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.
June 18, 2015 News
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Bus crash injures dozens in Lincoln Tunnel

New York – Upwards of 40 accident victims were injured when one bus rear-ended another during rush hour commute into Manhattan this past week. The rear-end collision occurred when a New Jersey Transit bus filled with commuters collided with a school bus filled with children. The school bus was transporting the school kids into New York City for a graduation trip when the bus accident occurred. Initial analysis shows that the commuter bus driver was unable to stop in time to avoid the crash during traffic. Further investigation was necessary to determine why this was the case, and to rule out driver negligence or criminal activity, such as drunk driving or driving under the influence of drugs. Commuter advocates say that some bus drivers are not properly trained or don’t always follow safety regulations, leading to increased dangers on the roads. For example, drivers need to make sure that they are well rested and not tired from driving shifts that are longer than permitted. In addition, drivers must direct their full attention to the roadways and traffic conditions, adjusting their driving accordingly. However, some activists warn that bus drivers, much like car and truck drivers, have become too distracted by things such as texting while driving, talking on a cell phone or adjusting the radio. These actions create a dangerous condition that is more likely to lead to this kind of accident.

The injury victims were treated on the scene and some were transported by ambulances to various hospitals. Others were directed to see their private doctors for evaluation and treatment of their injuries. Experts note that some of these injuries may not become fully evident until hours, days or even weeks after the motor vehicle collision. For example, what starts off as a mild stiff neck or backache can sometimes worsen and end up creating a permanent injury with spinal injuries and nerve damage. If you or someone that you know are injured in a vehicle crash, it is advised to see a physician or go to an emergency room for evaluation. You also have the right to speak to a top injury attorney who has expertise in dealing with personal injuries after a motor vehicle accident. See this site for more about last week’s bus accident.

Illustrative Photo Credit: Doug Kerr [License]

May 29, 2015 News
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Multi-vehicle truck accident in Queens injures and kills victims

New York – A motor vehicle crash involving an SUV truck and a car sent the car flying into oncoming traffic. That’s when a delivery truck slammed into the car in the South Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens. The passengers from the car crash had to be extricated from the wreckage by fire rescue personnel, with one of the victims from the car dying of her wounds. That woman apparently was ejected from the vehicle. Seven children passengers from the SUV were injured, as were the drivers of all three vehicles. They were all treated for their accident injuries in local hospitals, except for the truck driver, who was treated and released at the collision scene. Details on the condition of the injured victims are still unavailable.

Investigations into the cause of the car accident are ongoing. Police say that there remains a question of whether or not the car or SUV ran a red light at the intersection. Specialists note that one of the most common causes of motor vehicle collisions in an intersection are due to drivers not stopping for a red light. This presents one of the most serious types of crashes, a high speed accident where one of the vehicles is broadsided in what is often referred to as a T-bone accident. The injuries from this type of car collision can be severe, often due to the lack of protective crunch room in the side of a vehicle. See this article for more information about this car crash.

Illustrative Photo Credit: emilydickinsonridesabmx [License]

May 07, 2015 News
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Long Island gas station fire causes multiple injuries

New York – A closed gas station in Nassau County, NY was the scene of a dangerous fire that injured at least four people this week. Fire department officials explained that three workers were injured while doing construction renovation on the gas station’s fuel tanks and one fire fighter suffered from dehydration while working at the scene. They note that the gas tanks caught on fire when fumes from residual gas sparked into flames. According to reports, the gas station was closed and the fuel tanks were being removed by an environmental and construction company. It is unclear as to why the station was closed and who was responsible to make sure that the gas tanks were empty and safe. Safety inspections will be necessary to determine if the owner of the property, as well as the employers of the injured workers, had followed proper protocols to ensure the health and safety of the public and their employees. The town mayor of Freeport explained that the workmen were taken to the hospital for multiple burn injuries and the fireman was treated in the emergency room as well. Further details about their injuries and recovery are unavailable at this time. However, trauma specialists note that the nature of this work accident can leave the injury victims with permanent disabilities, preventing them from returning to work or even their normal lives. These can include inhalation burns, physical disfigurement and emotional injuries. Worker’s comp insurance should cover the cost of treatment of their injuries but some victims find it necessary to seek legal advice regarding their rights. See this article for further details about these fire victims and injuries.

