Author Archives: Morrison Wagner

Dangerous off-ramp from the Queensboro Bridge near Long Island City, New York

New York — Police report that there were 2 serious car accidents less than a week and a half apart from each other on an off-ramp from the Queensboro Bridge near Long Island City, New York. Investigators say that there were many similarities between the car accidents and some wonder why. Officials from the department of transportation explain that the road and intersection were just recently redesigned. Investigators do not think the redesigning of the intersection is what caused the accident but some public advocates say that more should have been done during the redesign to make the road safer. Advocates explain that road engineers and the department of transportation have duty to the public to build and maintain safe roads. Improper road design and improper maintenance are just some possible causes of accidents. In these 2 accidents officials say that speed may have caused them. It is unclear if negligent maintenance played a roll though. One pedestrian was struck and killed during one of the car accidents. During both car crashes the drivers suffered amputations of an arm and female passengers in the cars were seriously injured. The vehicles struck a store near the road and this has store owners worried. They say that the city should provide better safety not just to drivers and pedestrians but also to building owners nearby. You can catch more details about these 2 car accidents here.

Subway train accident injures man in New York City

New York — An 18-year-old man suffered severe injuries when he was hit by a subway train in the Union Square station of Manhattan, New York. Officials say the man may have tripped before falling and being struck during the accident. The injured young man was rushed by ambulance to Bellevue Hospital’s emergency room for treatment. Emergency personnel reported that the man was in severe condition and had been thrown unconscious during the accident. The full extent of his injuries are still being determined. Trauma specialists explain that injuries from a train accident like this can include head injury and traumatic brain injury, internal organ damage, fracture, and nerve injury. Transportation safety experts are investigating this accident with some saying that there are design flaws at the station that may have caused this injury. Public advocates say that it is necessary to design and build subway stations with citizen safety as the top priority. This may mean that the platforms need to be wider or additional warning signs should be installed to protect commuters from injury or death. A personal injury lawyer in New York points out that subway train platforms should have safety railings installed to prevent someone from falling or even jumping in front of a train or on to the tracks below. You can read more about this subway accident and injury here.

Construction accident in Staten Island, New York kills worker :: Negligent homicide case filed

New York — A construction accident killed a worker when a wall collapsed and crushed the worker two years ago. Investigators have now revealed that negligent homicide charge have been filed against 2 men they say are responsible for the accident and the worker’s death. The officials from the prosecutor’s office believe that the contractors involved did not design and build the wall in a safe manner or up to building codes. Building safety codes are created to ensure that these types of construction site accidents don’t occur. Public advocates say that contractors sometimes cut corners in order to save time, money or both when building. They explain that this type of negligence can lead to safety problems, injury and wrongful death. This is not limited to workers at a construction site but can also affect the public who walk in or around these buildings. Inspections are mandatory to check on the safety of a building even before it is completed. Investigators say that this wall was not properly inspected and this may have led to the accident. An injury lawyer in New York explained that the criminal charges may also be followed by a civil lawsuit for wrongful death. Safety experts in Staten Island say this type of accident is only one of many types of injuries that can occur at a construction site. Another worker suffered an amputation of his hand during an unrelated construction site accident in Staten Island, New York this month. Read more about the negligent charges in the wall collapse case here.

Chemicals and toxins cause hidden dangers at work

New York — Environmental experts say that workers are exposed to chemicals and toxins at work every day. This can lead to work injury or work illnesses that can go undetected for many years. Occupational medicine doctors fear that the many chemicals and substances not only create health hazards for workers but the effects of the interactions of these chemicals are not well known. Employers are required by law to provide data sheets on chemicals that a worker comes in to direct contact with. However, a workman’s compensation lawyer in New York explains that these laws do not include more subtle toxin exposures. These can include toxins and chemicals that are emitted from computer and laser printers, copiers, paint and new carpeting, to name just a few. Each profession comes with a different set of exposures and concerns, complicating treatment of a sick or injured worker. These chemical exposures can be through breathing them in or absorbing them through the skin. Some are even ingested when eating or drinking contaminated foods. Doctors who treat workers say that the symptoms a worker may suffer from include headaches, breathing problems, chest tightness, dizziness, nausea, or irritation of the skin, ears or eyes. A term has even been coined for a syndrome of problems a workman can suffer from when exposed to concentrated chemicals in a building. This is called the sick building syndrome. You can read more about the dangers of toxins in the workplace here.

Deadly car accident after woman makes illegal U-turn

New York — A woman driving on a New York highway died during a 2-car accident according to emergency workers. New York State Police reported that the woman was making an illegal U-turn when she tried turning around in an emergency break in the center barrier of the road. The woman’s car was hit in a T-bone car accident with another vehicle coming down the highway while her car tried to re-enter the road. The woman was killed during the accident and the driver of the other car was injured. He was taken by ambulance to an emergency room of a local hospital for treatment of his accident injuries. The car collision may have been caused by the negligence of the driver making the illegal turn but investigators say the car crash is still being analyzed. However, police noted that it is illegal to use the emergency breaks in a highway divider, usually marked with signs that say “official use only,” as these are reserved for emergency vehicles only. Officials say that the driver of the second vehicle is lucky to be alive and the extent of his injuries are not yet known. A New York injury lawyer explained that the man has the right to investigate the cause of the crash and file a lawsuit case even though the woman died in this accident. It is unclear if the injured man has filed an injury lawsuit against the deceased woman’s estate and/or her insurance company. You can read more about this fatal accident here.

