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.
January 01, 2018 News
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New York City subway accident injures worker

New York – Wednesday’s subway train collision occurred on the tracks that run between Queens and Manhattan. The train accident involved two trains that were apparently not carrying any passengers. Metropolitan Transportation Authority workers were aboard the subways at the time of the crash and at least one worker was injured as a result. One report shows that the trains involved in the collision were actually work trains, carrying workmen, supplies and tools. The workers were down there doing repair and construction work on the line according to union officials. However, it is still unknown what caused the work accident. That cause is under investigation by transportation safety officials but has many riders concerned. The heavy traffic and speeding trains in the system that was designed so long ago is a recipe for disaster according to some watch groups. They note that negligent maintenance and delayed repairs are all too common, placing the public at risk for injury and death. These problems, some say, are the root cause of the plethora of subway injuries and accidents in the city. Safety advocates are demanding further evaluation of the safety of the mass transit system, with an eye on specific known problem areas. These include lines with prior collisions, near misses and heavy traffic as well as dangerous curves. In addition, slip and fall hazards, platforms and stairs that have a history of trip and fall injury as well as areas of increased smoke and fumes build-up should be evaluated and corrected. You can see more about last week’s work train accident here.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Mark Mitchell [License]

December 12, 2017 News
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New York-bound train accident leads to massive derailment

Officials from New Jersey Transit reported that a CSX freight train derailed on its way toward New York this past week. The train was 141 cars long and travelling an unknown speed when the crash occurred, derailing some 21 of the train cars. If the train was speeding or there was an equipment failure it may explain why it derailed. Emergency responders rushed to the accident scene expecting countless injuries. However, responders explain that the train was luckily empty. The only accident victims were the train engineer and conductor, both of which did not require emergency treatment according to reports. Accident specialists note that some accident injuries don’t appear immediately and the two workers are advised to be evaluated by their doctors. They explain that some wounds, such as neck and back injuries due to bulging or herniated disc, may show themselves over the days following this type of crash.

An unrelated train accident in Valhalla, Westchester left a teenager dead, according to police. The 15-year-old girl was hit by the train while she was walking on the train tracks. That accident is thought to be a suicide but investigators are continuing to look into how she was able to get onto the tracks. In addition, they are investigating whether all safety precautions were being followed on the train as well as in the area of the dangerous railroad crossing. You can see more about that deadly accident here.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Dale Stewart [License]

November 27, 2017 News
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Downtown Manhattan scaffold accident traps and injures five pedestrians

New York – High winds swept through the city, causing a construction scaffolding collapse. The fallen scaffold debris crashed down onto five pedestrians who were walking along the sidewalk below. Two of the construction accident victims were trapped and needed to be extricated by bystanders and emergency responders. All of the injury victims were treated and taken to local New York City hospitals for evaluation and treatment. Reported injuries ranged from a head injury to broken bones to a leg injury and possible spinal injury. Outraged community leaders have pointed out that scaffold accidents and injuries should be prevented by forcing building owners and construction companies to remove unnecessary and dangerous equipment. They note that many scaffoldings have been sitting around for many years despite no active work being done on the building above. They warn that leaving these structures, that by nature are supposed to be temporary, is a dangerous practice and leaves a hazardous condition for bystanders. Authorities with the building department explain that current laws and ordinances require owners to inspect their scaffolds every day but some activists doubt that this is actually done. They feel that owners and employers are guilty of negligence that leads to such work accidents. They demand that the city inspectors deal with this problem to prevent further injury or wrongful death, claiming that ignoring the problem is also negligent. See this article for more on this scaffolding pedestrian accident.

