New York — An apartment building superintendent was seriously injured in an elevator accident according to investigators from the New York Police Department. The accident victim was injured while working according to reports. The work injury occurred when the man tried to retrieve keys that had fallen under the elevator car. Residents of the apartment building say that the worker was injured when the elevator car suddenly moved downward and hit him, crushing the victim. The trapped man was rescued by fire department teams from the Washington Heights neighborhood of the city and then treated by paramedics for his multiple injuries. Rescuers note that the man suffered a head injury and multiple cuts and bruises. He was taken to the trauma center and admitted for further evaluation and treatment of his work accident injuries. Doctors were evaluating the worker to see if he suffered a traumatic brain injury in addition to his other injuries. Safety advocates in the city say that this elevator injury is very reminiscent of a woman who was killed due to negligent maintenance in an elevator accident just last year. Recent reports show that the same elevator repair company has another personal injury lawsuit against it due to 2010 accident that caused the victim to end up permanently disabled in a wheelchair. Public advocates warn that more needs to be done to prevent these types of negligent maintenance accidents. Find out more about the recent elevator accident here.

New York — Police in the Bronx, NY report that one man was killed in a car accident last week that was anything but an accident. Investigators explain that the pedestrian victim was run over by the car after an apparent heated argument with the driver. A second assault victim was injured when he was hit by the car. Initial reports also show that the driver of the car was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving when he crashed into the 2 men. Witnesses say this was not just a case of road rage but actually an assault on the pedestrians, possibly related to the earlier fight. In addition to the possible criminal charges against him, the car driver may also face several civil lawsuits, including a wrongful death lawsuit and personal injury case. An accident lawyer in New York City notes that a simple car accident may not necessarily be what it seems. Sometimes it is necessary to investigate further, possibly even hiring a private investigator, to determine the cause of a motor vehicle crash. An accident may truly be accidental but may also be attributed to negligence, an assault, road rage or reckless driving. This senior citizen was struck by a car while he was standing on a NYC sidewalk. To find out up-to-date information on this deadly crash read more here.

New York — A pedestrian who was walking on the Queensboro Bridge was severly injured in a bicycle accident just before the weekend. Police say that the bicycle rider struck the woman and threw her to the pavement of the roadway, causing the pedestrian victim to hit her head. Doctors explain that the victim’s head injury caused a skull fracture and several other broken bones. The accident left the woman unconscious and she was treated by paramedics and taken by ambulance to a trauma center’s emergency room. This may leave the victim with a traumatic brain injury according to neurologists. Pedestrian safety specialists in New York warn that this is far from being the first time a bicyclist has caused an accident and serious injury. Many people think of bicyclists as victims in an accident but that is not always the case. Many pedestrian versus bicycle accidents and even some car accidents are caused by negligent bicycle riders who don’t pay attention to the rules of the road. A recent article discusses the dangerous condition created by some out of control bicycle drivers who have caused pedestrian accidents and injuries in Central Park in NYC. An accident lawyer notes that just because a bicycle rider doesn’t require a driver’s license like a driver of a car or truck, does not mean they don’t need to follow the law and drive carefully. Speeding can be a problem when riding a bicycle, as is cutting off others and even road rage. A bicyclist that causes an accident with injuries or death can be held responsible for his or her actions and can face both criminal charges and a civil lawsuit. Accident victims can file an injury lawsuit against a negligent bicycle driver just as they can against a negligent car, truck or bus driver according to the New York attorney. Details about a car accident that was possibly caused by a bicyclist that cut the car off are available here.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) along with the General Electric (GE) company have jointly issued a voluntary product recall for the potentially dangerous products this past week. The faulty dishwashers have caused safety concerns as a product liability because they have been implicated in causing several dangerous fires so far. Consumers have been advised to discontinue use of the fire hazard-ridden machines until they have contacted the company to determine if their machine is part of the product recall. Due to concerns of overheating and electrical problems, consumers have also been told to disconnect the fuse or circuit breaker that runs to the dangerous machine. Safety experts say that the company is trying to prevent a hazardous condition that could lead to more house fires. Reports show that the fires caused by the dangerous condition have not yet caused personal injury. However, experts warn that personal injuries and illnesses, including burns and inhalation of smoke and poisonous fumes, can easily result from the use of the dishwashers before the faulty parts are fixed or replaced. Victims of a fire or injury caused by a dangerous dishwasher should first seek emergency medical help and have the right to contact a personal injury lawyer for advice on their full rights. The dangerous dishwashers were sold under the GE or Hotpoint brand names. Pictures and model numbers of the affected dishwashers that have been recalled can be found here.

New York — For many years, the New York Police Department (NYPD) has had a policy that effectively neglects to investigate most car accidents, even when an accident victim is injured. The policy says that the police only investigate a car crash if it caused a serious injury. However, the discussion about what is considered a serious injury is a major point of contention. The NYC police department bases their definition of a serious car accident injury as when the accident causes a wrongful death or the injuries will likely lead to the victim’s death. A top personal injury attorney in New York says that this policy neglects the importance of many injuries caused by an accident that can leave the victim debilitated, disabled or even requiring emergency surgery. They point out that this is another reason why accident victims often choose to seek the help of an experienced lawyer. Advocates warn that the policy prevents injured victims from finding out if the driver who caused the motor vehicle accident was negligent. It can also halt efforts to revoke or suspend driver’s licenses from dangerous drivers that are likely to cause another injury or even kill someone in the future. Accident lawyers in the city explain that the rights of victims are being trampled on because the police department refuses to properly investigate more accidents. They note that this factor may actually leave the City of New York and the NYPD responsible for not preventing future accidents and injuries, leaving them open to a law suit. For example, this taxi cab accident in Harlem, New York left a bicyclist seriously injured but previous accidents that may have involved the cab driver were not necessarily investigated fully. Safety experts wonder if that bicycle accident could have been prevented by more fully investigating other taxi crashes or other accidents with that driver. City council members have been arguing the issue and many hope to compel the NYPD to properly investigate more accidents, especially those involving injuries. Find out more about the police department’s accident investigation policy here.

