Category Archives:News

Welcome to the news from the New York Injury Lawyer blog. Here we present interesting and relevant news stories involving our areas of specialty, including personal injuries, slip and falls, medical malpractice and brain injury claims. Have an interesting injury story? Tell us.
April 29, 2021 News
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Medical malpractice investigation raises concern about medical board inaction

Concerns have come to light about state medical boards avoiding discipline of doctors who have significant medical malpractice claims against them. Examples have been shown where physicians have even been suspended from hospitals but no report or actions took place within the medical board. Accusations have been made that these oversight boards have avoided taking actions against the medical license of these healthcare practitioners despite serious public safety concerns. Some have noted that these medical boards are most comprised of and controlled by other doctors. Public health activists say that patient safety must be the primary concern. They warn that inaction by the oversight committees and boards may be an issue of negligence that can lead to significant consequences. A doctor who is under investigation for medical negligence or hospital error can go on to commit more mistakes if nothing is done to correct the problem. Safety advocates believe that it is the duty of the boards to inquire as to the seriousness of accusations and potential for future hard. Based on this initial inquiry they can take action to prevent further harm or doctor mistake while a more comprehensive investigation is undertaken. Some instances require retraining of doctors and staff to avoid delayed diagnosis, surgical mistakes and even a wrong diagnosis. Avoidance of taking real action against a potentially negligent doctor can be due to doctors wanting to protect their own, according to some commentators. However, this may lead to a dangerous situation and lack of public trust in the system meant to protect them from medical negligence. You can find out more about this medical malpractice investigation here.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Artur Bergman [License]

April 21, 2021 News
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Tesla car crash raises safety concerns with autopilot and electric car battery fires

The horrific fatal Tesla car accident has many public safety specialists quite concerned. The car collision killed two men who were both passengers in the vehicle at the time. Both men were sitting in passenger seats at the time of the fatal accident. The most obvious concern is with regards to the autopilot function that the Tesla car comes equipped with. The company insists that the autopilot function does not mean that the car can fully driver itself. Rather, the driver must actively monitor and maintain control of the vehicle. However, this is certainly not the first Tesla accident that has been blamed on the autopilot and the manufacturer is well aware of this dangerous situation. Some have questioned the sales tactics and safety claims made by the Tesla company. Road safety and consumer advocates say that the car manufacturer is shirking its responsibility by creating a hazardous condition but then just telling drivers that it’s their responsibility to maintain control over the vehicle. The company’s clear message has been that their car is safe and that the autopilot program is accurate and can prevent collisions.

Another major safety concern that has come to light in this Tesla electric vehicle accident is that of an uncontrollable car fire. The world of the electric car has grown faster than safety agencies believe is safe. They have expressed concerns regarding the dangerous car battery fires that have reignited after being put out by firefighters. The fact that quite a few car battery fires were caused by a car accident and were then more difficult to extinguish than a traditional gas-fueled vehicle has raised concerns. These car battery accidents have been well documented to cause internal damage that can lead to a fire hazard. The training and experience of firefighters have not been sufficient to prevent dangerous spread of a fire. In addition, some feel that car and battery manufacturers have ignored the safety hazard and have not provided sufficient training and advice on the matter. You can read more about the safety concerns surrounding electric vehicles here.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Chris Yarzab [License]

March 30, 2021 News
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Elevator accident kills assistant superintendent in Brooklyn

New York – An assistant superintendent building worker was crushed to death after being dragged into some moving elevator equipment. The elevator accident occurred after the maintenance worker was attempting to retrieve something that had fallen down into the elevator shaft. He was caught by the elevator cables as they moved along the elevator car above. Building safety specialists say that safety protocols and mechanisms should have been in place to prevent such a work accident. Some workplace safety advocates have asked why the elevator maintenance room was not properly secured with guards in place to prevent a person from getting caught up in the ropes, gears and motor. In addition, concern has arisen as to whether or not negligent maintenance or even faulty manufacturing could have contributed to such a fatal accident. Heavy machinery such as elevators require constant proper maintenance and inspections. Work accidents are a big concern for union leaders and work safety personnel. A worker’s comp injury can come about from all sorts of dangerous conditions found in the average workplace according to specialists. This can range from a car accident, to a slip and fall accident or even falling debris that can cause a head injury, internal bleeding or broken bone. An accident with injuries can easily lead to a permanent disability, sick leave and even wrongful death. You can find more details about this work accident in this article.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Jeremy Noble [License]