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

November 16, 2017 News
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Pedestrian hit by a car, killed in Union Square in New York City crash

New York – A hit-and-run accident left the pedestrian victim dead according to hospital officials. The man was crossing the street within a marked crosswalk but was struck by a vehicle and then dragged down the street. The vehicle, identified as a Jeep, was being driven by an unknown driver in a reckless manner according to witnesses. The driver was speeding and made a quick left turn, hitting the pedestrian and then pulling him under the car. The victim was left with severe injuries and he was rushed to the hospital by ambulance and paramedics. Doctors attempted to resuscitate the injured man to no avail and were forced to pronounce him dead. Investigation into the cause of the pedestrian accident show that the man had just left work when he was crossing the street to head home. The reckless driver fled the scene of the accident despite having caused obvious injuries according to evidence from the scene. Police have located the vehicle but are still looking for the hit-and-run driver. Investigators believe that the driver may live in Brooklyn. They note that he was driving a rental car. The driver will likely face a slew of charges and lawsuits, both criminal and civil. He may face a wrongful death lawsuit when located but an accident attorney explained that the owner and insurer of the Jeep Renegade may also be included in any lawsuits. For more about this fatal car accident, please see this article.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Jeffrey Zeldman [License]

October 31, 2017 News
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Famous musician injured while working at a Midtown Manhattan concert

New York – The famous rock star musician, Marilyn Manson, was visiting NYC and performing a concert in a large concert ballroom when an object fell and hit him. The injured Manson explained that he suffered a head injury as well as a leg injury during the accident. Organizers say that the injuries occurred when a large, heavy stage prop fell from an unknown height onto the man below. He then fell backward onto the ground and possibly hit his head at that point. There is no indication whether or not Mr. Manson lost consciousness. The prop had been suspended by workers before the show onto a tall metal scaffolding column but then fell over and collapsed during the concert. He suffered broken bones from the falling object, including a fracture of his fibula in his leg, and required surgery. He was taken to the hospital by ambulance and stabilized in the emergency room before being taken to the operating room. Hospital surgeons had to repair the leg fracture with metal hardware, leaving him disabled from the accident and unable to work. Representatives for the musician noted that he will undergo additional medical treatment such as physical therapy and possibly occupational therapy. They hope that he will be able to return to work despite having had to postpone many upcoming concerts. Further details about this fall injury are available here.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Billie Grace Ward [License]

October 17, 2017 News
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Stolen car involved in multiple vehicle car crash in Brooklyn

New York – The Belt Parkway in Brooklyn was the scene of a serious car accident involving three vehicles this week. Police believe that the collision began with a stolen SUV speeding down the highway without its headlights on, being driven by the car thief. The thief stole the vehicle in Crown Heights and then drove it recklessly through the city streets until he rear-ended another SUV. That SUV accident didn’t stop the dangerous driver, who fled the scene of the accident and then hit another car. The man then fled the scene of that second collision and eventually hit the highway divider and caused a roll-over accident. Eventually he jumped out of the damaged vehicle and ran away on foot, according to investigators. In his wake, the reckless driving car thief left eight injured accident victims, who were all taken to various New York hospitals. The injuries ranged from minor to critical injuries, reportedly including severe internal injuries and possibly a head injury from the crash. At least three of the injured passengers were children according to officials. Additional investigation is needed to find the hit-and-run driver who apparently stole the vehicle after a woman had left it unlocked in front of her apartment building. Police also explained that the woman had rented the car from someone else in New Jersey. A Manhattan accident specialist attorney https://morrisonwagner.com/about-us/ noted that some of the liability for the accident may fall on the woman who left the SUV unlocked, as a possible act of negligence that led to the dangerous situation. In addition, the owner of the vehicle may also be held responsible. In the meantime, police are looking for the driver of the SUV that caused the multi-vehicle crash. See this article for further details about this SUV accident.

Photo of unassociated accident for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Bob B. Brown [License]

September 26, 2017 News
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Bus crash in Queens killed three and injured over a dozen more victims

New York – Two buses collided during a horrific motor vehicle accident in Queens that left three people dead and at least 16 more victims injured. The bus accident occurred when a private charter bus was speeding through an intersection and hit a New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) bus that was loaded with passengers. Officials say that the private was empty from passengers and only the driver was in it at the time of the crash. The driver of that private bus was killed in the accident along with a pedestrian struck and trapped under the bus and a passenger from the MTA public bus, all of which suffered fatal injuries in the collision. In addition to these fatalities, emergency crews reported that another 16 people suffered various wounds from the bus collision, including passengers on the Q20 public bus and pedestrians nearby.