Illustrative Photo Credit: Loco Steve [License]

April 27, 2015 News
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Manhattan crane accident kills construction worker

New York – A workman suffered fatal injuries when the boom of a crane collapsed on top of him this past week. The crane was attached to a truck and being moved at the work site at the time of the calamity. According to reports, the hardhat worker was actually the crane safety coordinator and was crushed between the heavy steel of the arm and the truck below. Initial investigation into the construction accident reveals that the hydraulic mechanism failed, causing the crash. Further scrutiny will be necessary to determine if there were prior indications of the crane malfunctioning and if proper safety precautions were taken by both workers and the employer. Construction safety experts explain that negligent maintenance or neglect can lead to this type of accident. They note that construction cranes, especially mobile ones, require close examination and repairs on a regular basis to avoid such a catastrophe. This work accident led to the death of one man and could have caused even more deaths or injuries, necessitating close examination into the cause of the collapse.

This incident is reminiscent of another recent construction accident in New York and another crane accident that was blamed on faulty cheap replacement parts brought in by the owner. Those previous accidents also left several injured workers in their wake. See more about this past week’s crane collapse here.

Illustrative photo by booledozer [CC BY-SA 2.0 or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

April 15, 2015 News
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Multiple workers injured by construction accident in Manhattan

New York – Four demolition workmen suffered varying degrees of injuries during a work accident at the construction site where they were employed. Accounts from witnesses at the scene explain that the laborers were working on internal demolition in the building that had been undergoing extensive renovations. Heavy debris, possibly a section of a metal railing, came crashing down onto the workers, causing crush injuries. However, reports show that the men may have also suffered fall injuries after the construction debris knocked them down. Some reports noted that there was a partial building collapse that caused the accident. A large rescue force quickly arrived at the accident scene and extricated the four wounded victims, taking them to the emergency room for urgent treatment.

Investigations into the cause of the work accident are ongoing, with New York City building safety officials and OSHA investigators looking into the facts that led to the incident. Suspicions of unsafe work conditions have arisen due the history of the buildings department having shut down the very same worksite several times. Records show that the construction site had been deemed dangerous in those previous incidents but that no work injury had been reported prior to this. A statement from the owner of the building explained that there was, in fact, no building collapse and that a licensed construction site safety manager working there at the time of the accident. Find out more about this demolition accident and injured workers here.

Illustrative photo Credit: Luigi Rosa [License]

March 30, 2015 News
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Hazardous condition blamed for building explosion in Manhattan

New York – Records illustrate that a building fire and explosion in the East Village area of New York City may have been due to illegal work on the gas line that left a dangerous gas leak. The building was flagged as having a possible natural gas leak in August 2014 after a meter reading worker smelled gas. The gas company report that they sent a team of employees to the scene and found several gas leaks and an overall dangerous situation after seeing that the original gas line had been illegally tapped into several times. The illegal work was possibly done by the owner of the building or with his knowledge. There was a restaurant in the building that was authorized to have a natural gas hook up to the company. However, the other residents apparently were illegally and dangerously connected to the same gas line according to accounts. The gas company then turned off service but allowed the owner of the building to correct the negligent maintenance work. The service to the building was restored after the gas company re-inspected the situation and found it to be safe. Now, public safety activists are questioning if the repair work was done properly and according to safety code. Some suspect that the illegal work may have been repeated but further inspection is necessary to determine fault. Nearby construction work was underway and Consolidated Edison inspectors were at the scene only approximately one hour earlier, reportedly having determined that the construction and renovation work failed their safety standards. It is unclear if that work was in any way related to the gas fire.

The fire has been blamed on a natural gas explosion according to New York City Fire Department (FDNY) officials. The original explosion demolished 3 buildings in total, including at least one restaurant and multiple apartments. Yesterday, the remains of two of the deadly accident victims were found at the scene. At least twenty-two people were injured in the blast, with many of them suffering burns, broken bones, lacerations as well as internal injuries. See this article for more details about the building accident.

Illustrative photo credit: cisc1970 [License]

March 13, 2015 News
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Breaking: McNeil Consumer Healthcare pleads guilty in contaminated medicine case

McNeil, a subsidiary of the pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, is the medication company that makes several popular over-the-counter medications, including Tylenol, Motrin and Benadryl. The company has pled guilty in a federal court to charges or improper disclosure in a case where they were accused of manufacturing and selling dangerous medication that was tainted with metal particles. As part of the settlement, the medication manufacturer will pay $25 Million in fines. The lawsuit details show that the company was apparently aware of improper quality control that led to production and sale of dangerous product. Plaintiffs explain that the company refused to investigate and correct the problems, despite having been warned by consumers who had found obvious contaminants in bottles of their liquid medicines. Court records show that the contamination was later identified as metal and toxic chemicals that were not supposed to be there. It is believed that these dangerous chemicals made their way into the medications during the manufacturing process, possibly due to negligent maintenance. Consumer advocates say that the metals may be a toxic health hazard, especially for babies and young children, the population that these polluted medications were intended for. Some say that the ingestion of these dangerous chemicals can lead to developmental injuries, such as brain damage and learning disabilities.

