Month: April 2016

Large Trucks Continue to Cause Big Problems on the Road

Trucking accidents can cause serious injuries and death.  If this year is any indication, accidents involving large trucks have the potential to claim more lives than all domestic commercial airline fatalities during the past 45 years.  Some believe that Congress should reform current laws to be stricter on the trucking industry.

Recently, Congress’ actions seemed to sidestep safety improvements that were ordered by federal regulators.  Instead of the current 70 hours of driving time over an eight-day period, Congress is advocating to increase it to 82 hours over a seven-day period.  Additionally, Congress has suspended the mandatory two consecutive early-morning … Read the rest

Investigation into Workers Death Leads to Indictment of Subcontractor

The April 6, 2015 death of a construction worker at a Ninth Avenue New York City construction site has initiated an investigation into the owner of Sky Materials Corporation, an excavating subcontracting company.  After an extensive investigation, owner Michael Cholowsky was indicted for concealing payroll information and submitting false documents regarding the number of employees he hired.  The charges are first degree workers’ compensation fraud, and filing false statements, along with other criminal charges stemming from the construction accident.

During the April 2013 to April 2014 time period, Mr. Cholowsky allegedly falsely reported to the New York State Insurance Fund … Read the rest

New York Department of Health Fails to Enforce Nursing Home Fines

New York has approximately 631 nursing homes, where the majority of residents are senior citizens.  The New York Department of Health (DOH), under Governor Cuomo’s Administration, oversees the state’s nursing homes to make sure regulations are followed, and is the enforcement agency when it comes to violations.

Recently, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced the results of the state audit. The DOH has not been consistently enforcing fines for nursing home violations, in some cases delaying for up to six years from the citation date to when the fine is imposed.  Although DOH properly conducted surveys under … Read the rest

City Raises Fines for Safety Violations at Construction Sites

In the wake of a recent accident in which a crane fell, killing a passerby, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Department of Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler announced new rules to ensure the safety of those working at or walking by a construction site.  This includes an increase in monetary fines.  Mayor de Blasio said these measures are necessary because “no building is worth a person’s life.”

With numerous safety provisions already in place, the spotlight is now on stricter enforcement.  As part of the new plan, there will be a greater number of inspections, especially … Read the rest