Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf is a New York Plaintiff's personal injury law firm specializing in automobile accidents, construction accidents, medical malpractice, products liability, police misconduct and all types of New York personal injury litigation.

Articles Tagged with personal injury nyc

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57 pedestrians, 21 bicyclists and 289 motor vehicle occupants were injured in a car accident between 2010 and 2014 at the intersection of Atlantic Ave and Flatbush Ave in Brooklyn, New York City. 5 people also died in crashes at this same location between 2008 and 2016. This busy intersection is one of the most dangerous in New York City and the Department of Transportation wants to make it safer. Last week the DOT presented  a study of the actual traffic conditions at this intersection and proposals to make it safer. As of now, pedestrian crossings are extremely long, the traffic is heavy and often conflicting with pedestrians while turning. Bike lanes do no connect, taxi and buses block the traffic while dropping passengers and the sidewalk design is not appropriate. The intersection is very dangerous. The DOT proposes not only to redesign the intersection of of Flatbush Ave and Atlantic Ave but also the Flatbush Ave intersections near Hanson Place and Ashland place. Among the changes, the plan includes the addition of pedestrian islands and curb extensions to reduce the crossing distances as well some blocks being converted to pedestrian areas and new signalization. The complete study can be downloaded here

Dangerous Intersection NYC

Picture courtesy of Google Map

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left turn crashes study DOT NYCIn New York City, left turn accidents account for 19% of the crashes that kill or severely injure (KSI) pedestrians and bicyclists compared to 6% for right turns.

At most New York intersections drivers are permitted to tun left while pedestrians are in the crosswalk. While pedestrians have a false sense of security because they are in a crosswalk, left turn drivers often concentrate  on on coming traffic while turning and fail to look for pedestrians. Additionally because they can be taken at a wider angle, motorists tend to take left turns at a higher speed than right turns.

From 2010 to 2014, 108 pedestrians and bicyclists were killed by drivers turning left in New York City, that’s more than 20 people every year and almost two people every month.

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accident locationA 22 year old man was severely injured in a car accident in New York City. The young man was struck by a car at the intersection of Dry Harbor Road and Woodhaven Blvd in Queens (see Gooogle map picture) last Friday morning around 4:4o am. The driver who hit him never stopped and the police are still looking for him. As the victim was lying on the ground in the middle of the road, a second driver didn’t see him immediately and struck him a second time. He then dragged him under his car for a block until he realized what happened and stopped. The driver stayed at the scene of the accident and wasn’t charged. The young man was transported to the hospital in critical condition. He survived the accident and according to the NY Daily News he is now in stable condition.

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car obstructing bike laneBicyclists riding in New York City have an increased risk of being injured or dying in a bike accident when a car or a truck is blocking their bike lane. The cyclists have to merge into traffic to pass the vehicle blocking the bike lane therefore  increasing their risk of being struck by another vehicle.  People who are commuting by bike in New York City are facing this problem on a daily basis. Bicyclist advocates have been voicing their complaints about this dangerous matter on regular basis and the NYPD listened to them.  This spring the “Bicycle Safe Passage” enforcement initiative was launched. The idea of the initiative is that over several periods of one week during the year the NYPD would focus on ticketing all vehicles blocking the bike lanes or not yielding to bicyclists. This week marks the third week of the operation for this year. During the previous operation last month, the police ticketed 1,757 motorists blocking the bike lane and 810 who didn’t yield to bicyclists. However according to Streetblog, police were also ticketing bicyclists rather than focusing their effort on protecting them.

