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.
July 30, 2017 News
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State fair ride malfunctions causing injuries and one death

At a time when summer fairs are most popular for families, a tragic accident occurred when an amusement park ride malfunctioned according to reports in the New York Daily News. Video footage of the event showed that the seat of a ride called the “Fire Ball” broke and disconnected from the main pendulum. This sent ride accident victims crashing down to the ground, causing various degrees of injuries to seven people. Another man was killed in the accident after apparently being ejected from the machine and thrown into the air. Public safety experts note that the ride in question had been inspected several years ago for possible cracks and other dangers, at the request of the manufacturer. At that time, the manufacturer reported that there were concerns regarding a welding failure that could cause cracking and deadly malfunctions. However, it was unclear whether the ride had undergone more recent safety inspections to that degree to ensure rider safety. Advocates explain that cursory inspections are sometimes the only thing done before allowing unsuspecting fun-seekers from riding potentially dangerous rides. They say that regular maintenance is crucial as well as in-depth evaluations of all aspects of the equipment to avoid accidents and injuries. Some owners and operators avoid the high costs involved and negligent maintenance can sometimes be the result. This negligence is most concerning when dealing with equipment such as these carnival rides that move fast and high and often include high impact forces. This ride would swing people up to 40 feet in the air as it twisted and turned and then swung back and forth. Detailed evaluation and fixing of broken or deteriorated parts is essential given the heavy use and potential for harm involved. You can see more about this deadly amusement park accident with equipment failure here.

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

July 20, 2017 News
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Drunk driver blamed for fatal car crash in Queens

New York – Police investigators from the NYPD have determined that an intoxicated driver caused the four car accident on the Grand Central Parkway this past Sunday. The tragic crash began when the driver of an SUV, apparently drunk, hit a second SUV truck causing a series of collisions. Several of the vehicles rolled over during the accident and 2 victims were killed, including a 34-year-old man and a teenager. Several other accident victims suffered various injuries, including at least one head injury and broken bones. Police say that reckless driving contributed to the initial crash and the driver of that first vehicle was charged with multiple driving and safety violations.

Besides for the criminal charges that the man faces, a Manhattan accident lawyer specialist explains that the intoxicated driver can face several civil lawsuits for causing the collision. These include wrongful death lawsuits by the family of the victims who were killed as well as personal injury lawsuits by the injured drunk driving accident victims. If you or someone you know has been involved in an accident, you have the right to speak to an injury attorney to discuss your case. See this article for further details about this deadly truck accident in Queens.

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

June 30, 2017 News
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Construction work accident in Queens leaves 6 injured workers

New York – A scaffolding collapse in the middle of a construction site in Long Island City, Queens caused mayhem this week. Six workers were injured during the construction accident and were rushed to the emergency room. Hospital officials confirmed that the accident victims suffered a back injury, possible broken bones and arm and leg injuries. Reports note that the workers were pouring concrete into wooden forms to create a floor when it collapsed. Concerned safety advocates explain that the owner and developer of the building may have been negligent in the management of the project. They note that the New York City’s buildings department placed an emergency stop order on the construction when they noticed several dangerous safety violations. It has been pointed out that the same work site has a history of multiple complaints filed with the Department of Buildings since the new owner took it over in 2015. More research will be needed to determine if, in fact, the developer had created a hazardous situation that placed the safety of his employees and the public at risk for injury. Employers are responsible to obtain worker’s compensation insurance in order to deal with these types of work accidents. However, this doesn’t absolve them of their duty to prevent accidents and avoid negligence. More details about this building collapse accident can be found here.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Phillip Pessar [License]

June 13, 2017 News
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Crucial New York State medical malpractice lawsuit bill up for Senate vote