March 18, 2021 News
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FDNY fire truck involved in child pedestrian accident with serious injuries

New York – Fire Department of New York (FDNY) officials reported that one of their firefighters was driving a fire truck when it struck and injured a 7-year-old boy. The fire truck accident occurred when the firefighter was driving the truck back to the station house and hit the boy as he was walking. It is believed that the injured pedestrian was crossing the street when he was hit by the vehicle. The young accident victim was treated on the scene and then rushed to the hospital in critical condition. The specific nature of the child’s injuries were not fully clear but specialists believe that he suffered a possible head injury and may have internal bleeding. The collision occurred in Staten island and police as well as fire officials have been investigation the details surrounding to this serious accident with injuries. In the meantime, hospital officials say that they will need to continue fighting to save the life of this wounded child. Check out this article for further details about this fire truck crash.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Edwin Martinez [License]

March 01, 2021 News
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Bicyclist hit by a car in serious New York City car accident

New York – A bicycle accident sent the injured bicyclist to the hospital with severe and life threatening injuries. The car crash occurred on the busy streets of lower Manhattan when a car crashed into a bicycle delivery worker. The pizza deliveryman was thrown after the bicycle slammed into the windshield of the car and then hit the ground. The injured worker cyclist reportedly suffered a head injury with possible traumatic brain injury (TBI). The head injury will require extensive evaluations to determine if there’s any intracranial hemorrhaging or bleeding. A TBI is a type of brain damage that can be mild, moderate, severe or even life threatening in severity. Evaluation includes neurological and cognitive testing and often includes a cat scan (CT scan) of the brain and possibly magnetic resonance imaging (an MRI scan) to look for bleeding, hematoma and other signs of trauma. More serious cases of non-fatal TBI head injuries can leave an injury victim permanently disabled and unable to work or function. Cognitive disabilities from even more mild concussions that cause a post-concussive disorder (PCD) or syndrome can leave people with memory difficulty, emotional and personality changes as well as severe headaches, dizziness and visual disturbances. Some PCD symptoms and injuries require in depth evaluations by a neurologist, neuropsychologist and therapists. You can find out more about this worker’s injury during this bicycle crash here.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: fsiddi [License]

February 17, 2021 News
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Multiple winter-related accidents and injuries reported in New York

New York – Winter snow, ice and rain have made for dangerous conditions on roads as well as public and private properties. There have been many reported car accidents, slip and fall injuries and even sledding accidents in a public NYC park due to the weather. It should be noted that homeowners and business owners alike have a responsibility to keep their walkways, sidewalks and parking lots in good repair and cleared of snow and ice. This often includes the need to spread salt in order to prevent a slip and fall accident. Public safety advocates also say that winter potholes and damage to sidewalks or parking lots must be repaired to prevent trip and fall accidents too. Negligent maintenance can sometimes include untimely repairs or neglecting to shovel snow and ice in a reasonable manner. You can see this article for more about the recent rash of winter accidents in the area.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: anokarina [License]

February 02, 2021 News, Uncategorized
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Injured accident victims when a jeep crashes into a storefront

New York – A bagel store in Westchester was the scene of a surprising car crash that left at least three injury victims. The driver of a jeep was apparently leaving the parking lot, having been parked in a spot directly in front of the restaurant in New Rochelle, NY. It is believed that the driver became confused when he put the car into drive instead of reverse and then pressed the gas. This caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle and slam into the storefront and hit several pedestrian workers in the store. It ripped apart the entire front of the store when the vehicle jumped the curb and drove through the front glass wall. The pedestrian accident left the workers injured and in need of emergency evaluation for unclear wounds. The injured workers were not the only ones who suffered wounds during the motor vehicle accident (MVA), as the driver of the vehicle also suffered accident injuries. The injured workers will likely be treated using their worker’s compensation insurance, also referred to as worker’s comp. However, in certain circumstances such a car collision at work is treated using the car insurance policy. See this article for further information about this MVA.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: fredsharples [License]

