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 Bus Accidents

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Traffic accidents near JFK airportLast week 15 people were injured in a bus accident and a teenager was killed when the car she was in collided with a truck. Both accidents took place near JFK Airport, which is currently undergoing a major makeover. The aim of this $19 billion project is to rejuvenate the airport by providing modern facilities and improved terminals. However, this extensive renovation comes at a cost: roadways are being torn up and closed, resulting in significant traffic disruptions that are projected to last for several years. Consequently, various modes of transportation, including driving, public transit, taxis, and ride-hailing services, will be affected, potentially causing substantial congestion, delays, and safety concerns.

Last Friday a collision occurred between a Delta Airlines bus and a commuter van on the Van Wyck Expressway, resulting in 15 injuries. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by commuters in and around JFK Airport and southeast Queens. Local leaders, such as Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, have been advocating for clearer signs, speed warnings, and overall safer street designs as part of the JFK Airport overhaul. Additionally, Richards highlighted the peril of driving on North and South Conduit Avenue, where a 14-year-old girl was killed in a car accident just two days prior. The accident took place on North Conduit Avenue near 160th Street. The 14-year-old was a passenger in a BMW driven by a 16-year-old driver. The young driver, who was not supposed to be driving alone, lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a UPS truck, resulting in the death of his passenger and friend.

As predicted by Frommers, commuting to JFK airport, is currently and will continue to be a nightmare for years to come.

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Location of the school bus accident in the BronxAs NYC bus accident attorneys,  it is our responsibility to shed light on the unfortunate incidents that occur on our roads and advocate for justice. In a recent chain-reaction crash in the Bronx, a yellow school bus carrying special needs students and a pregnant woman became entangled with a reckless driver, resulting in a devastating collision involving multiple vehicles.

The accident occurred yesterday afternoon after 3:00 pm. A silver Jeep traveling northbound on the Hutchinson River Parkway service road failed to stop at a traffic light near Co-op City in Baychester. The Jeep disregarded the red light and collided with a yellow school bus heading eastbound, initiating a chain reaction that impacted a southbound Chrysler Sebring carrying three individuals and a Co-op City maintenance van. The force of the collision sent all vehicles spiraling across the intersection, causing chaos and panic. The driver of the jeep has a history of reckless driving. Since 2109, the driver accumulated 15 violations including one red-light camera violation and 12 school zone speed camera violations according to how’s my driving NY.

Justice Kwansa, a pharmacist at Mount Sinai Hospital in the Bronx and an eyewitness to the crash, described the moment of impact as a deafening boom. Reacting swiftly, he rushed to the scene in his slippers, attempting to assist the trapped occupants of the Jeep. Despite the imminent danger of a potential explosion, Kwansa displayed immense bravery, recognizing the urgency of rescuing those in need. Amidst the chaos, the school bus passengers, including special needs students, experienced understandable panic and distress.

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schoolbus1Less than one week after a car crashed into a school bus in Westchester county, a pickup truck collided with a school bus near Meadowbrook Elementary School in East Meadow, LI, yesterday afternoon. The bus was carrying 41 students between the ages of 5 and 11. Thirteen students, as well as the bus driver, were transported to the hospital with minor injuries. The pickup truck driver also sustained minor injuries and was pulled from his vehicle.

All injuries related to the school bus crash were said to be minor, including that of the pickup driver who had to be pulled from his wrecked truck. According to Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder, the blue pickup smashed into the bus while making a left turn from a school parking lot around dismissal time. It’s not clear what led to the crash, though Ryder said speed and distracted driving were being eyed as possible causes. It is not believed that alcohol played any role. An investigation is ongoing.

Is it safer for parents to drive their children to school?

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Teen driving crashes infographicAs car accident lawyers, it is heartbreaking to hear about the recent crash in Westchester County that left several teenagers seriously injured, some with life-threatening injuries. This tragedy once again highlights the dangers of teen driving and the devastating consequences that can result when young drivers are not properly trained and licensed.

According to reports, the crash occurred when an unlicensed 16-year-old driver lost control of his Honda Accord while driving with three passengers. The car crossed into the lanes of oncoming traffic and collided head-on with a school bus carrying multiple passengers, including several high school students.

The impact of the crash was severe, and several people suffered serious injuries

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deadly intersection of Queens Boulevard and Jackson AveAnother fatal traffic accident occurred on Queens Boulevard also known as “Boulevard of Death”. This time, it was a moped rider who lost their life after being struck by a school bus driver at a dangerous intersection. According to the NYPD, the deceased was traversing the chaotic area southbound on Jackson Avenue “against the red light,” leading the statement to effectively blame the victim for their own death.

As personal injury attorneys who have been representing the interest of victim of bus accidents and their families, we know that while the NYPD’s statement might appear to place the fault on the deceased, it’s crucial to investigate the accident’s specifics to determine who is at fault legally. The impact of the collision was so intense that it knocked the victim off the moped and onto the ground, leading to severe injuries that eventually led to their death. It’s worth noting that witnesses observed the 54-year-old driver taking a sobriety test, but the police refused to confirm it.

The intersection where the accident occurred, at the corner of Queens Boulevard and Jackson Avenue, has seen 103 crashes since 2020, causing 47 injuries

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School busAs NY bus accident attorneys, it is our responsibility to educate the public about school bus safety and the importance of obeying traffic laws. Every year, Operation Safe Stop Day is observed to raise awareness about the dangers of illegally passing a stopped school bus, and this year’s event is set to take place on April 27th. Unfortunately, accidents like the recent one involving a 9-year-old student in Suffern or the mother and her 4 children who had just gotten out of the school bus  and were struck by a hit-and-run driver last November in Brooklyn, remind us that this issue is still prevalent.

The New York Association for Pupil Transportation (NYAPT), along with the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, the New York State Education Department, the New York State School Bus Contractors Association, and other organizations, support Operation Safe Stop Day. The main goal is to remind drivers to stop for stopped school buses so that we can keep our school children safe.

According to NYAPT’s surveys, around 50,000 drivers in New York illegally pass stopped school buses every day that school is in session, putting students’ lives at risk

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More pedestrians and more passengers died in auto accidents in 2022 than in 2021 while cyclists and motor vehicle operators fatalities declined. Bus accidents increased while truck accidents remained stable. Motorcycle accidents remain at record levels.

After reaching a record high in 2021, NYC traffic deaths reached their second highest number since Vision Zero started in 2014

According to traffic collision data provided by the NYPD, 251 people died in crashes in the city in 2022 compared to respectively 254, 239, 214, 199, 209, 223, 235, 250 and 286 in 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013. As a reminder, NYPD traffic collision data might differ slightly from the real data, especially for fatalities as sometimes people died from their injuries several days or weeks after the accident occurred.

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Glenwood road and Flatbush where the MTA accident occurredA MTA bus driver fatally struck a pedestrian in Brooklyn, NYC. The bus accident occurred at the intersection of Flatbush Ave and Glenwood Road in Flatbush around 6:15 PM last Thursday.

79 year old Loraine Hector was in the crosswalk when the MTA bus driver made a left turn and struck her. The bus driver remained at the scene of the accident and so far was has not been charged. Loraine Hector who lived 500 feet away from the accident scene suffered a severe head trauma. She was still alive when she was transported to the hospital but died later on from her injury.

According to the NYPD, the bus driver made a left turn from Flatbush Avenue onto Glenwood Road when he struck the victim. Read more in the Brooklyn Paper

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17 pedestrians, 4 cyclists, 14 passengers and 22 motorists died in auto accidents in NYC  during the two hottest months of the summer. Truck accidents were close to record highs while bus accidents were slightly lower than usual.

35 people died in car accidents in New York City in July and 22 in August for a total of 57 fatalities compared to respectively 51, 42, 39, 32, 43, 44, 41, 50 and 56 during the months of July and August 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013. The number of fatalities was even higher this summer than what it was during the summer of 2013 before Vision Zero started.

The month of July was particularly bad with a record 35 people dying during this month. The only time since 2013 that this number of people were killed in traffic accidents was in September 2020. Since the Covid19 crisis of 2020, traffic accidents fatalities have been much higher than what they were the years before. Among those who died in July were 11 pedestrians, 3 cyclists, 7 motor vehicle passengers and 14 motor vehicle operators. The number of motor vehicle operator deaths in July reached a level never seen since the beginning of Vision Zero except again in September 2020.

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loction-of-the-mta-bus-crash-in-mabnhattanTwo people suffered personal injury after a MTA Bus crashed into a light pole in Midtown Manhattan on Sunday around 7:30 pm. The accident occurred at the intersection of Lexington Avenue and East 58th Street. The driver of the M103 bus made a too sharp turn and hit a light pole that then crashed into the street.  A 90 year old passenger suffered head injury and is in stable condition at the hospital. The driver also suffered injury and was hospitalized to be evaluated.

Earlier this month another MTA Bus accident in the Bronx caused 13 people to be injured. According to MTA officials, the driver of the bus suffered a medical condition and crashed into a subway pillar on Boston Road, near the intersection of East Tremont Avenue. According to MTA, the driver had been with them since 2008. She had passed her biannual physical exam and had been declared fit to drive. She suffered critical injury during the accident and was found at the scene of the accident unconscious and unresponsive.