Members of the public have expressed outrage upon hearing that the driver who caused the crash had been fired from his job as a bus driver with the MTA approximately two years ago. Even more concerning was the reason for which he had been fired. Officials note that the driver had been a drunk driver in his personal car when he hit two other vehicles in Connecticut. He then fled the scene of that crash but was eventually arrested for that hit-and-run accident. Safety activists want to know why the man was allowed to retain his driver’s license, let alone a license to drive a bus. They warn that lax attitudes toward such dangerous behavior is exactly what leads to deadly crashes and pedestrian accidents such as this one. Additionally, they want to know if the private bus company did their due diligence in looking into the employee’s driving record and criminal history. Some feel that it is negligent to allow such a dangerous driver on the roads and be responsible for so many lives. Read this article for more on this bus accident.

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

September 11, 2017 News
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Police arrest Queens man after pedestrian accident with injuries

New York – The driver in a hit-and-run accident has been arrested by police nine months after the crash. Investigators have spent months looking into the collision that had occurred in December in West Hempstead, Long Island. They now believe that they have the driver in custody after he allegedly fled the scene of the car accident. The injury victim during the car crash was a senior citizen pedestrian who was crossing the street. He suffered serious wounds, including a head injury with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and a hip injury with possible broken bones. The forces involved in this type of accident can be quite severe on the human body according to experts. They note that there are several impacts, including the initial collision when the vehicle hits the pedestrian, again when the victim’s body falls and hits the ground and then the internal organs strike the inside of the body. Ultimately, this can lead to significant injuries, disability and even death. A trauma specialist explains that when the brain hits into the inside of the skull, it can cause a concussion with serious long-term effects. The victim in this case was hospitalized in the ICU for an extended period of time according to hospital officials.

Reports show that the driver that caused the collision was driving a white pick-up truck and was possibly speeding at the time. He kept driving and left the injured pedestrian on the road at the time. The alleged hit-and-run driver now faces criminal charges but may also face a civil personal injury lawsuit from the pedestrian accident victim. Check out this article for a video and more details about this truck accident.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo by Kevin.B (Own work) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons

August 30, 2017 News
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Injuries from taxi accident involving two cabs on Manhattan street

New York – This car crash involved two taxis that collided after one of the drivers apparently ran through a red light. Witnesses of the red light accident explained that one of the vehicles, a minivan, T-boned the car, causing that second vehicle to jump the curb. After running onto the sidewalk, it crashed into pedestrians who were eating in a restaurant’s outdoor seating area. One of the accident victims was a baby who was thrown from his stroller and fell to the ground. He suffered a leg injury with suspected broken bone. Several additional injury victims were passengers in one of the cabs. The young child was the most seriously injured in this sidewalk accident according to authorities. It should be noted that the taxi driver that allegedly caused the collision can face both criminal charges for running a red light and reckless driving as well as civil personal injury lawsuits. Community activists expressed concern about dangerous drivers who operate taxis. They note that close training, licensing and monitoring of these drivers is essential to prevent injuries and wrongful death. Only three weeks ago another young child was struck and killed by an unlicensed cab driver in Rockland, NY. Activists demand answers and changes to prevent additional pedestrian accidents like this in the future. You can find out more about this taxi versus pedestrian collision here.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Peter Burka [License]

August 17, 2017 News
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School sports injury ends in student’s death

New York – A Long Island teenager died from a head injury while doing football training drills in his high school. The injury victim was doing heavy lifting exercises with his classmates when a heavy log that they were working with fell on his head. Witnesses explain that they were carrying the wooden beam over their heads when the fall occurred, striking the teen with extreme force. Ambulance personnel and paramedics rushed the boy in critical condition to Stony Brook University Hospital, the closest trauma center in Suffolk County. An emergency room team worked on the injured teen and noted a serious traumatic brain injury. He was pronounced dead after rescue and medical intervention efforts were unable to help him. Investigators are now looking into the specifics surrounding the case to determine if any negligence was involved. Public safety activists in New York say that schools must take an active role in maintaining students’ safety, especially when exercising or playing sports. They demand more safety equipment, better training and medical staff on-site. It is unclear if the football players were provided with safety helmets while they were doing these exercise drills. You can read further details about this sports injury death here.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Ralph Arvesen [License]