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The reckless driver of a BMW who killed a mother and severely injured her daughter in a car accident in New York City and ran away has been arrested by the police. Last Sunday 58 year old Jairam Budhu was driving  his BMW with a suspended license at twice the authorized speed limit when he blew a right light and crashed into another car killing a mother and critically injuring her daughter. He then fled the scene of the accident on foot leaving in his car a passenger who was also injured. He was found by the police while having a drink on his porch at 8:00 am on Sunday morning. He was arrested and charged with manslaughter, assault, criminally negligent homicide, leaving the scene of an accident and unlicensed operation of a car. Read more in the NY Daily News

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A mother died and  her daughter was seriously injured in a car accident in New York City yesterday. The 41-year-old woman was riding in a car driven by her husband.  She and  Her 9-year-old daughter were sitting in the backseat. A 71-year-old man  was riding in the car with them in the front passenger seat. They were driving north on 130th Street in South Ozone Park in Queens around 5:00 pm. As they drove  through the intersection of 115th Ave, a speeding BMW  that just blew a red light crashed into them violently. Witnesses said it  sounded like a bomb.  The impact was so strong that the mother and the daughter were ejected  from the car and landed on the street. The mother died and the daughter was seriously injured. The father as well as the passenger were also injured but in stable condition. The driver of the BMW ran away leaving behind him an injured passenger. Read more in the NY Daily News 

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A man in his 70s suffered serious injury after being struck by a tractor-trailer truck in Queens, NYC. The man was crossing Jamaica Ave. near 168th Street around noon when he was hit by a dairy truck. His legs got pinned under the wheels and were severely mangled. An airbag was used by the first responders to lift the wheel from the man’s leg. He was then transported to the hospital. The pedestrian suffered massive leg injury but he was expected to survive. The truck driver who stayed at the scene of the accident wasn’t charged.

Read more in the NY Daily News

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crashIGA driver died and a pedestrian was injured in a NYC car accident involving a cell phone thief who was involved in a high-speed chase by the police. After allegedly steeling a cell phone at the Queens Village Auto Body shop on Hempstead Avenue, 51 year old Derrick Perkins fled in his BMW. The police were alerted about the theft and Perkins was identified by plainclothes officers in an unmarked car. The police officers tried to stop his car but the man fled. A chase followed. At the intersection of 225th Street and Linden Boulevard, the suspect ran a red light and hit a car.  The impact was so strong that the car careened onto the sidewalk striking a 29 year old pedestrian. The pedestrian suffered a leg injury and was transported to the hospital. The innocent car driver 78-year-old Roxina Clayton was killed in the accident.

The NYPD Patrol Guide states, “Department Policy requies that a vehicle pursuit be terminated whenever the risks to uniformed members of the service and the public outweigh the danger to the community if  suspect is not immediately apprehended.” Among the factors to be considered is the nature of the offence.

Read more in the Gothamist .

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dementia-595638_960_720A New York City nursing home security guard punched an 83 year old woman suffering from Alzheimer’s in the face. 55 year old Michael Adagba was working as a security guard at the Vanderbilt Nursing Home on Castleton Ave. in Tompkinsville, Staten Island last Friday. Around 7:30 p.m. an 83 year old Alzheimer’s patient tried to exit the building.  Exit seeking is a type of wandering that is common among patients suffering from Alzheimer’s. Often the patient is trying to return to a secure place, a home, a family or a workplace. Nursing home staff including security guards are taught to address this type of wandering in a peaceful way . They are supposed to be trained to talk to wandering patients in a friendly way, to make them feel secure.   The Alzheimer’s Association recommends that staff  listen to the reasons why a patient wants to exit and not contradict him or her but propose to go out a little later and then find a way to distract the patient. It seems like Michael Adagba didn’t have much training or experience in working with Alzheimer’s patients. So instead of trying to calm down the 83 year old patient and talking to her in a friendly way, he just punched her in the face. The poor woman suffered swelling and bruises on her face, head and body . Micheal Adagba is facing charges of felony and misdemeanor assault and harassment.

Read more in the NY Daily News

Picture: courtesy of Pixabay

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NYPD3 NYPD officers were injured in a car crash in New York City. The three cops were driving in an unmarked car on  Linden Blvd. near Sutphin Blvd. in South Jamaica, Queens. They were responding to a shooting and they had the lights and sirens on. On a nearby street 25 year old Edward Howard was driving his car while smoking a joint. He made a left turn on Linden Blvd at the same time the police car was crossing the intersection and he T-boned the police car.

The impact was so strong that the police car  careened into another parked car. The 3 cops  suffered personal injury  and were transported to the hospital. The stoned driver had watery eyes and an unfinished joint was found in the car’s cup holder.

Read more in the NY Daily News