Bronx Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Tempers flared at the Gateway Shopping Center in the Bronx last month as livery cab drivers battle over their "turf." A shopping cart thrown from a walkway three stories off the ground landed on two men. Both victims were hospitalized with severe personal injuries from the falling object.

New York City is famous for its yellow taxicabs, those privately owned "medallion taxis" licensed by the city to pick up people who hail them on the street. Livery cabs - for-hire vehicles - are prohibited from picking up street hails and can legally pick up only those customers who call for car service through a dispatcher.

It is common knowledge that livery cab drivers hang out at malls, waiting for customers to hire them after they are done shopping. Unfortunately, as more and more of these illegal drivers vie for the fares of a limited number of shoppers, the field gets a bit crowded and fighting ensues.

A teen driver from the Chicagoland area who caused a motor vehicle accident that seriously injured an elderly couple was recently forbidden by a judge from attending the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

According to a story by The Chicago Tribune, the teen had not yet mailed court-ordered apology letters to the elderly couple involved in the accident, something that a judge cited in denying the teen's request to attend the music-industry event.

Last year, the teen pleaded guilty to reckless driving after he ran through a stop sign, causing a T-bone collision with the retired couple. One of the victims spent a week in the hospital intensive care unit to receive treatment for a lacerated liver and bile duct. She also suffered from broken facial bones, ribs and an arm, in addition to a partially severed tongue. The other victim, her husband, suffered a broken arm and leg.

When it comes to scaffolding and ladder mishaps, it's easy to think that only construction workers or those who regularly find themselves on worksites are the most prone to these kinds of accidents. However, here in New York City, pedestrians can unwittingly find themselves in the line of fire if construction companies fail to implement the necessary safety precautions.

To illustrate, consider an incident just last month involving a mother who was taking her 4-year-old daughter to school when they were both struck by a massive piece of debris that fell from scaffolding above them.

On January 25, Rochelle S., 39, and her daughter Jessica were walking underneath scaffolding erected in front of a residential building along E. 75th Street on the Upper East Side when a piece of plywood, measuring four-by-eight feet, suddenly came loose from the scaffolding 10 feet above them.

When employers fail to meet safety and health standards, they put employees at risk of injuries or even death. This, in turn, might lead to lawsuits that can have a devastating effect on the company's finances and reputation. As one New York company recently found out, violating safety rules can lead to burdensome expenses even if it does not lead to an accident.

After an inspection revealed 35 violations of workplace safety and health standards at the company's New York plant, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited the company and proposed a fine totaling over $146,000. According to Arthur Dube, OSHA's acting Albany-area director, hazards at the plant exposed employees to asbestos and lead and posed threats of electrocution, crushing, getting struck by objects, being caught in moving machine parts, eye and hand injuries, hearing loss and falls.

A young man killed in a motor vehicle accident gave life to more than 50 people via organ donations -- including his former Little League coach.

Ed. M. -- the 52-year-old coach who suffered from cirrhosis -- had been waiting for a liver transplant since last summer and was very far down on the last. However, things changed on January 21, after Dan G. -- the 24-year-old man he formerly mentored -- was involved in a serious car crash, striking the rear of a truck that had stopped on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the midst of blizzard-like conditions.

Dan G. -- who tragically died last Monday -- had checked off the organ-donor box on his driver's license, making his liver available for the donation in the event of a motor vehicle accident.

Ed M., who lives in the small town of Bergenfield, New Jersey, was not at all surprised to later learn of Dan G.'s heroic actions.

"I'm not shocked Danny did something like this," he said.

To a large extent, we rely on federal agencies to help keep us safe from dangers that we may not even know existed. For example, we rely on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to monitor pharmaceuticals, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to regulate unsafe products and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to oversee automobile safety. However, is the NHTSA properly equipped to detect issues with the complex electronic systems found in today's vehicles and help prevent serious motor vehicle accidents?

According to a new study, the answer is not entirely clear.

A young man was biking through Brooklyn when a truck driver took a right turn in front of him causing an accident that ultimately took the man's life. The truck driver was cited for failing to use a turn signal and failing to exercise due care.

Bicyclists must follow many of the same traffic laws as motorized vehicles. Unfortunately, when bikers are involved in car crashes, they are always at a disadvantage since they are not encased in metal as are occupants of vehicles. Even a minor accident can cause serious personal injuries, or even death.

Bikers have unique risks that other motorists do not. They are harder for other motorists to see because of their size and minor road hazards - such as loose gravel - can be very dangerous. Even something as minor as a brief rain shower can impair the rider's ability to steer or stop and has the added effect of distorting the vision of automobile drivers.

A major collapse at the construction site of a massive downtown Cincinnati casino resulted in injuries to at least seven workers last Friday morning. The construction accident has also prompted an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to assess the damage and evaluate the exact cause of the collapse.

According to reports, the collapse occurred on the third floor of the soon-to-be Horseshoe Casino, a $400 million project previously authorized by voters in Ohio. Workers were pouring concrete on the floor when a supporting beam suddenly collapsed, sending workers sliding down the building's structures.

"It went down in a 'V.' The workers on top rode it down," said Cincinnati Fire Chief Richard Braun.

Workers suffered a multitude of injuries, including lacerations, bruises, and even some broken bones. Fortunately, none of these injuries are considered life threatening.