New York — Prosecutors in Suffolk county Long Island have charged the driver involved in a possible DWI car crash with vehicular homicide. Investigators believe the apparently negligent driver was drinking alcohol before driving and this caused the car accident. The man’s car crashed off the highway and hit the side of a building. The accident caused multiple injuries for 2 of the occupants but the third passenger, a 10-month-old baby, died of her accident injuries last week. Reports show that the woman accident victim was pregnant during the car crash and the baby was born after the accident. It is unclear if the newborn baby suffered any injuries due to the crash. Doctors explain that the baby could have suffered internal injuries such as brain damage, internal lacerations, organ damage or other ill effects. Drunk driving accidents that cause injuries or wrongful death can lead to both criminal and civil charges and lawsuits. A top personal injury lawyer in New York City explains that the city or state may file criminal charges against a drunk driver but an accident lawyer is needed to file a lawsuit for injuries from an accident. Another motor vehicle accident on Long Island also killed one of the victims according to Nassau County, NY police. However, two other victims of the accident were injured. Police investigators report that the car accident occurred when the driver of one of the cars was driving on the wrong side of the road. The front end collision occurred at a high rate of speed, as the crash occurred on a major New York highway. Read up on more details of the head-on collision here.

New York — Witnesses of the car accident report that the driver was driving recklessly and ran through red traffic lights before crashing. Reports show that the reckless driver was speeding and ran through 2 red lights just after 3:00 in the morning. The SUV crashed into a set of concrete pillars and then rolled over, ejecting some of the passengers. Investigators note that there were 8 passengers in the vehicle even though the SUV was only equipped with 7 seats and seatbelts. Apparently, several of the passengers in the car were not wearing seatbelts at the time of the SUV accident. Three adult accident victims and 2 children were all killed in the car crash according to officials. The female driver who caused the accident, another adult male passenger and a child victim were all injured in the accident and taken to Jamaica Hospital in Queens, New York. Police were continuing their investigation into the cause of the motor vehicle accident and have not ruled out drunk driving or driving while under the influence of drugs. A top New York accident lawyer explained that the driver may have acted in a negligent manner and can be liable for the personal injuries and wrongful deaths that she has caused. Find out more about this fatal rollover accident with injuries here.

New York — A 59-year-old pedestrian was struck and killed in a serious car crash this past week. The accident victim was walking near the road and was hit by the car but the apparent negligent driver didn’t stop to check on her or call 911. The driver of the car drove off and then abandoned his car not far from the accident scene. Police identified the pedestrian victim as a local nun that lived and served in Long Island, New York. Officials report that they identified the hit-and-run driver shortly after the pedestrian accident but they continue to search for him. Investigators were unsure if the suspect was a drunk driver or if there were any other known causes of the motor vehicle accident. Reports show that an unrelated hit-and-run car accident in the Bronx, New York was caused by a driver who was smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol last week. In that accident the driver hit and injured two men who were pedestrians. One of those injured pedestrians died of his accident injuries. The intoxicated driver from that second accident was arrested. Check out this article for more information on the search for the missing driver from the Long Island pedestrian fatality.

New York — Police report an SUV truck was involved in a head-on collision this morning. The two vehicle car accident occurred when the driver of the SUV drove the wrong way on a thruway of upstate New York. The SUV was driven by a senior citizen and hit the other car, killing three accident victims in the car. The drivers of both vehicles were rushed to the emergency room of a nearby hospital. They have both suffered serious injuries from the SUV accident and are continuing to undergo treatment in the hospital. New York State police note that another head-on accident collision occurred this week as well. In that unrelated motor vehicle accident a motorcyclist from the Bronx hit a van head-on and was killed. The motorcycle accident left the one victim dead but also injured several passengers in the minivan. Officials report that the victims in the car were wearing seatbelts and that factor probably saved them from more serious trauma. Trauma specialists say that head-on collision accidents can be very serious, causing severe injuries and death. Drivers that cause this type of accident may be liable for the personal injuries they have caused according to an accident attorney. More details about the recent SUV accident are available here.

New York — Officials are still investigating a recent construction accident at the World Trade Center work site this past week. The injured worker apparently slipped and fell while working and was impaled on a sharp piece of metal. The work injury left the victim suffering with broken bones and internal injuries. Investigators are checking to see if the job site was properly secured according to the required safety codes. Work safety advocates explain that safety rules and regulations at construction sites are set in place in order to prevent an accident due to negligence. An otherwise hazardous condition can be averted if employers and contractors follow basic safety precautions. These precautions may require safety gates or fences near high risk fall zones, hardhat helmets for workers at risk of a head injury or trauma, and special training for workers at risk for back injuries and spinal trauma. A top accident lawyer in New York points out that the same construction site was the location of another work accident the next day, when a large metal beam was blown by heavy winds into a window. Some worry that the construction company may not have taken proper safety precautions in that case, such as proper support ropes to keep the girder stable in the wind. Read up more on these construction site accidents and injury here.