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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West Harlem Piers where the boat accident occuredAt approximately 4:15 p.m. on Saturday, a 200-foot yacht called Timeless struck a dock near Riverside Park while attempting to moor along the Hudson River in Manhattan. According to the New York City Fire Department, 35 people were injured in the incident, including 22 individuals who were transported to nearby hospitals for medical treatment. Thankfully, all reported injuries were non-life-threatening.

The yacht, which was reportedly hosting hundreds of passengers, collided with a pylon as it approached the dock near West 125th Street and the Henry Hudson Parkway. The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that the vessel sustained damage and that marine units were dispatched to escort the yacht to shore, where emergency personnel triaged and assisted injured passengers.

As New York personal injury attorneys, we are closely monitoring this incident and the ongoing investigation into its cause. In situations involving commercial or chartered vessels, multiple parties may share responsibility—including the boat’s operators, event organizers, or even maintenance providers—especially if negligence played a role in the crash. Investigators will likely examine whether the vessel was operating at a safe speed, whether it was properly maintained, and whether the crew was adequately trained and sober at the time of the incident.

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Patients are at risk of technology hazardsOur Medical Malpractice Lawyers Explain How Data Breaches and Cyberattacks Are Endangering Patient Care in 2025

The landscape of healthcare risk continues to evolve, and in 2025, cybersecurity breaches have become one of the most pressing patient safety concerns. According to the most recent patient safety rankings, cybersecurity now ranks among the top threats to quality care in hospitals and healthcare systems across the United States.

As New York medical malpractice lawyers, we are seeing firsthand how data security failures can lead to devastating outcomes for patients and potential liability for healthcare providers.

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truck in NYCThe New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) is taking a significant step towards making our streets safer and more efficient with the introduction of two new delivery microhubs beneath the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE). These hubs, part of a broader plan to establish 20 such zones citywide, aim to transform the way goods are delivered in the city, significantly reducing the number of large trucks on our residential streets. This initiative is not only about streamlining deliveries but, crucially, about enhancing safety for pedestrians and cyclists and preventing truck accidents, a concern that truck accident lawyers in New York City often deal with.

Reducing Truck Traffic for Safer Streets

The microhubs at Meeker and Kingsland avenues in Greenpoint and Park and Washington avenues in Clinton Hill will serve as transfer points where packages are moved from large trucks to smaller, more agile delivery vehicles like cargo bikes. This shift is expected to drastically cut down on the number of large trucks navigating through dense residential areas, which has been a major concern for pedestrian and cyclist safety.

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The Hawaii Nail Spa in Deer Park where the accident occurredThe recent tragedy in Deer Park, Long Island, where a drunk driver crashed into a nail salon, killing four and injuring nine, underscores the devastating impact of drunk driving. As car accident lawyers, we are committed to representing victims of such reckless behavior, ensuring they receive the justice and compensation they deserve.

On June 28, Steven Schwally, a 64-year-old retiree, drove his SUV at an alarming speed of 78 mph before crashing into the Hawaii Nail & Spa store. The collision resulted in the tragic deaths of four individuals, including an off-duty NYPD officer, and left nine others injured. Schwally, with a blood alcohol content of 0.17, more than twice the legal limit, has been indicted on multiple charges, including murder and vehicular manslaughter.

This case is a stark reminder of the severe consequences of drunk driving. Schwally’s decision to drive under the influence, combined with his excessive speed, led to an unimaginable loss for the victims’ families. Prosecutors highlighted Schwally’s total disregard for public safety, emphasizing the depraved indifference to human life exhibited by his actions.

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OSHA logoA NY roofing contractor, Elite Roofing Services Inc., has been subjected to the second-highest OSHA fine in the fourth quarter of 2023, amounting to $522,527.

This substantial fine was levied following an accident at a Glen Cove, New York, jobsite, where a worker’s fatal fall could have been prevented with the proper implementation of fall protection measures, such as guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems. The tragedy brings to the forefront the grave consequences of neglecting safety protocols and the imperative need for vigilance and compliance to prevent such incidents.