New York – State senators in Albany have long been debating the passing of an important law to support and protect victims of medical malpractice. The bill corrects a true injustice by extending the statute of limitations for when a lawsuit can be filed by a victim after a medical error or misdiagnosis has transpired. Current law starts the clock at the moment the medical mistake occurred while the new bill would start counting from the moment that the victim discovered the error. A hospital mistake or doctor’s error can sometimes be quite obvious at the moment but that is often not the case. A medical malpractice lawyer in Manhattan, NY explains that many patients are unaware of the mistake until a good deal of time has passed – sometimes even several years. This may be due to the victim’s lack of expertise in the area, the slow progression of the effects of the error, and even possible cover-ups by the offending doctor or hospital. Legislators in New York are now again debating the passing of this bill into law. Proponents note that it is necessary to allow the medical malpractice victim and family to discover the missed diagnosis or mistake and still be allowed to sue for damages as well as pain and suffering. They also note that the patient should be allowed to concentrate on seeking proper medical help as soon as possible and not worry about finding the best malpractice attorney at that moment. The bill has been nicknamed Lavern’s Law in memory of a woman who was the victim of a delayed diagnosis that led to her death. Her family has been fighting hard to pass this into law in order to protect future victims and their families. They hope that the new law will stop protecting bad doctors and hospitals and instead force them to slow down and be more precise in their work, creating better healthcare for everyone. Read more about this bill and its effects on victims of medical malpractice here.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Herry Lawford [License]

May 30, 2017 News
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Demand for investigation of driving under the influence in Rockland car accident

New York – The family of a fatal car crash victim in Ramapo, NY are concerned that police may not have properly investigated prescription drugs and an open bottle of alcohol in the car. The driver of the car admitted that he was speeding just before hitting two pedestrians on the side of the street. The responding police officers investigated the pedestrian accident but apparently didn’t test the driver of the car for drunk driving or driving under the influence of prescription pain killers. According to records, however, pain medications that are known to cause drowsiness and impairment, as well as an open container of alcohol, were both found in the car. These items may have contributed to the horrific collision and created a dangerous condition. One pedestrian was killed after being hit by the car and a second young man was severely injured in the accident. The families of the victims are outraged that drug and alcohol testing wasn’t administered. They contend that the fact that the driver of the car was an off-duty police officer himself may have clouded the responding police officer’s judgment. They have demanded further investigation into the incident, according to reports. See this article and video for more details about this pedestrian crash.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Rian Castillo [License]

May 23, 2017 News
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Electric bicycle accidents and injuries in New York City

New York – Accidents and injuries involving electric bicycles (e-bikes) are becoming ever more common and worrisome. Large cities, like New York, continue to be plagued by congestion on the roads as well as sidewalks and crosswalks. However, public safety advocates note that the dangers posed by this combination of electric bike crashes and urban congestion are causing an uptick in injuries and even deaths. They explain that the high speeds of an e-bike along with sometimes careless driving behaviors of both bicyclists and motorists can lead to disaster. A bicycle accident involving a traditional bike is dangerous enough but the increased speed and distracted driver problems seen with the newer electrical bikes increases the risks. Some e-bikers dangerously weave in and out of traffic while others speed on sidewalks and through crosswalks, blatantly ignoring traffic signs and signals. More frequent and more serious injuries from e-bike crashes have been noted in some locales, prompting an outcry from community activists. They warn that government officials, police and e-bike riders must take decisive action to prevent injury and wrongful death. The New York Police Department (NYPD) has started crackdowns to confiscate illegal electric bikes from city streets. Pedestrian accidents and car crashes involving these illegal bicycles will hopefully continue to diminish as these crackdowns continue, according to safety experts. This article has more details about the safety concerns and dangers regarding illegal electric bikes.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Blondinrikard Froberg [License]

May 03, 2017 News
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Queens construction accident leaves injured worker with crush injuries

New York – Work crews were working at a construction site in the Kew Gardens neighborhood of Queens when a heavy metal beam fell onto a worker. The crush victim suffered leg injuries, including multiple broken bones in his legs after being trapped under the metal beam. The heavy steal I-beam was being used as a hammer by a crane to drive metal supports into the ground when it fell. According to witnesses, the hammer beam was suspended by the crane’s cable that broke. Investigators are looking into the reason for this apparent equipment failure that caused the accident. Experts say that the crane and its cable may not have been properly rated to hold such a heavy object such as this seven ton beam. However, other possibilities include that negligent maintenance or safety inspections could have led to the catastrophic collapse and the hardhat worker’s subsequent crush injury. The injury victim was rescued from the work accident site and taken to Jamaica Hospital for emergency treatment. To find out more about this worker’s comp injury, see this article.

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

April 30, 2017 News
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Woman struck and injured by porch furniture blown down in the wind in Manhattan

New York – A heavy wooden-based hammock fell approximately five stories off of a Manhattan apartment building porch to the street below. The accident occurred last week during a rain storm that produced heavy winds, apparently throwing the piece of furniture over the guardrail and crashing down onto a pedestrian below. The female accident victim, a tourist visiting New York City, suffered severe injuries during the accident and subsequently was taken to a hospital. Witnesses to the fall and crash explain that the victim suffered a head injury and emergency department doctors were evaluating her for additional injuries. This type of pedestrian accident, while rare, is not unheard of. In fact, it is for this very reason that laws and regulations are in place in New York to properly secure deck and patio furniture, especially during heavy wind storms. Investigators are looking into the specifics of this case to determine whether or not the hammock was secured. However, a top accident attorney noted that further investigation should be undertaken to determine if any negligence was involved that may have contributed to this injury. Check out this site for more details on this fall accident.

Illustrative Photo Credit: Werner Vermaak (originally posted to Flickr as Immobilized Patient) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

March 31, 2017 News
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Ambulance crash kills and injures after man tries to steal the vehicle

New York – City officials from the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) report that one emergency medical technician (EMT) was killed and another injured on the job when someone tried to steal their ambulance. The horrific work accident started when a driver of a car alerted the driver of the ambulance to someone who was riding on the rear bumper of the vehicle. The crew stopped the ambulance and tried to chase the joy-rider off of the truck bumper. However, the man then jumped into the driver’s seat and tried to steal the ambulance. While the crew ran after him to try to regain control over the ambulance, the EMTs were pedestrians struck and hit by the ambulance. The female EMT was run over by the ambulance and suffered fatal injuries. She was treated for a traumatic cardiac arrest and rushed to the hospital, where she was declared dead by emergency room doctors. Her partner also suffered injuries during the pedestrian collision and is expected to survive. Bystanders and responding police arrested the man who had tried stealing the ambulance. He has been criminally charged for the theft, murder and causing injuries to the EMTs. However, an injury attorney in Manhattan explains that the man can also face civil lawsuits from the injured worker EMT as well as a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of the EMT who was killed. See this article for more details about this ambulance worker accident.

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

March 10, 2017 News
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Takata airbag manufacturer pleads guilty to fraud

The world’s largest vehicle airbag recall was sparked after, analysts say, the Takata manufacturer fraudulently claimed that their airbags were safe. However, the company now admits that they knew for many years that there was a defective part that could cause the device to explode. This, in turn, could lead to a more serious and deadly injury from a car accident. The company has produced tens of millions of dangerous airbags that have been installed by motor vehicle manufacturers around the world. Everything from cars to SUVs to trucks have dangerous airbag components made by this company and have been recalled. The guilty plea by Takata comes along with an agreement to pay a hefty $1 Billion in fines and penalties. However, this money is not earmarked to go to the injury victims and families of victims killed in a car crash that may have been affected by the hazardous situation. A top injury law firm in New York explains that this doesn’t shield the manufacturer or others from a personal injury lawsuit. In fact, it has been noted that some of the car companies allegedly knew about the dangerous condition posed by the defective airbag problem but continued to install them anyway. This opens those car makers to injury and wrongful death lawsuit as well, according to experts. Product liability laws describe the actions that should be taken by all involved to ensure that consumers aren’t injured by a product that is known to be potentially dangerous. You can find out more about this product recall and repercussions here.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Credit: Robin Corps [License]