January 21, 2021 News
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Bronx bus crashes and falls from overpass

New York – A Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) bus crashed off the side of a highway overpass after it jumped the curb and fell over the side of the roadway. Police and federal transit investigators are still evaluating the bus accident but some are expressing significant concern regarding the cause of the collision. What is currently known about the bus collision is that the driver was making a turn on a highway ramp while driving an extended accordion bus. While navigating the turn, possibly faster than should be attempted safely by such a long and heavy vehicle, the bus lost control and hit a low metal fence that served as a guard rail on the ramp. The speed and force of the crash caused the bus to break through the guard rail and begin a steep fall to the roadway below. Interestingly, the rear section of the bus remained on the road above while the front section fell nose first to the road below. Images from the scene show the remarkable stop that the bus made just before completely crashing onto the highway below. However, the bus driver and multiple passengers inside the commuter bus suffered extensive accident injuries. The driver reportedly suffered facial injuries and possible head injury in addition to neck and back pain. Passengers were noted to have suffered both initial crash injuries as well as fall injury wounds after they were thrown from their seats and fell to the ground or floor. All of the accident victims were rushed to the emergency department of nearby hospitals for treatment. Common and expected injuries from this type of accident include traumatic brain injury (TBI) spinal injuries, broken bones or fractures, internal bleeding as well as others.

MTA investigators, police, fire and federal officials were then tasked with determining the cause of the accident. Reports show that the driver passed an alcohol and possibly drug test after the horrific motor vehicle accident (MVA). However, questions have arisen about the speed of the bus and whether or not speeding was a factor in the collision. It has been pointed out that the bus may have been travelling within the posted speed limit for that section of road. However, the extended length, height and weight of the bus require a slower and more cautious speed in order to safely execute such a turn. Further investigation is underway to determine whether or not due caution was exercised by the driver in addition to examination of the mechanical functioning of the commercial vehicle. You can read more and see video of the bus crash scene here.

Image for illustrative purposes only. Video capture credit: Skyler Fire

December 28, 2020 News
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Manhattan car accident injured police officer in Smart Car

New York – An NYPD officer suffered neck and back injuries due to a car crash in a city park. The car collision occurred in Washington Square Park when a reckless driver slammed into the concrete barriers that were placed there to protect pedestrians in the park. Police report that the driver of the car lost control for an unknown reason and hit the bollards. His vehicle then slammed into a parked NYPD Smart Car injuring the officer. The cop will require additional evaluation and treatment for his spinal injury. Doctors explain that this kind of accident injury can cause permanent disability with broken bones or fractures, herniated disc or even spinal cord or other nerve damage. The initial investigation has raised suspicion that the cause of this police car accident was a drunk driver of the other vehicle. Bystander reports show that the man jumped the curb and slammed into an area where vehicles are forbidden from driving. In fact, the location had concrete traffic barriers placed for the very purpose of preventing another deadly pedestrian accident as occurred in that park years ago. See this article for more about this accident with injuries.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Thomas Altfather Good [License]

December 21, 2020 News
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New York City a dangerous place for bicyclists

New York – Bicycle accidents are a known hazard for bikers, pedestrians and motorists alike. Unfortunately, bike crash incidents occur all of the time on the busy city streets, causing serious accident injuries and even wrongful deaths. Public safety advocates say that the city, police and many drivers share negligent responsibility for these accidents. They believe that the proper steps to secure the roads are not taken despite the known hazardous condition created for innocent bicycle riders that also need to share the roads. This is how many get to work, do deliveries, make their way to shopping and overall just get around. Activists contend that department of transportation officials must do a proper job of designing safe streets, maintain roads and parking zones according to basic safety standards and must identify and repair known danger zones. Negligent maintenance is an obvious safety hazard that should be addressed by city officials. In addition, NYPD police officers have a responsibility to actively make the streets safer by stopping and ticketing or towing dangerous drivers and keeping bicycle lanes open and clear of illegally parked cars and trucks. This can prevent bike versus car accidents. The sanitation department also shares responsibility to maintain clean and safe streets and bike lanes without dangerous debris that can lead to a collision or injury. This article shares more about the dangers and difficulties that often lead to bicycle and pedestrian accidents.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Nicanor Arenas Bermejo [License]