old Brooklyn man, may now face charges of drunk driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

The man who was hit by the truck was rushed to a local hospital with serious injuries. No report has been released yet on his condition. Police are still investigating the Brooklyn truck accident, which includes talking to neighbors that also saw the hit-and-run happen and trying to determine where the pedestrian was standing or walking when the truck hit him. They are still not sure whether or not the pedestrian was in the crosswalk when the hit-and-run occurred.

Pedestrian accidents can cause serious injuries, especially when a heavy vehicle hits an unprotected person. If you or someone you love has been injured in a pedestrian accident, contact the experienced New York pedestrian accident attorneys at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro. Our number is (212) 222-4336, and your call is free and confidential.