Personal Injury Attorneys - Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island and the Bronx

In reviewing the many ways that New York City is planning for Hurricane Irene, including mandatory evacuations and a total shutdown of the subways and trains, it was noticed that there is a concern for the 26 tower cranes presently located in the city. 13 of the cranesare at the World Trade Center construction site. They are only built to withstand winds of 65 mph or less. They do not disassemble quickly and may not be able to be taken down in time for the storm. In light of the forecast for winds in excess of 65 mphthe cranes seem more like sitting ducks. Not that anyone needs to be told, people should stay far away from all Tagged with: Events Construction Accidents Crane Personal Injury Lawyer Accident Attorney

According to the New York City Police Department, police shot and killed eight subjects last year compared to 93 in 1971, the year to which reliable data on firearms discharges may be tracked. An additional16 were wounded last year - another record low. The number wounded in 1971 was 221. The record lows were recorded despite significant increases in the both the department's headcount and capacity of its firearms compared to the 1970s. There were approximately 4,000 fewer officers (31,000 total) on the force in 1971 compared to 35,000 last year. Prior to 1993, New York City police officers were armed with six-shot revolvers compared to today's 16-shot semiautomatic pistols. The preliminary 2010 figures show that officers logged a record low number of civilians shot and injured, 16

Over the past seven years, 109 children have been injured in elevator and escalator incidents in the City, including one fatal accident in 2008. In an effort to prevent injuries, since 2004, inspectors from the New York City Buildings Departments Elevators Unit have taught thousands of students how to safely ride the Citys 60,000 elevators and 2,200 escalators and what to do in the event of an emergency. This week, inspectors will be providing critical safety tips to more than 2,300 first, second and third graders in 16 schools throughout the Citys five boroughs. For the first time since the Departments annual educational prog

The 2010 National Distracted Driving Summit began this past Tuesday, September 21. This week (September 19-25) is Child Passenger Safety Week. Just prior to the Distracted Driving Summit U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that distracted driving-related crashes claimed 5,474 lives and led to 448,000 traffic injuries across the U.S. in 2009. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) research, distraction-related fatalities represented 16 percent of overall traffic fatalities in 2009 the same percentage as in 2008. Transportation Secretary LaHood also announced new anti-distracted driving regulations for drivers transporting hazardous materials,

Two deadly crane collapses in 2008, ignited furious investigations into the world of construction cranes and their safety, or lack thereof. Crane rigger William Rapetti has been indicted for manslaughter. Although not involved in the crane collapses, one investigation led to the guilty plea by James Delayo, the city's former chief crane inspector, pleaded guilty in March to approving cranes that he had not inspected, and issuing operators licenses to people who had not earned them. Nu-Way Crane Service owner Michael Sackaris pleaded guilty in May to paying one such bribe. Nu-Way employee Michael Pascalli guilty to a misdemeanor charge of filing a false document in exchange for probation. An inspector in Mr. Delayos unit was indicted on charges of lying about inspecting the Tagged with: Events Construction Accidents Construction Accident Crane Personal Injury Lawyer

In 2008, the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) created a permanent Task Force on Wrongful Convictions. The task force examined 53 cases where a defendant was wrongfully convicted of a crime but later exonerated. In a report issued last year, it concluded that wrongful convictions resulted from multiple factors including identification procedures, government practices, mishandling of forensic evidence, defense practices, the use of false confessions and the improper use of jailhouse informants. Based upon the findings and recommendations of the Task Force on Wrongful Convictions, the NYSBA earlier this month unveiled new legislation that would amend the Criminal Procedure Law in order to address the growing problem of wrongful convictions. Erroneous witnessident

May is NYC Bike Month. With the great weather earlier this month, it seemed like pedicabs, a tricycle with a 2-seated wagon, are coming out of the woodwork. As I cross the street from my office to Grand Central Station I see happy, relaxed passengers sitting in the back of pedicabs conversing with their driver. This is the first summer that the new rules concerning pedicabs are in effect. Taxi drivers and pedestrians have expressed pleasure with the results of the new rules that went into effect on November 30, 2009. But the industry itself may not be as pleased although its unhappiness may in partrelated to the economy. The rules require that all pedicabs be inspected, insured, registered, and equipped with seatbelts and tail lights and that all pedicab drivers be licensed by the Department of Consumer Affairs. T

On October 15, 2003, the Staten Island Ferry vessel Andrew J. Barberi missed its dock and hit a maintenance pier at full speed. Eleven people were killed and 71 injured, some critically. Yesterday the same ferry lost some of its engine ability to slow and stop and slammed into a pier. Nearly 40 people of the 252 people on board were taken to hospitals. People were treated for injuries including cuts, bruises, broken bones and head trauma. After the first crash, which resulted when the ships pilot became incapacitated and no other crew member was in position to help, the City of New York unsuccessfully tried to claim that its liability to those who sustained personal injuries was limited to the value of the vessel and pending freight pursuant to an 1851 federal statute. Had the City been successful, its liability would have been limited to $14.4 million, far less than what it has paid and will pay for the injuries sustained in that accident. The pilot, who had been i

The dead mans switch is a handle the subway operator must keep depressed while the train is in motion. If the train operator lets go, the train will stop immediately as if an emergency brake was pulled. Every subway train comes equipped with a dead mans switch. Last week a motorman of a G train in Long Island City was pulling out of the Court Square station when it suddenly stopped. The conductor walked to the cab and found the motorman unconscious, having suffered a fatal heart attack while the train was in motion. Because the train automatically stopped there were no injuries. In another incident, last Mondaytrack crew supervisor James Knell, 45, was electrocuted when he fell onto the electrified third rail on the elevated Rockaway Shuttle.Under NYC Transit's own safety rules, Knell shouldn't have been working near the uncovered third rail because of the wet conditions tha

One of our negligent security cases, Benson v. Monte Carlo, LLC, (Nassau County, Supreme Court Index # 016489/2007) made the front page of today's New York Law Journal. We successfully opposed the defendant's motion for summary judgment, and an article appears in the newspaper discussing the decision of Hon. Thomas Feinman, dated February 23, 2010, that denied the motion. Our clien