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.
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Construction Safety Week 2025 is underway, and as New York construction accident attorneys, we urge every contractor, laborer, and site manager to take this moment seriously. The weeklong initiative—launched in partnership with OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Downconstruction workers moving equipment are at risk of struck by accidents—focuses this year on preventing falls, which remain the leading cause of death in the construction industry.

The 2025 theme, All in Together, is a timely reminder that safety is a shared responsibility. One lapse in protocol, one missing harness, or one ignored warning sign can lead to catastrophic injury or death. That’s why this Wednesday, May 7, companies across the U.S. and Canada are being asked to pause work and participate in the largest coordinated safety stand-down in the industry’s history.

From a legal perspective, we’ve seen far too many cases where a worker’s life was forever changed due to preventable falls from scaffolds, ladders, roofs, or other elevated surfaces. And in New York, under Labor Law §§ 240 and 241, contractors and property owners have a clear and non-delegable duty to provide proper fall protection. When they fail to do so, we step in to fight for justice.

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Accident sceneThe arrest of an ambulance driver nearly six months after a fatal crash in Manhattan has reignited serious questions about pedestrian safety — and accountability — in one of New York City’s most heavily trafficked corridors.

According to police, 69-year-old Miriam Reinharth was lawfully crossing W. 96th Street on November 12, 2024, when she was struck by an ambulance making a left turn from Amsterdam Avenue. Despite remaining on the scene and personally transporting Reinharth to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital, the driver, 28-year-old Juan Santana, was charged this week with failure to yield and failure to exercise due care.

As pedestrian accident attorneys in New York City, we know all too well how long it can take for criminal or civil accountability to catch up after a deadly crash — especially when the vehicle involved belongs to an emergency service. But let’s be clear: emergency vehicle drivers are still bound by rules of the road, and pedestrians have the right to cross safely, even when ambulances are operating under lights and sirens.

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Car Accidents, Bicycle Crashes, Pedestrian Knockdowns, and Construction Injuries Spike as New Yorkers Head Outdoors

As New York thaws from winter and the streets grow busier, personal injury claims tend to rise—often sharply—during the spring months. At Gair, Gcommon NY personal injuries in the springair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf, our attorneys have represented victims of serious accidents for more than 100 years. Below are the most common spring-related personal injury cases we see across New York City.

1. Car Accidents Increase with Holiday Travel and Wet Roads

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top-10-patient-safety-concern-ECRIAs medical malpractice attorneys representing patients across New York, We’ve witnessed the serious harm that can result when patients rely on false or misleading medical information.. Today, the widespread and viral nature of medical misinformation is not just a public health issue—it is a patient safety crisis.

According to the 2025 ECRI Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns report, one of the most urgent dangers in healthcare today is the “Wide Availability and Viral Spread of Medical Misinformation.” False or misleading health claims are being shared online faster than ever before—often outpacing efforts to stop them. Research has shown that false health claims are 70% more likely to be shared on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), and can spread up to six times faster than accurate information.

This viral spread of misinformation leads to real-world consequences:

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fatal-brokklyn-intersection-Scott-and-FlushingAs New York truck accident lawyers, we understand the devastating consequences that unsafe roadway design can have, not just for pedestrians and cyclists, but for drivers as well. A recent announcement by the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) to redesign a hazardous Bushwick intersection highlights a tragic reality: too often, meaningful safety improvements come only after a life has been lost.

Last August, 29-year-old motorcyclist Philippe Haussmann was fatally struck by a box truck driver at the intersection of Scott and Flushing Avenues in Bushwick. The collision took place at a complicated and confusing section of the roadway where poor visibility and unclear traffic controls have long posed a danger to motorists and non-motorists alike.

Following significant advocacy from Haussmann’s family and local officials, the DOT has proposed a series of long-overdue changes to improve safety in this critical area, which sits at the nexus of residential, commercial, and industrial zones along the Brooklyn-Queens border.

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Accident sceneAt Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf, we are deeply saddened to learn of two fatal pedestrian crashes that occurred in New York City this past Friday — tragic events that underscore the persistent dangers faced by pedestrians across the five boroughs.

Upper West Side: 57-Year-Old Pedestrian Fatally Struck by Ford Van

Early Friday morning, Patrice Brooks, a 57-year-old resident of the Upper West Side, was struck and killed by a Ford van while crossing the intersection at 86th Street and Broadway. According to the NYPD, Brooks was crossing diagonally at approximately 4:27 a.m. when the eastbound van, operated by a 41-year-old woman who had the green light, struck him.

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construction workers must be protectedConstruction remains one of the most hazardous industries in New York City, placing not only workers but also pedestrians and residents at risk when safety corners are cut. As NYC construction accident lawyers representing injured workers and families for decades, we have seen firsthand the devastating consequences of preventable site accidents. The recent announcement by the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) to create a new task force targeting risky construction sites is a critical step toward enhancing accountability and protecting lives.

According to CBS New York, DOB Commissioner Jimmy Oddo is launching an aggressive initiative to identify unsafe job sites and scrutinize the developers, contractors, and engineers responsible for them. The move comes in response to persistent safety failures, including high-profile collapses like the 2023 Bronx building disaster and more recent incidents involving crane mishandling in Midtown.

A Dangerous Industry with Preventable Tragedies

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Justin Diaz killed by a drunk driverThe recent arraignment of Michael Peña, a former FDNY firefighter accused of causing a fatal car crash in Kew Gardens while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, highlights the devastating consequences of reckless driving and the urgent need for accountability in our justice system.

On February 26, 2025, 23-year-old Justin Diaz (picture) was just a block and a half from his family’s home, driving to an early shift at LaGuardia Airport, when his life was tragically cut short. According to prosecutors, Peña—who was off-duty at the time—was traveling at 83 mph, nearly three times the speed limit, when he ran a red light at Northern Boulevard and 107th Street and slammed into Diaz’s vehicle. The crash proved fatal.

Our Queens car accident attorneys represent families devastated by senseless, preventable crashes like this one. No one expects that a loved one commuting to work will be killed by a driver allegedly intoxicated by alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine—especially not someone sworn to protect the public.

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IMG_4235-scaledIn a groundbreaking ruling, the New York Court of Appeals has eliminated a long-standing legal hurdle for dog bite victims. For the first time, individuals injured by dog attacks in New York can file negligence claims against dog owners—even if the animal had no known history of aggression.

A Departure from the Old Standard

Historically, New York law required victims to prove that a dog had “vicious propensities” and that the owner was aware—or should have been aware—of this dangerous behavior. Without clear evidence of prior attacks or threatening conduct, many victims were left with no legal recourse.