The same pharmaceutical company has gone through a series of product recalls for other tainted medications over the past several years. A New York City law firm points out that this case appears to be another in a series of production and medication errors made by the company. It raises the questions of product liability and endangering the public health. Consumers who believe that their health may have been adversely affected by these dangerous medicines should see their doctor for evaluation. In addition, an ill or injured consumer has the right to speak to a top injury lawyer for assistance. You can see further details about the federal court case and guilty plea here.

Illustrative Photo Credit: Mike Mozart [License]

February 28, 2015 News
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Long Island car crash involves fire department truck and a car

New York – Two vehicles were involved in a collision on Thursday, injuring three accident victims. Stony Brook fire department officials confirmed that the car accident involved the department chief’s SUV truck. The truck accident was still under investigation to determine the cause but there is no indication at this time that the fire chief was driving with emergency lights and sirens. Reports also indicate that the fire department vehicle was not on its way to an emergency call at the time of the SUV accident. A New York lawyer who specializes in accidents notes that emergency vehicles, such as police cars, fire trucks and ambulances, have the responsibility to drive with due caution for others on the road even when driving with lights and sirens to an emergency. Reckless driving, even when responding to an emergency call, may be considered negligent and the driver and department can be held liable.
All three people who were involved in the motor vehicle collision were transported to a Long Island, New York hospital for treatment of their wounds. The front seat passenger of the car was listed with serious injuries and was admitted to the hospital. The drivers of the two vehicles were also taken to an area trauma center but later released. The injured people may also require continued follow up and therapy for their wounds. See this article for more about this accident with injuries.

Illustrative photo credit: Jenny Starley [License]

February 11, 2015 News
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Westchester, New York train accident injures and kills multiple victims

New York – A commuter train crash occurred in the town of Valhalla in Westchester in the middle of the rush hour commute home. The train slammed into an sport utility vehicle (SUV) that had been stopped on the railroad tracks for an undetermined reason. Witnesses report that the railroad crossing gates came down but possibly hit the car. Reports show that the driver of the car got out of her vehicle briefly but then got back in and tried to move forward. However, she was unable to get off of the train track in time and the resulting train versus car accident pushed the SUV and caused it to burst into flames. The car fire then spread to the train, putting hundreds of train passengers at further risk. Officials say that six accident victims were killed in the crash, with one of them being the driver of the car. At least 15 other people were reported to have suffered injuries in the collision. Several of the injured people were listed as in serious condition. However, a top New York accident lawyer noted that some personal injury victims aren’t aware of some injuries or that some symptoms are actually related to an accident. Accident victims are encouraged to speak to their doctor or go directly to an emergency room if they are concerned about possible or unclear injuries. More about the train and SUV collision along with a video is available here.

Illustrative photo by AEMoreira042281 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

January 28, 2015 News
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General Motors braces for more faulty ignition switch lawsuits

A dangerous product recall for defective parts in many General Motor (GM) vehicles has been in place for nearly a year. The car recalls have expanded since then, encompassing many car models manufactured as early as 2003 and as recently as 2011. Records show that well more than 300 wrongful deaths and more than 2,700 car accident injuries have been blamed on the defective car parts causing a crash. An administrator has been instructed to sort through the claims and lawsuits, in an effort to compensate the victims. At least 50 of those car crash death cases and 75 of the personal injury cases have been determined as eligible for compensation by the company. However, a deadline has been set for injury victims or the family of someone killed in a car collision to file a claim against the car company. GM has reportedly braced for a possible increase in the number of last minute claims and accident lawsuits against them in the coming days. Some of the injured people have sought the assistance of personal injury lawyer experts in order to make sure that they recover the money that they deserve. Analysts believe that the company has been trying to settle the lawsuit cases quickly, before the results are published from investigations into how much and when the car manufacturer knew about the dangerous situation regarding the flawed ignition switches. Accusations have circled for some time that the company were negligent by ignoring the known problem for many years, leading to many additional motor vehicle crashes. For further details about the ignition switch recall program, please see this article.

Illustrative photo by Ballista on en.wikipedia [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons