Wrongful Death

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

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

Published on: May 23, 2014

NYPD issue nearly 5000 tickets for speeding in 48 hours

By GGCRBHS&M

As part of the Vision Zero Initiative to reduce pedestrian deaths, the NYPD led a two-day crackdown on speeding in New York City. The police issued a total of 4814 tickets: 1249 in Brooklyn, 1219 in Queens, 1175 in Manhattan, 782 in the Bronx and 389 in Staten Island.

21 months old Brooklyn boy dies from his injuries after falling from a window that had no bars or gates

By GGCRBHS&M

Window%20guards.jpg A toddler fell yesterday from the sixth floor of a Crown St. building near Albany Ave in Brooklyn, New York. He landed on a balcony and later died of his injuries at the hospital. The window where the child fell from was open and didn’t have a guard. (read more in the New York Daily News)

Every year in New York young children are dying or are being seriously injured after falling from unguarded windows. These deaths and injuries are preventable.

The window guard law requires owners to send an annual notice to tenants of multiple dwellings (buildings of 3 or more apartments) regarding window guards. It also requires owners to provide and properly install approved window guards on all windows, including first floor bathrooms and windows leading onto a balcony or terrace in an apartment where a child 10 years of age or younger resides and in each common area window, if any, in such buildings. The exceptions to this law are windows that open onto a fire escape and windows on the first floor that are a required secondary exit in a building in which there are fire escapes on the second floor and up.

Published on: May 21, 2014

The NYPD ticketed more than 1000 drivers in 5 days at a dangerous Queens intersection where a young woman recently died after being struck by a MTA bus

By GGCRBHS&M

As part of the Vision Zero Initiative to reduce deaths and injuries related to traffic accidents, New York police officers gave out more than 1000 summonses including 500 for failure to yield to pedestrian between May 5th and May 10th at a dangerous Queens intersection located near 74th street, Roosevelt Ave and Broadway.

The location was selected by the city because it has a history of accident. Last February a 25 year old woman was struck to death by a MTA bus at this intersection.

As part of the Vision Zero Initiative to reduce the number of traffic related deaths and personal injuries, the NYPD launched yesterday a two-day citywide crackdown on speeding

By GGCRBHS&M

The police started yesterday a two-day crackdown on speeding in NYC. Every month in New York there are approximately 250 traffic accidents related to unsafe speed. In their announcement the police say that drivers should adhere to newly created “arterial slow zones” and “school zones” throughout the city where speed limits are reduced to 25 and 20 miles per hour respectively. If they don’t, they could be fined anywhere between $90 and $600 and receive a 3 to 11 points on their license, police warned.

OSHA to host a National Safety Stand-Down for Fall Prevention in Construction from June 2nd to June 6th

By GGCRBHS&M

In 2012, 300 construction workers died and thousands of them suffered severe personal injury as the result of a fall. Year after year, falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry. They can often be prevented by planning ahead to get the job done safely, providing the right equipment to workers and training workers to use equipment and tools safely. To raise awareness about this major safety issue, OSHA will host a National Safety Stand-Down from June 2nd to June 6th. Large and small employers have already committed to voluntary stop work to discuss fall hazards and prevention during this week. OSHA is hoping to reach 25,000 employers and 1 million construction workers.

To learn more about it click here

Published on: May 19, 2014

“Click it or Ticket” annual campaign starts Today to remind motorists that seat belts can save lives in the event of a crash

By GGCRBHS&M

Seat belts reduce the chance of injury or death during a car accident but 13% of the motorists still don’t get it. According to recent statistics, 52% of all people who died in a car crash in 2012 were not wearing a seat belt. At night time the situation is worst. In 2012, 61% of the motorists who died in a nighttime crash were not wearing their seat belt.

To remind motorists that seat belts can save lives, the NHTSA launched Today its annual “Click it or Ticket Campaign”. Approximately 10,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide will participate in the “Click It or Ticket” mobilization from May 19 through June 1. This year’s campaign includes the “Fake-A-Rooney” advertisement that airs nationally through May 26.

Read the press release from the NHTSA

Continue reading →

Published on: May 12, 2014

Worker at Gowanus Auto Body Shop killed by Hit and Run Driver

By GGCRBHS&M

A worker who was repairing a car on the sidewalk in Brooklyn, NYC, was struck by a hit and run driver and died from his injuries at the hospital on Saturday afternoon. Felipe Castro Palacios was repairing a car that was parked halfway on the sidewalk in front of the Gowanus Auto Body Shop when the accident happened. The driver of a black Nissan Altima lost the control of his vehicle and crashed into the car that Felipe was repairing as well as two other cars. The driver took off but according to the New York Daily News a witness was able to write down the plate number. The car was a rental and the police are still looking for the driver.

Gowanus%20Body%20Shop%20Accident.jpg

Felipe Palacio Castro and the Gowanus Auto Body Shop (Google Street Map)

Published on: May 9, 2014

New York Mayor de Blasio’s executive budget allocates more than $40 million toward measures to reduce traffic fatalities

By GGCRBHS&M

Mayor de Blasio said that 286 traffic deaths in New York City compared to 333 homicides in 2013 compelled him to take action and launch the Vision Zero program. Last week the mayor announced that close to $30 million of his executive budget would be allocated to DOT initiatives to make the streets safer such as the installation of speed bumps in school zones and the development of additional slow zones as well as speed cameras and street redesign. $13 million were also allocated to NYPD traffic enforcement and $ 1.1 for a Taxi and limousine advertising campaign about safety.

OSHA says death of 23 year old NY construction worker was entirely preventable

By GGCRBHS&M

New York Construction worker Kyle Brown died because his contractor MTL Design Inc. failed to provide and ensure the use of fall protection safeguards according to OSHA. In its investigation OSHA discovered that Brown was wearing a fall protection harness but it was useless because the contractor didn’t provide workers with a mean to connect to an independent anchorage point to stop a fall.

Brown was installing a metal decking on the top of the roof of an automobile dealership in construction in Pulasky, NY when he was blown off the roof by a wind gust and fell 24 feet to his death.