Wrongful Death

Published on: February 18, 2015

A pedestrian who was struck by a car in Queens, NYC, at the begining of the month, died from his injuries

On February 4th, around 11 pm, Marco Orellana was hit by a car on North Conduit Avenue near JFK airport. He was transported to the hospital in critical condition. The police announced yesterday that the man died from his injuries on February 11th. The police also said that they were still investigating the accident. During the accident, The 32 year old driver first struck the pedestrian and then rear-ended a parked car. He stayed at the scene and wasn’t charged. Read more in NewsDay

Published on: February 18, 2015

In case of a car accident, the Buick Encore and the Chevrolet Trax are the cars that will provide the most protection to their occupants according to recent crash tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

By GGCRBHS&M

When a car accident occurs, some cars are safer than others and will protect occupants from severe personal injury or death more effectively. The Buick encore and its cheaper version, the Chevrolet Trax just earned the Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. To qualify for Top Safety Pick a car must earn a “good” or “acceptable” rating for small overlap protection and a “good” rating in the institute’s moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint crash tests. The 2015 Encore received the highest score (“good”) in the small overlap crash test compared to the 2014 model which was rated “poor” in the same test a year before. The small overlap test replicates a collision during which the front corner of a car hits another car or an object such as a light pole or a tree. Read more in the IIHS press release

Published on: January 28, 2015

A driver who fatally struck a pedestrian who was crossing the road in the crosswalk was charged with failing to exercise due care and driving without a license

By GGCRBHS&M

The NYPD announced they have charged a 60 year old driver who killed a 27 year old pedestrian in Brooklyn at the end of December. Raul Leone-Vasquez was hit in the crosswalk by Simcha Rosemblatt as he was crossing Bay Pkwy at Bath Ave in Bath Beach, Brooklyn, NYC. He was rushed to the hospital where he died two days later of his injuries.

Read more in the NY Daily News

Published on: January 28, 2015

To prevent personal injury or death related to defective automated external defibrillators, the FDA just announced that manufacturers will now be required to submit premarket approval applications for their new products

By GGCRBHS&M

When a person is injured or dies because of an automated external defibrillator failure, it is often the result of a defective design or a manufacturing flaw such as the inadequate quality control of outsourced components. Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are usually stored in public places and ready for use if someone suddenly suffers from a life threatening cardiac arrhythmia. Unfortunately these medical devices have a history of malfunctions. In the last 10 years the FDA received more than 72,000 medical reports associated with defective AEDs. During the same period of time, 111 recalls were conducted affecting more than two million defective products.

Therefore the FDA decided to take additional steps to improve the quality of these products. The agency issued a final order that will require AED manufacturers to submit premarket approval applications (PMAs), which undergo a more rigorous review than what was required to market these products in the past.

Read the FDA press release here

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Published on: January 23, 2015

A 69 year old pedestrian died after being struck by a car in Queens, New York

By GGCRBHS&M

A 57 year old woman was driving on Bell Boulevard near Estates lane in Bayside when she accidentaly hit a 69 year old woman who was trying to cross the street. The accident happened around around 5:30 pm. The victim was rushed to the hospital but she couldn’t be saved and died from her injuries. The driver remained at the scene of the accident and wasn’t charged with any criminal offense.

Construction worker dies after falling in an elevator shaft in Manhattan

By GGCRBHS&M

UWS%20construction%20site.jpg A construction accident 0n the Upper West Side led to the death of a 61 year old worker. The man was working on the renovation of a landmark townhouse on 70th street near Columbus Avenue when he fell down the shaft of the elevator from the second floor to the first one. He was transported to the hospital where he died from his injuries.

Read more in the NY Daily News

Published on: January 21, 2015

One man died and seven people suffered personal injury in a five alarm fire in Brooklyn, NYC

By GGCRBHS&M

A man who couldn’t reach the fire escape died after he jumped from a fourth floor window and seven other people were injured, including one critically after a fire broke out at the Flatbush Hardware store in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.

The man who died is Bassam Awad. He lived on the top floor of the building and owned a deli nearby. He tried to get to the fire escape but the flames were too intense so he decided to jump out of a window. He was married and had two children, ages 18 and 23. Another person is in critical condition and two others suffered serious burn injuries. Two civilians and two police officers were treated at the scene for minor injuries and smoke inhalation.

Read more in the NY Daily News

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Published on: January 19, 2015

A pedestrian plunged to his death in Brooklyn, NYC, after he walked on a cellar door that collapsed under him

By GGCRBHS&M

In New York, poorly maintained cellar doors leading to death or injury can result in premises liability against the owner of a building. It’s the nightmare of every New Yorker. Yesterday a man in his 30’ies fell 12 feet and died after walking on a metal cellar door on Bedford Ave in Brooklyn, NYC. The doors were leading to the basement of an abandoned building.

Red more in the New York Daily News

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Published on: January 16, 2015

The National Transportation Safety Board just released the Most Wanted List that represents the agency’s advocacy priorities to reduce personal injuries and deaths related to transportation accidents

By GGCRBHS&M

most%20wanted.jpg Transportation accidents are killing and injuring thousands of people every year. Many of these accidents are preventable.

To support and increased awareness of the most critical changes needed to reduce these accidents the NTSB is releasing every year its most wanted list.

This year, distracted driving caused by portable electronic devices (PEDs) is at the top of this list, followed by substance impairment while operating a vehicle and helicopter safety. Implementation of train control, improvement of rail tank car safety, increased safety in mass transportation, prevention of loss of control in non-airline flights, medical fitness for duty, strengthening of commercial trucking safety and strengthening procedural compliance among airlines are the other priorities on the NTSB Most Wanted List.

Published on: January 14, 2015

Honda just got fined a record amount of $70 million for not reporting 1729 death and injury claims as well as warranty claims but the fine seems modest compared to the $1.5 billion operating profit the car company recorded between July and September

By GGCRBHS&M

Death, injury and warranty claims can serve as an early warning of defects or other problems in a car and manufacturers are required by law to submit this information to the government. For the last 11 years, Honda consistently under reported these claims and was fined $70 million for not doing so (see Honda Fined for Violations of Safety Law).Even though this penalty is the highest amount ever fined a car manufacturer by the federal regulators it still seems very modest in comparison to the revenue of the giant car manufacturers. The Obama administration wants to raise the maximum fine to $300 million but would that be enough?