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.

Truck accident kills bicyclist in Manhattan

New York – A bicycle rider was struck and killed in a truck accident in the early morning last month. Police reports note that the accident victim was hit as the truck turned a corner into the man. The bicycle accident sent the victim falling to the ground and suffering with multiple extensive injuries. Officials say that the driver then left the scene of the truck crash but it is unclear whether or not he was aware that he had just struck a pedestrian. If it was, in fact, a hit and run accident, the driver can face even more serious criminal charges for a hit-and-run accident with injuries. Public safety advocates expressed significant concern about this crash and believe it is a case of wrongful death. They note that this same oil truck company has been involved in several previous fatal pedestrian accidents. The drivers were different in each of the prior deadly accidents but the question of proper safety training and negligent maintenance needs full investigation. You can read more about this deadly bicycle crash here.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Eli Christman [License]

Construction accident injured worker in Nassau County

New York – A construction worker suffered traumatic amputations of his legs during a recent road construction accident. The injury victim was apparently hit by a falling object that made him fall into a hole during the job site accident. The work site was in the street near an intersection where heavy construction vehicles, including a backhoe, were being used to dig up a trench. The heavy object that fell and severed the hardhat worker’s legs was a metal plate according to witnesses. He then fell approximately 10 feet into a hole. First responders applied tourniquets and tried to control the bleeding. He was treated for shock and rushed to the hospital. Doctors were working on saving the injured man’s life while also trying to save his legs. Workplace safety experts will need to investigate the circumstances of this work injury to determine if proper safety equipment and protocols were in place or if there was even negligence involved. This article and video share further details about this workplace injury.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: marc falardeau [License]

Dangerous milk distributed from New York dairy

New York – Health officials issued an urgent warning about milk contaminated with Listeria Monocytogenes bacteria. They say that the milk was being sold as raw, or unpasteurized milk, in Hudson Valley area. Some of the dangerous product may have even been sent to further away locations. Doctors explain that the bacteria-contaminated milk can lead to a potentially serious medical illness called Listeriosis. The food poisoning illness can lead to severe complications, especially for the very young and old as well as immunocompromised patients, such as those with cancer or other health problems. Pregnant women are also at serious risk for fetal injury or illness, according to obstetricians. The local department of health has demanded that the farm owner immediately stop selling the unsafe product. While the situation in this dairy is still unclear, some cases of Listeria can occur due to unclean facility practice or improper maintenance. Health and safety officials have strict guidelines for farms, food suppliers and shippers as well as for retail stores in order to prevent such dangerous situations. Further inspections and research into the source of the contamination with bacteria will be needed to clean up the facility and ensure a safe product. See this article for more about the hazardous product and potential Listeria outbreak concerns.

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

School bus accident leaves multiple injured victims

New York – A school bus crash in the Bronx left at least 18 accident victims. Witnesses report that a minivan broadsided the bus for an unknown reason, setting off a series of subsequent collisions. Reports show that the van accident was apparently caused by an unlicensed driver who hit the bus, possibly while speeding. One report noted that the driver of the vehicle that struck the bus may have ran a red light. Meanwhile, the initial crash made the bus driver lose control of his vehicle and sent the bus slamming into several other cars. The multi vehicle crash sent many of the injured teenagers to the hospital for evaluation. The extent of their wounds is unclear but a trauma specialist noted that some of the injuries may be latent and may require long-term evaluation and treatment. This can include joint injuries such as a shoulder injury or knee injury as well and neck and back pain. Crashes involving such a large and heavy vehicle such as a bus can cause more significant injury. However, sometimes even more important is that an accident victim may not have a seatbelt on during the crash. In fact, some buses don’t even have properly functioning seatbelts due to manufacturing and safety issues as well as improper maintenance. See this article for more details about the Bronx bus accident.

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

Medical malpractice involving medical devices and artificial intelligence

New York – The expanding world of medical devices or machines that use artificial intelligence introduces a new kind of risk of medical malpractice injury for unsuspecting patients. Modern medicine has spent many decades creating and perfecting the use of these devices, such as robotics, computer software and hardware. The hope was to eliminate human doctor error, hospital negligence or fatigue that plagues doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. However, research has shown that these devices and programs are far from foolproof and can actually cause medical mistakes, surgical error or injury and even wrongful death. Sometimes a false sense of security can be instilled in healthcare practitioners who overly rely on the new technology, leading to a delayed treatment due to a delayed diagnosis or even outright missed diagnosis.

Top New York medical malpractice lawyers have researched these issues and have fought hard for these injured patients. They explain that it is important to fully investigate who is responsible for the medical mistake or if any negligence was involved. It is usually necessary to look into the underlying development of the technology in question to determine if it was developed and manufactured according to accepted standards. In addition, there is still an element of human error or neglect if there was subsequent improper maintenance or lack of proper training. You can review more about these types of medical errors here.