More medication recalled :: Tylenol manufacturer claims this is precautionary

The makers of Tylenol, as well as several other popular over-the-counter medicines, has issued yet another recall. This is the continuation of the many product recalls issued by the Johnson and Johnson company due to health and / or quality concerns with their products. Health and industry experts wonder if there’s more to the ever growing recalls that have been conducted over the past several years. They say that the manufacturer has spent tremendous amounts of money due to these faulty product recalls but they just claim that the action is only precautionary. The most recent chapter in the saga is reminiscent of earlier medication recalls, as the company cited vague manufacturing deficiencies that may affect the product. Among the concerns is a musty smell that the company blames on a storage and shipping palate. Consumer advocates say that they are concerned about the potential side effects or health damage that may have been caused by the recalled products. However, the makers of the medications say that no one has been injured or has become ill due to the faulty medicines. Investigations may be necessary to find out more about the health hazards from these medications. Some warn that the company has been negligent by not issuing these recalls all at once during the beginning of their suspicions. They explain that some injured or sick patients may not even be aware that their injury was the fault of their medication. This could lead to wrongful death, says one injury lawyer. In the meantime, consumers who have any of the recalled products are encouraged to contact the company to arrange for free replacements of the product. At the same time, anyone who thinks they have suffered or become sick due to the recalled medications have the right to speak to a lawyer. You can read up on the most recent medication recalls from Johnson and Johnson here.

Truck accident safety experts warn of continued dangers despite engineering advances

Safety experts warn about the continued dangers of injury and death from a truck accident, even with all of the advanced engineering that goes in to building modern trucks. Recent studies on truck crash accidents show that tractor-trailer, or semi, accidents can injure and kill occupants of both the truck and the car involved in the accident. However, the majority of deaths occur in the car. This is especially true when hitting the back of a truck, along the underride guards. The agency that analyzes and recommends regulations on truck specifications, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, says that current law requires only some trucks to have the metal bar installed in order to prevent a smaller and lower car from becoming wedged underneath the truck. They are requesting that the federal government mandate more trucks to have this safety bar. However, some motor vehicle accident specialists say that these safety bars may be broken or damaged prior to an accident, lessening its effectiveness. An accident lawyer in New York notes that truck drivers and owners must repair broken safety equipment like this or else they can be fined. In fact, a negligence lawsuit can be filed in case of injury or death due to neglecting safety laws like this. You can find out more about the recent studies on truck safety here.

Bus accident in Bronx, New York City :: 13 people killed, many injured

New York — A tour bus was involved in a severe motor vehicle accident yesterday on a busy highway in the Bronx, New York City near the border with Westchester. Officials report that the bus accident occurred when a tractor-trailer truck hit the bus that was heading toward Manhattan, causing it to skid. The bus then rolled on to its side and hit a pole. Reports show that 13 accident victims were killed and at least another 19 people were injured in the crash. The injured victims were taken by ambulance to emergency rooms and trauma rooms in the Bronx. Several of the severely injured were reported to have been rushed into emergency surgery. Safety experts say that the bus company was warned recently about allowing tired bus drivers to work. The company’s safety record shows they had 2 other car accidents with injuries over the past 2 years. It is unclear if any injury lawsuit was filed from those previous accidents. However, an accident lawyer in New York said that further investigation in to this bus accident will show if there was negligence on the side of the driver or bus company that would warrant a personal injury lawsuit. Check out details about this deadly accident here.

Car accident safety studies by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Car accident safety has been well studied and discussed for many years now. The researchers at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have been comparing the results of their test car crashes to actual car accident injuries and deaths. They report that the grades given to cars during car accident testing have been tested in real life accidents with good results. The institute grades cars based on their safety by giving grades such as poor, marginal, acceptable, and good. They reported that accident deaths improve drastically when comparing a car graded as “good” versus “poor.” New York personal injury lawyers warn that just because there are less deaths or even less life-threatening injuries does not mean car accident victims walk away without any injury. In fact, people who are involved in an accident may survive the accident but be left with permanent and severe injuries that can even leave them disabled. Car safety has improved but an injury can still leave a patient with lifelong pain, broken bones, and herniated discs in the neck and back. Further research may improve that reality but attorneys say that in the meantime driver safety is still crucial. Public advocates say that a distracted or negligent driver cause many preventable accidents when they drive while talking or texting on the cell phone, putting on makeup, or even while intoxicated. They say that many car accident lawsuits revolve around liability of a distracted driver who did not take the safety of others on the road seriously. Check out more on the IIHS study here.

Defective candles recalled :: One consumer suffers burn injury

A recent recall was announced by Pier 1 Imports for a defective product sold throughout the nation, including local New York branches of the popular store. The faulty candles were reported to burn incorrectly with flames higher than would be considered safe. The candles were manufactured in China and were imported and sold by the retailer. However, following several reports of incidents where the defective candles burned out of control and at least one burn injury, the company issued a defective product recall. Product safety experts say that the reported incidents may not be the only ones suffered by consumers and more details need to be determined following proper investigation. Some consumer victims may not have reported the incident since they were not aware that it had occurred due to an inherent defect in the product. Experts note that many consumers are unaware of their rights or the channels available to them in case of injury from a dangerous product. Some victims require the expertise of an experienced personal injury lawyer to help them navigate the complicated system and to be able to effectively contact a manufacturer. A local New York attorney reports that often it is not enough to simply call a customer service agent in situations such as these. In fact, even when a manufacturer or retailer is told about a dangerous product, they may continue selling it for months to years before announcing a recall or pulling the item from store shelves. Consumer advocates explain that this amounts to negligence but consumers have recourse. They suggest that injury victims investigate their rights and fight back in order to protect others in the event of a product malfunction. They also explain that even though a company issues a product recall, this does not mean that they are not liable for the injuries caused by their products. Details on the dangerous candle recall are available here.