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 Posted in Auto Accidents

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At around 4:00 am Sunday morning Kevin Melgar, 23, was driving his 2004 Infiniti on Sunrise Highway against traffic. He apparently was speeding for approximately 7 miles the wrong way when he crashed into a van operated by 49-year-old Ozcan ‘John’ Ayyildiz which was proceeding the right way. Both drivers were killed as a result of the impact. According to ABC News Ayyildiz was a flower deliveryman, and was on his way to work when the wrong-way car slammed into his van. He is survived by his wife and 3 daughters. 25-year-old Johnathan Valladarez was a passenger in the Infinity. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition. While the police were investigating the accident a street sweeper drove thru the closed area of the accident striking 2 police cars. Fortunately none of the officers suffered serious injuries. The car accident is under investigation. Read more at ABC News.

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A hit and run livery cab driver who injured an 11 year old boy in a car accident was recently found by investigators in Germany. 37 year old Djanfarou Tough struck a young pedestrian in the Bronx in 2013. He not only fled the scene of the accident but also the country. He first flew from JFK to Africa and was recently found in Germany. Brought back to the Bronx Supreme Court, the man was arraigned on charges of leaving the scene of a crash and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. The young boy hasn’t fully recovered from his injuries but at least he will get justice. Read more in the NY Daily News

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Clarence Ditlow, a very influential and effective activist who protected consumers from unsafe vehicles died from colon cancer on November 10. He was 72 years old.

Clarence Ditlow who started as a lawyer for Ralph Nader’s Public Interest Research Group in 1971 had been at the head of the Center for Auto Safety for the last 40 years.  A lawyer and an engineer, Ditlow dedicated his life to improve the safety of anyone driving or riding a car. A workaholic who received only a modest salary, he spent his life going after negligent automakers and complaisant regulators.

Tirelessly assembling evidence about the causes of car accidents and the injuries or deaths resulting from these crashes, he exposed safety defects in millions of motor vehicles. His work lead to massive safety recalls and saved an untold number of consumers from deadly accidents.  He was considered the “guardian angel” of American motorists.

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A 59 year old man is in critical condition after he was struck by a car in New York City. The accident took place on Sunday around 5.20 pm. The pedestrian was crossing Ralph Ave at the intersection of Macon Street when a car hit him. The driver didn’t stop. The pedestrian was transported to the hospital in critical condition. The police are still looking for the car which may possibly be a red sedan. Read more in the NY Daily News

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A 11 year old boy suffered critical injury in a NYC car accident. The young boy was crossing the street at the intersection of Willets Point Blvd and 148th Street in Flushing when a SUV struck him. A witness said she saw the boy flying and then falling on the ground. The boy was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Further investigation will determine the exact cause of the accident. Read more in the NY Daily News 

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accident sceneA 17 year old driver accidentally killed his grandmother in a car accident in New York City on Sunday.  The young man who lives in Queens with his parents and grandparents was about to take the family to church when the accident occurred.  As he backed up in the narrow driveway of their home, Jadesh struck his grandmother who had stepped into the path of the car. 75 year old Chandravti Lakhan was transported to the hospital in critical condition. She couldn’t be saved.  According to the neighbors, the whole family is very united. The parents  and the grandparents live together  with 5 children in a house located on 267th St. near 83rd Ave in Queens, NYC. It wasn’t uncommon for Jadesh to take his grandparents out.  The whole family was visibly distraught by the tragedy.

Read more in the NY Daily News

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A NYC cop was injured in a car accident involving a livery cab driver at a New York Airport. Tuesday afternoon around 1:00 pm, 30 year old Macias Rubio, a livery cab driver was looking for customers at Laguardia Aiport . As he was negotiating a fare with a potential customer, a police officer approached him. The officer put his head through the open window of Rubio’s car and started talking to him. Rubio sped off and dragged the police officer with him. After a short distance, the livery cab driver, stopped. He got out of his car and ran away. He was chased by other cops and arrested. The officer suffered several injuries in the accident. Read more in the NY Daily News

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methShaun Martin was high on PCP and Meth when he crashed his car into a New York grocery store and killed the florist standing outside. Two other workers were also injured in the crash. He was convicted of murder last July (see previous blog). On Friday, the 35 year old man appeared in front of Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Melissa Jackson. He was sentenced to 20 years to life.

In 2013 Shaun Martin was drunk and high on Meth and PCP when he decided to drive his car in the East Village. He jumped the curb at more than 90 mph and crashed into the flower stand of a grocery store located on Second Ave and E. 4th Street. 62 year old Mohammed Akkas Ali died in the car accident. He was the florist at the grocery store. He was about to finish his shift when the accident occured.  Read more in the NY Daily News

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9 pedestrians were killed in NYC car accidents last year during the 8 days following the end of the Daylight Saving Time. All the victims were between 55 and 88 years old.  6 of the 9 accidents occurred after sunset. According to data collected between 2010 and 2014, the number of pedestrians dying or being severely injured in car accidents increased by 40% during the last 3 months of the year. Statistics also indicate that crashes involving turns are doubling during the colder and darker months of the year.

As Daylight Saving Time ends this week-end, a $1.5 million Vision Zero campaign will be launched this Friday by the mayor’s office to prevent pedestrian deaths during the most dangerous period of the year.

Yesterday Bill de Blasio was joined by Transportation Commissioner Trottenberg, Aging Commissioner Corrado, Commissioner and Chair of the Taxi and Limousine Commission Joshi and NYPD Chief Chan at One Police Plaza to present the new pedestrian safety campaign to the press.

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92-20 Astoria Boulevard view from Goggle mapAn infant died in a car accident last week in Queens. 8 month old Navraj Raju was in a stroller pushed by his mother last Thursday morning when he was struck by a van. The mother and the infant were on the sidewalk when the driver of the van backed out of a driveway and hit the stroller. The van driver was unlicensed. The car accident occurred at 92-20 Astoria Boulevard.  The picture above shows the location of the accident. It is an area particularly difficult to navigate for pedestrians, especially families. Cars parked in front of the building between the deli and the gas station have to back out onto the sidewalk when leaving their parking space. They have reduced visibility when backing out. Additionally vehicular traffic is constantly crossing the sidewalk to access the gas station.

Astoria Boulevard was identified in 2015 as a Vision Zero priority. The segment of Astoria Boulevard between 80th street and 110th street was identified as a pedestrian crash corridor. It is among the top 10% most dangerous corridors for pedestrians in this particular neighborhood.  It is supposed to be re-engineered in the future to make it safer for pedestrians. The proposal from the Department of Transportation to make some specifically dangerous segments of Astoria Boulevard safer can be downloaded here.  However despite fixes being identified for Astoria Boulevard in 2015, not enough is being done by the de Blasio administration to quickly implement these changes. Transportation Alternatives organized a stroller protest to ask the Mayor to fulfill his promise to reduce traffic deaths.

Read more about the accident on Streetblog