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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Injuries are the leading cause of death among New York children. A recent report published by the New York Health Department looks at the trend in injury deaths for children ages 1 to 12 in New York City from 2006 to 2015.

The study shows that in the majority of cases, injuries that resulted in the death of a child in New York City were unintentional. In 2015, for example, among the 22 children who died from injury, 18 were unintentional deaths and 4 were homicides. No suicides were recorded that year. Suicides represent the smallest part of children injury deaths in New York City.

The number of children injury deaths was at its highest in 2006 and at its lowest in 2011 and 2015. Over the last 10 years it has been on a declining trend.

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firearm injuries and childrenFirearm injuries are one of the leading causes of hospitalization for children and teenagers in the United States. A recent study by Bradley R. Herrin, Julie R. Gaither, John M. Leventhal and James Dodington compares hospitalization rates by age in urban settings (metropolitan counties of <50,000),  micropolitan settings (population 10,000-49,999) and rural settings (nonmetropolican nonmicropolitan counties of <10,000) . The searchers used the Kid’s Inpatient Database data from 2006, 2009 and 2012 to analyze 21,581 hospitalizations for firearm injuries. They excluded the children who died in the emergency room.

The study found that:

  • More than 77% of hospitalizations for pediatric firearm injuries were teenagers from 15 to 19 year old living in urban settings
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Speed camera prevent injuries and deathsA speed camera program that was installed in 2014  in New York City school zones to reduce pedestrian accidents was shut down. Cameras were turned off yesterday in 120 school zones around the city and by the end of August 20 other school zones will see their speed cameras turned off as well.

Despite heavy campaigning by New York City mayor Bill de Blasio and NY Governor Andrew Cuomo not only to keep the school camera program alive but also to add additional cameras in the city, lawmakers in Albany failed to call a vote to renew the program.

Since they have been installed in 2014, the speed cameras have clearly demonstrated that they protect pedestrians and especially children from being injured or dying in car accidents in New York City school zones. Statistics indicate that in school areas where cameras were installed speeding decreased by 63% and fatalities by 55% between 2014 and 2016.

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construction workers with back injuryIn the construction industry, manual lifting and moving heavy materials are the leading causes of disabling injuries. Strains, sprains and related soft tissues injuries affect a majority of construction workers and cost billions of dollars to businesses.  Back injuries are the most common disabling injuries for construction workers and approximately 3 out of 4 back injuries that require time off  to recover are due to over exertion. Other common disabling injuries suffered by construction workers are hand and wrist injuries as well as shoulder injuries. Many of these injuries can be prevented by reducing manual material handling.

PLANNING AND COMMUNICATION ARE KEY TO PREVENT INJURIES

The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) is working on creating a new program for contractors to help them with practical tools and information to plan  for safe manual materials handling while staying productive and profitable. The CPWR works with contractors to define the best way to store and move heavy material on construction sites. So far they found that careful planning and communication were key factors in protecting workers from manual lifting injuries.

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3.3 million units of four varieties of Goldfish Crackers have been recalled over fears that the products might be contaminated with salmonella. Peperidge Farm, the manufacturing company, indicated the potential contamination was caused by whey powder used in the fabrication of the crackers. The varieties of Goldfish Crackers being recalled are:

  • Flavor Blasted Xtra Cheddar
  • Flavor Blasted Sour Cream & Onion
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Last week a pedestrian was critically injured in a truck accident in New York. The 37 year old man was run over by a tractor trailer at the intersection of Amsterdam Avenue and 81st Street last Thursday evening a little bit before 7:00 pm. He was rushed to the hospital with severe trauma and was likely to die according to media.

BIG RIGS HAVE NOTHING TO DO IN A NEW YORK RESIDENTIAL AREA AT DINNER TIME

It was a busy summer night in a residential neighborhood and people were having dinner in the various restaurants and terraces located in the area. Witnesses eating at a nearby restaurant said they heard a big thump and then they saw the man laying face down in the street and not moving.  Witnesses rushed to the victim to try to help while the truck continued on its way. He stopped one block away from the accident after a crowd gathered at the rear end of his truck. The driver then cooperated with the the police He told them that he he didn’t realize he had hit someone.

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mother texting while drivingDistracted driving has led to a surge in fatal car accidents and even parents with young children in their car admit that they use their phone while driving.

According to a study recently released by  the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and published in the Journal of Pediatrics, out of 760 parents or caregivers interviewed:

  • 47% talked on a hand-held phone
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5 people suffered personal injury in a steam pipe explosion in Manhattan last Thursday. The injuries were minor but nearby tenants were worried about the effect of possible asbestos exposure as the explosion produced a thick geyser of white smoke and debris that contained asbestos.  The pipe that exploded was installed in 1932 at a time when asbestos was used as a component for the thermal insulation around the pipe. It was banned in the 1970 after studies demonstrated that exposure to the substance could lead to serious health problems including lung cancer.

In the afternoon following the explosion Mayor de Blasio confirmed that the steam line pipe was contaminated with asbestos and that authorities were concerned about  whether any debris entered into buildings or into air conditioning systems. Streets were closed to the public around the explosion area on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan’s Flatiron district and 49 buildings were evacuated so that the area could be fully decontaminated.

According to Dr. Norman Edelman, a pulmonologist interviewed by the New York Times, the health risk associated with a one time exposure to asbestos are minimal. Its chronic exposure, over years or decade that is the real danger.

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A man died in a motorcycle accident in New York City early Saturday morning. Around 4:30 am, 45 year old Angel Cotto was riding his motorcycle on Gate Avenue in Ridgewood, Queens when he blew a stop sign and crashed into a car driven by a 75 year old driver. The impact was so strong that the motorcyclist was ejected from his bike and landed on the street. He was seriously injured but still alive when the emergency team arrived. He was rushed to the hospital where he died.

Among all road users in New York City, motorcyclists are at a disproportionate risk of death. According to a previous study by the NYC DOT, while motorcycles account for only 2% of all registered vehicles in New York City, they account for 14% of traffic fatalities. The fatal crash rate for motorcyclists in New York City is nearly twice the rate recorded for New York State motorcyclists. Fatal motorcycle accidents often occur to young riders: 56 % are under the age of 35 and nearly 100% of them are male. Most accidents occur during the summer especially during the afternoon or the evening hours and involved another vehicle.

Motorcycle Accidents in NYC May 2018