OSHA’s findings revealed that Elite Roofing Services Inc. did not furnish its workers with the necessary fall protections while they were installing a metal deck on a flat roof, leading to a worker plummeting 20 feet to a concrete floor below. This incident resulted in the issuance of six willful violations by OSHA, each corresponding to a worker exposed to fall hazards, and one serious violation for failing to train workers on proper fall protection techniques.

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Wishing you a joyful and restful holiday season from all of us at Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf! May your days be filled with warmth, laughter, and the company of loved ones. As we reflect on the year behind us and look forward to the opportunities ahead, we’re grateful for the trust you’ve placed in our firm. Thank you for allowing us to serve you, and here’s to a prosperous and peaceful New Year. Happy Holidays!” 🎄✨

Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf

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E-bike now legal in NYCThe New York City Council is currently considering a package of bills aimed at addressing the fire safety concerns surrounding e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries.

The primary concern driving this legislation is the risk of fires caused by uncertified e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries. Just this kast week-end in Brooklyn, a firefighter was injured when a warehouse fire, likely sparked by an e-bike, erupted. According to City Council members, this year alone has seen 208 fires ignited by lithium-ion batteries, resulting in 14 tragic deaths and 116 injuries. As lithium battery accident lawyers we believe that these alarming statistics underscore the pressing need for action.

The proposed bill would mandate that delivery platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats provide their workers with safe and certified e-bikes. This move is seen as a crucial step in mitigating the risk associated with faulty e-bikes and batteries. While the intention behind the bill is clear – protecting the safety of delivery workers and the public – it has sparked a heated debate.

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construction workers must be protectedIn the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the construction industry faced a crisis that often went unnoticed amidst the chaos of the world. While most were concerned with the virus’s immediate impact, there was another silent epidemic silently plaguing the hardworking individuals in the construction sector – drug overdoses.

A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has brought to the forefront a startling revelation: construction and extraction jobs topped the list with 162.6 drug overdose deaths per 100,000 workers during the first year of the pandemic. This staggering statistic is a wake-up call to the dire state of affairs within the construction industry.

The CDC report also revealed that the drug overdose rate in the United States increased steadily from 1999 to 2020. In 2021, the U.S. drug overdose rate was a shocking 50% higher than in 2019. While provisional data from 2022 showed a 2% drop in drug overdoses from the previous year, the construction industry still remains at the forefront of this crisis.

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excavation in the streets of New YorkAs construction accident attorneys who represent workers injured or killed in trench collapse, we have firsthand experience with the repercussions of disregarding safety guidelines during excavation. The hazards linked with excavation and trenching activities are no secret to construction workers either. In New York, a law known as “Carlos’ Law” was signed by Governor Hochul last December, which increases penalties for corporate criminal liability due to the death or serious injury of an employee, whether a felony or misdemeanor. This law allows for fines of up to $500,000 and was named after Carlos Moncayo, a 22-year-old construction worker who tragically died in a trench collapse at a Manhattan construction site. His employers ignored repeated warnings about the hazardous conditions.

One of the primary reasons why excavation and trenching activities pose significant danger is the weight of dirt

It is easy to underestimate how heavy soil can be, but the reality is that a single cubic yard of dirt can weigh as much as a mid-sized car. This weight makes excavating the earth a perilous task, especially when dealing with trenches – excavations that are deeper than they are wide. A single minor mistake or miscalculation can lead to disaster in a matter of seconds. Even a partial trench cave-in can have devastating consequences, including workers being crushed within seconds, even if parts of their upper bodies are above the ground.

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As NY construction accident attorneys, we commend Governor Kathy Hochul’s announcement to commemorate National Work Zone Awareness Week and launch an Automated Work Zone Speed Monitoring Pilot Program. The initiative is aimed at protecting highway workers and enforcing speed limits in construction and maintenance work zones along New York State highways.

Construction workers face numerous hazards, and one of the most dangerous is working in highway work zones. NY Highway workers are particularly vulnerable to accidents caused by speeding vehicles. The rise in work zone speed violations in recent years has resulted in numerous highway worker injuries and several deaths among state and contractor personnel. Therefore, this program is a step in the right direction in ensuring the safety of highway workers.

The Automated Work Zone Speed Monitoring pilot program was established by legislation signed into law by Governor Hochul. Under the program, all vehicles detected violating the posted speed limit within a work zone by over an established threshold will be fined.