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.
Published on:

accident sceneTwo people were seriously injured in bicycle accidents in New York City yesterday. One accident occurred in Brooklyn, the other one in Manhattan. In the first accident, a reckless driver slammed into a bicyclist near the intersection of Washington Ave and Willoughby Ave in Fort Green. The impact was so intense that the bicyclist landed on the hood of the blue four-door Subaru that struck him. He then crashed into the windshield as the driver kept on going. The bicyclist suffered critical injury. He was rushed to the hospital. He is expected to survive. The car was found a few blocks away. The police are still looking for the hit and run driver. (Read more in the NY Daily News)

In the second accident, a NYPD cruiser collided with a bicyclist in Manhattan. The accident occurred near Union Square by the intersection of Fifth Ave and 14th Street. The cruiser was responding to suspicious package alert. According to the police the cruiser was traveling at a low speed in the middle of the street with the siren on when their cruiser struck the bicyclist who was riding in the opposite direction. The 43-year old bicyclist suffered head trauma and was transported to the hospital. He was reported in critical but sable condition.The police cruiser stayed at the scene of the accident. (Read more in the NY Daily News)

Also early this morning a 30-year-old motorcyclist died after crashing into the back of a truck delivering bread. The accident occurred on Broadway near Arion Place under the elevated Subway tracks in Buschwick, Brooklyn. The police are still investigating the exact cause of the accident. (Read more in the NY Daily News)

Published on:

ACL InjuryKnee injury and  anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury  are particularly common among young athletes.  As children are heading back to school, parents as well as coaches should be aware that high school athletes are the population the most at risk of suffering ACL injury.  Recent studies show that the number of ACL injuries in young athletes has been increasing annually by an average 2.3% over the last 20 years. 16 year old female athletes practicing Basketball, Soccer and Lacrosse have the highest risk of suffering ACL tears followed by 17 year old male athletes practicing Football, Lacross and Soccer. ACL injury often requires reconstructive surgery and the recovery takes months.

As young athletes are heading back to school and are getting ready to participate in various sports activity, parents should check with the school or with the coaches if an injury prevention program is included in preseason or season training. According to recent studies these types of programs have proven to be effective in reducing the number of ACL injuries. They usually include plyometric (such as jump training) and balance exercises on top of the traditional strengthening and stretching sessions.  For example during such injury prevention programs young athletes are taught how to properly jump and land in positions that reduce the strain on the knee.

To prevent re-injury, ACL Injury Prevention programs should also be incorporated in return-to-sport training after an ACL reconstruction. According to statistics, young athletes who suffered ACL  tears have a 91% rate of return to sport however 32% of them will suffer re-injury. Additionally sufficient recovery time is crucial as athletes who return too fast to sport have a high risk of re-injuring themselves.

Published on:

FDNY fighting NYC home fireA couple died and their 17 year old daughter was injured in a home fire in Brooklyn, NYC. 61 year old Howard Gluck and 59 year old Evelyn Gluck as well as their 17 year old daughter were sleeping in their two-story home located on 44th Street between Fort Hamilton Parkway and 12th Avenue  in Borough Park, when a fire broke out on the first floor and spread to the second floor around 3:45 am yesterday morning. The FDNY told the media that the fire had probably been going for a while until someone noticed it and called 911. By the time the firefighters arrived, the fire had already engulfed the stairwells.  The couple was found unconscious in a back bedroom on the second floor of the house. They were rushed to the hospital but it was too late and they both passed away. Their daughter was found on the roof of the porch and rescued by the firefighters. She suffered injury and was also transported to the hospital to be treated. She is now in stable condition. The daughter survived because she was able to climb out to a first floor landing before being rescued by the firefighters.

The Glucks had been living in their house for nearly 40 years. They were the first Jewish family to move into the neighborhood and beloved members of a tight knit community. Everybody was in shock yesterday in the neighborhood. Maureen Weiner, who had been living in the house next to them for almost 40 years as well was devastated by the news. She said they were the nicest people.

138 firefighters were called to the rescue to keep the blaze under control and make sure it didn’t spread to neighboring houses. 3 firefighters also suffered minor injury in the exercise of their duty. According to the fire marshals the fire was accidental and caused by “careless cooking/grill”.  There were no smoke detectors installed in the house.

Published on:

A FDNY truck crashed into two cars in New York City on Saturday injuring 7 people including a child.  The accident occurred in Queens at the intersection of Booth Memorial Ave and Kissena Blvd. The fire truck was on its way to a fire in Flushing and its sirens were on.  The fire truck hit a Lexus SUV. The Lexus SUV then ricocheted into a Mercedes SUV.  The Mercedes flipped over on its side. A total of 10 people were injured in the firetruck crash. 7 of them were transported to the hospital with serious injuries. Among them a child and an adult were critically injured. 3 other people including a firefighter were treated for minor injuries at the scene of the accident.

According to a study, there are around 30,000 firetruck crashes every year in the U.S. Firetruck crashes are also the second leading cause of death of on-duty firefighters. In New York City alone, there are between 20 and 40 crashes every month.

