Wrongful Death

Published on: July 7, 2014

A 2 year old girl drowned in Prospect Park Lake in Brooklyn, NYC, this week-end

2 year old Ruhshona Kurbonova drowned in Prospect Park Lake on Saturday afternoon after she wandered off from a family BBQ in the park. The rescuers found the tot’s body 5 hours after the girl was found to be missing. The search for the little girl was difficult because the lake was covered by an algae called Azolla caroliniara.

Parents in the park complain that it is difficult to see where the water actually starts and that children may actually not even think its water and then fall in.

Drowning is the second leading cause of of unintentional injury related death among children aged 1 to 14 in the US.

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Published on: June 30, 2014

7 crashes, 8 personal injuries and 3 wrongful death leads General Motors to recall an additional 8.4 million potentially defective cars worlwide

By GGCRBHS&M

General%20Motor.jpg The potentially defective cars are recalled mostly because they may have ignition defects that lead to inadvertent key rotation. The models recalled are models of the Cadillac CTS and SRX, and the Chevrolet Malibu, Monte Carlo and Impala, as well as the Oldsmobile Intrigue and Alero, and Pontiac Grand Am and Grand Prix. The model years range from 1997 to 2014. The trading of GM shares was temporarily suspended during the announcement.

The reckless unlicensed teen driver who killed 4 year old Ariel Russo while fleeing from the police on the Upper West Side of Manhattan was offered a reduced sentence and a sealed record if he plead guilty to manslaughter.

By GGCRBHS&M

Franklin Reyes was 17 year old when he was busted for fatally hitting 4 year old Ariel Russo with his car as he was fleeing from the cops. According to prosecutors Reyes had been driving illegally since age 15 and was bragging on Facebook about speeding.

Ariel Russo’s family wanted the judge to treat Reyes as an adult and to sentence him with 15 years of jail. Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro however called it a difficult case and offered a sealed record along with a light sentence of 16 months to 4 years in jail if Reyes plead guilty to manslaughter. “Although the horrific consequence, not heeding to the police orders to pull over, are grave … weighing in all the factors I do think youthful offender treatment is appropriate,” Carro said.

To prevent traffic crashes and protect pedestrians and bicyclists from personal injury and death, the New York State Senate passed a bill to lower the speed limit to 25 mph in New York City

By GGCRBHS&M

A major step in Vision Zero plan to reduce the number of injury and death related to traffic accidents in New York City has been achieved this week. Albany just granted Bill deBlasio the authority to reduce the maximum speed limit from 30 mph to 25mph in all 5 boroughs of New York City.

Published on: June 19, 2014

To prevent deadly car accidents in school areas the NYC DOT is installing speed bumps near 3 lower Manhattan schools

By GGCRBHS&M

In New York City, being struck by a vehicle is the leading cause of injury related death for children under 14 years old. Speeding drivers in school areas are of particular concern. As part of the Vision Zero program to improve traffic safety, the City of New York has been working on various initiatives to protect children form being struck by cars in school zones. One of the latest initiative announced by the the NYC DOT is the addition of speed bumps near 3 schools in lower Manhattan.

The bumps will be installed behind Battery Park City’s P.S./I.S. 276, on Little West Street, between First and Second places; in front of the Lower East Side’s P.S. 2, at Pike and Rutgers streets; and in front of Chinatown’s P.S. 124, on Division Street between Bowery and Market Street.

Teenager whose mom and sister were killed in the Harlem gas explosion is still recovering from his personal injury in the hospital

By GGCRBHS&M

16 year old Oscar Hernandez suffered catastrophic personal injury as the result of the gas explosion accident that happened last March in Harlem, New York. 3 months later he is still in the hospital recovering from severe burns, broken bones and internal injuries. Oscar was in the coma for 11 days and has no recollection of the gas explosion. He woke up in the hospital to hear that his mom and sister had passed. Today the New York Daily News wrote a touching article about the difficulty endured by Oscar Hernandez and his family to overcome this tragedy. Read the article here

Published on: June 13, 2014

A New York construction worker fell to his death recently and another one suffered personal injury in Sunnyside, Queens

By GGCRBHS&M

A construction worker died recently after plunging 5 stories down an elevator shaft on a New York construction site. The worker was wearing a safety harness but he wasn’t connected to a lifeline. A second worker was also injured as he plunged from the second to the first floor. The site, a 6-story new building under construction, was hit with a stop work order by the Department of Buildings.

Falls is the deadliest hazard in the construction industry. The accident happened during the OSHA National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction.

22 year old man dies in forklift accident in Brooklyn, NYC

By GGCRBHS&M

A 22 year old Brooklyn supermarket worker was crushed to death by a forklift yesterday. According to the media, Gustavo Tapia was using an electric pallet stacker to push a Yale forklift up a ramp leading to the rooftop of Moisha’s Discount Supermarket on Ave M in Borough Park, Brooklyn when the forklift suddenly rolled backward and pinned the young worker against the wall. Gustavio Tapia suffered fatal chest injury and was pronounced dead when he arrived at the hospital.

Read more in the Gothamist and the NY Daily News

Published on: June 2, 2014

One pedestrian died and another suffered catastrophic personal injury after both being struck by a car in two separate accidents in dangerous Brooklyn intersections this Saturday

By GGCRBHS&M

A 63 year old woman died and a 58 year old man is in critical condition after both were involved in two separate car accidents in Brooklyn, NYC, this week-end. The first accident happened at the intersection of Coney Island Ave and Avenue N. Two cars collided and went spinning through the intersection. One of them hit 63 year old Galina Truglio who was walking in the crosswalk before hitting another car. Galina Ruglio was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The Intersection of Coney Island Ave and Avenue N is a very dangerous intersection. According to NYC Crashmapper there were 46 collisions over the last 31 months at this intersection. 4 pedestrians, 2 cyclists, one passenger and one driver suffered personal injuries at this location during the last 31 months.

accidents%20at%20Coney%20Island%20Ave%20and%20Avenue%20N.jpg 6 hours later a 58 year old man suffered serious personal injury after being struck by a car while crossing Nostrand Ave at Church Ave in Brooklyn as well.

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Published on: May 29, 2014

The New York City Council passed 11 bills aimed at reducing the number of deaths and personal injuries related to traffic accidents

By GGCRBHS&M

The City Council just passed 11 traffic safety bills to crack down on reckless drivers and reduce accidents related to traffic violence. Drivers who fail to yield to a pedestrian or a cyclist will be punished by a penalty of $50 to $250 and up to 15 days in jail. Drivers who hit a pedestrian or a cyclist who has the right of way will be criminally charged and punished by up to $500 in fines and 30 days in jail. Cab drivers who injure or kill someone while committing a traffic violation will have their license immediately suspended. Stunt behaviors by motorcyclists such as wheelies and donuts will be prohibited.

Read more about these bills in New York Street Blog