Image for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Bonnie Jeffs [License]

New York EMT injured at work on emergency call

New York – This is the second time within a couple of weeks where we report about an emergency medical technician (EMT) who suffered a work injury. Once again we learn of a story of an ambulance worker who was assaulted while on-duty, this time by the patient. The EMT was pregnant herself and taking care of an injured but intoxicated man, when she was assaulted by the patient. The drunk man punched the pregnant EMT in her stomach and then fled the scene. The emergency responder suffered injuries during the attack and was taken to the hospital for evaluation and treatment. Meanwhile, her attacker ran away and is being searched for by police. An injury lawyer specialist in Manhattan explained that a claim will need to be filed with the worker’s compensation insurance carrier since the injury occurred on the job. Worker’s comp insurance is a requirement for employers to take care of injured workers or those who become sick due to their job. In addition, the attacker in this case can face both criminal charges for the assault as well as a personal injury lawsuit from the woman. This could include not just injuries to the woman herself but also injury to the fetus. This more recent assault on an EMT worker and possible fetal injury is further discussed in this article.

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

Patient and ambulance worker injured on the job during assault

New York – Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) often treat assault victims but this is a case of the EMT becoming the injury victim himself after being attacked by a driver. The incident began with an emergency ambulance crew who were treating a sick elderly man when a passing driver became agitated. The driver of the car yelled at and threatened the EMT since the ambulance was blocking the road. The enraged driver then hit the pedestrian EMT while the ambulance worker attempted to move his patient out of the way. Reports show that both the EMT and the patient in the stretcher were injured in the pedestrian accident. Sources say that the worker suffered a shoulder injury while the original sick patient suffered a leg injury with possible leg fracture. Both were taken to the hospital for treatment, including evaluation for broken bones. Police arrested the driver of the car and criminal charges against the man are pending. He is accused of road rage that led to a physical assault. It turns out that the driver of that car was actually a hospital worker himself. He now faces multiple problems, including the criminal court case, the possibility of losing his job at the hospital as well as a civil personal injury lawsuit from the accident victims. See this article to find out more about this assault with injuries car crash.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo by Eyone [Licensing cc-by-sa-2.5]

Minivan versus pedestrian accident kills one and injured others

New York – Emergency services were called to the scene of a van crash after it jumped the curb and crashed. The pedestrian accident occurred on a street in the Chinatown section of Manhattan and left extensive injuries for at least seven accident victims. Police report that all of the injured victims were pedestrians. One of the men suffered fatal injuries and died soon after he was hit by the minivan. Another two people suffered critical injuries and were rushed by ambulance crews to the hospital. The full nature of their injurie sare still unclear and they will require ongoing evaluation and care according to doctors.

Witnesses to the minivan accident have explained that the driver lost control and slammed into pedestrians on the sidewalk. Investigations are ongoing to determine if any negligence or reckless driving was involved that led to the accident. They note that the driver of the van had backed up down most of the block before veering into a crowd of people on the sidewalk. However, it is not believed that any criminal or deliberate acts took place. You can find out more details about this deadly car crash here.  

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo credit: Chris Sampson [License]

Harlem construction accident injures workers with falling crane

New York – Two construction workers were injured when a mini crane fell from the side of a building that they were working on. The falling crane accident occurred when one of the workers was operating the crane but was apparently not trained to do so. The crane was lifting a heavy glass panel when it fell forward and off the side of the open floor. It rolled over during the accident and fell several stories onto the ground below. The crane collapse left two ironworkers injured, including the man operating the machine. According to reports, the crane was not properly secured to the work surface as is required by safety operating guidelines. In addition, the construction company operating the device didn’t have the required safety permit and is under investigation. Supervisors for the construction employer have been arrested and are being charged for assault due to possible negligence that led to serious injuries of the workers.

Hospital officials report that the workers suffered life threatening injuries. These include a head injury with traumatic brain injury that left one of the workers fighting for his life. The other injury victim suffered spinal injuries. The neck and back injury can possibly leave the workman paralyzed and disabled. Investigations continue into the specifics of this accident and the following of safety regulations at the construction site. See this article for more about the roll over work site accident and investigation.

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

Truck accident leaves injured victims and one death in the Bronx

New York – Emergency workers responded to a van that rear-ended a truck on the Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx. The van accident left the female driver of the van dead and several other people injured. Friends note that the woman was pregnant at the time of the fatal crash. Two children in the vehicle were passengers in the back and suffered serious injuries. Reports show that construction debris and other scrap metal objects were being transported in the van at the time of the collision. It is believed that the flying debris during the impact is what caused the critical wounds and injuries to the child passengers. One teenage girl suffered a significant traumatic brain injury with bleeding in her brain. She has undergone surgery for this as well as for a broken spine and she remains in a coma. The extent of her spinal injuries are still unclear.

In addition, a front seat passenger of the van suffered injuries and was also taken to the hospital. Doctors say that he has a leg injury and will receive treatment. The truck that was hit from the rear left the truck driver also injured. He was evaluated and given emergency treatment. Investigators were continuing to assess the damage and the cause of the truck crash. Find out more about this rear end collision here.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo by Mohsan Dabiri-e Vaziri (Own work) [CC-BY-2.5], via Wikimedia Commons