 

Published on:

accident scene5 people were injured after a speeding driver crashed into a pole in Queens, NYC, early Saturday.  The 26-year-old driver of a white Chevrolet Sonic was speeding on 31st Ave in Elmhurst, Queens, when he lost control of his vehicle. He crashed into a traffic light pole located in front of a CVS at the intersection of 54th Street. The impact was so violent that the car was totally destroyed. Luckily the police arrived quickly at the scene of the accident. They were able to pull  the driver and the passengers out of the vehicle before it caught fire.In addition to the driver, there were 4 other occupants  in the car. A 19 year old boy was sitting in the front passenger seat. A 17 year old girl and an 18 year old girl were sitting in the back with a 20-year-old man.  The driver was in critical condition. All the passengers were also seriously injured but in stable condition. All 5 were rushed to a nearby hospital. The police believe that not only speed but also alcohol was a factor in the accident. Read more in the NY Daily News

 

Published on:

accident sceneA 6 year old pedestrian was seriously injured in a car accident in Brooklyn, NYC. Haroon Ali Khan was chasing a basketball when he was hit by a car on East 33rd Street near Filmore Ave. He was rushed to the hospital in critical but stable condition. The driver of the car stayed at the scene of the accident and wasn’t charged.  (Read more in the NY Daily News)

Later on Friday, another pedestrian was fatally hit by a tractor trailer truck. The truck accident occurred on the Clearview Expressway near 46th Ave in Auburndale, Queens, NYC. The pedestrian was trying to cross the busy highway when the accident occurred. The truck driver tried to swerve to avoid the pedestrian but he couldn’t avoid him. The pedestrian was rushed to the hospital but he couldn’t be saved. The truck driver stopped and remained at the scene of the accident. He wasn’t charged. (Read more in the NY Daily News)

Published on:

aerial view of drunk driving accident locationA man died in an accident after a drunk driver lost control of his SUV and crashed into a parked backhoe on a NYC highway. The man who died was identified as Abe Prior, a 30-year-old resident of Norwalk, Connecticut. He was among the 3 passengers of a car driven by 30-year-old Jorge Viteri, also from Norwalk, Connecticut. Police said Viteri was  intoxicated at the time of the accident. He is now in custody. The accident occurred yesterday night around 6:30 pm on the Bruckner Expressway in the Bronx, NYC.  The SUV was heading North. As the SUV approached exit 7 C, the driver tried to change lanes. He hit a barrier and crashed into a large construction vehicle that was parked on the white lined center median between the Bruckner Expressway and the Throgs Neck Expressway (see picture on the left) . The impact was intense. All occupants were injured and rushed to the hospital. Abe Prior didn’t survive and died from his injuries while at the hospital. The two other passengers were expected to survive. The driver only suffered minor injuries and was arrested by the police. We question why such a large construction vehicle was left parked on the center median on a weekend. An accident such as this should have been anticipated. Read more on CBS News .

Published on:

spray foam insulation can be dangerous for construction workersConstruction workers using spray-foam insulation are exposed to chemicals that can lead to asthma and skin conditions if they don’t use adequate protection. Spray foam insulation is one of the most popular choices for home owners to save energy, however some of the chemicals used to make the foam are detrimental to human health.

Spray polyurethane foam contains isocyanates and flame retardant TCPP than can cause severe breathing and skin problems. In a recent webinar from the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR)  Dhimiter Bello, ScD, MSc; Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts Lowell explained the results of recent studies and summarized the risks of exposure to dangerous chemicals in spray foam insulation associated with current work practices.

Overall airborne exposure to spray foam insulation are usually below OSHA recommended levels but some risks are still unknowns and under evaluation (see blog from Center for Disease Control and Prevention).  The risk of dermal exposure is elevated for both exposure to isocyanates and TCPP and is a major concern when using SPF applications. Nitrile gloves as well as breathable coveralls such as Tyvek or PP provide construction workers with significant protection when used during spray-foam insulation applications. It is important that Nitrile gloves be at least 5 mil. thick to provide a better resistance to wear and tear.

Published on:

640px-Penn_Station_NYC_main_entranceThis morning a train derailed in New York City causing morning commute delays. This accident occurred early this morning at Penn Station as thousands were on their way to work.  Thankfully nobody was injured as there were no passengers on the train. The conductor and the motorman were the only ones on board. They didn’t sustain any injury. The train was a New Jersey Transit Train. It had just pulled up from the Yard when the accident occurred.  The train cars blocked several tracks before being lifted back to their track causing delays. Since the month of May 4 trains derailed in Penn Station. Penn Station is considered the busiest train hub in America. This summer the tracks are undergoing a massive 8 week project to replace aging tracks and signals. Commuters nicknamed the project “summer of hell” but most of them are tolerated as long as the project continues. This morning there was also a small fire in a train tunnel between Queens and Grand Central Station that forced commuters to find alternate ways to get to work.

Published on:

Bob Simon died in a car accidentOur New York Personal Injury Law Firm is pleased to announce that our partner Howard Hershenhorn succeeded in resolving the Bob Simon wrongful death case on behalf of his widow Francoise Anne-Marie Simon against the defendant Skyline Credit Ride Limousine. The amount is confidential. The CBS “60 minutes” correspondent died in a car accident in February, 2015 after his limo driver lost control of his vehicle on the West Side Highway. Howard  told the New York Post: “The family is relieved that this portion of the case is behind them”.

On February 11 2015 around 7 pm, Bob Simon was on his way to a conference downtown. He was riding a Skyline Credit Ride Limousine  driven by Reshad Abdul Fedahi, a 44-year-old limo driver. Fedahi was speeding down the West Side Highway when he side-swiped a Mercedes-Benz, lost control of his car and hit a metal post. The impact was so strong that the car was completely destroyed. Rescuers pried open the roof to extract the occupants. Simon was found unresponsive with head and stomach injuries. He was rushed to the hospital.

Prior to the fatal accident, Skyline Credit Ride Limousine fired Fedahi after several client complaints but re-hired him after a management change in October, 2014.  At the time he had two moving violations on his regular drivers license: one for speeding and one for “disobeying a traffic device. He  he also had his license suspended 9 times in the past. Additionally Fedahi lost the use of his left arm after a previous suicide attempt during which he jumped from a building in Brooklyn. The company shouldn’t have re-hired him.