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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25 firefighters were injured in a fire in New York. 23 of them had to be hospitalized and 2 of them were treated at the scene of the accident according to AM New York. No civilians were injured. The fire started in the lower level of a large Tribeca commercial and residential building located at the corner of Church and Murray at the end of the afternoon last Friday. The FDNY is still investigating the cause of the fire. According to the Gothamist, the fire was ignited in the kitchen of a restaurant located on the ground floor and quickly spread into the duct work and the rest of the building. Heavy black smoke came out of the building and spread through the financial district. The fire that began as a two-alarm fire turned into a 6-alarm one necessitating 200 firefighters to respond.  The Post indicates that the building had 3 unresolved fire safety violations from 8 months ago:

  1. failure to provide a fire-alarm system.
  2. inappropriate fire exit.
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labor-DayThe New York Car Accidents Attorneys at Gair, Gair, Conasaon, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf wish you all a wonderful Labor Day Week-End!

Please be safe on the road as unfortunately there are 11% more accidents on the road during the Labor Day week-end than during a regular week-end.

The National Safety Council estimates that 421 people will be killed in car accidents this Labor Day week-end. Additionally the NSC estimates that 48,400 road users will suffer personal injury requiring medical attention during the same time. These predictions are the highest that the NSC ever issued for the 3 day Labor Day week-end since 2008. Please stay safe and do not text and drive.

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laguardia airportTo prevent New York construction workers from being injured during the redevelopment of the LaGuardia Airport Central Terminal Building Redevelopment Project, OSHA recently signed a strategic partnership agreement with Skanska- Walsh Joint Venture,  the company in charge of the $4 billion redevelopment project. This partnership was signed to ensure enhanced workplace safety and health for the 1,600 workers hired for this gigantic construction project. OSHA partnerships are unique programs during which the agency works  with private companies and organizations to eliminate serious hazards and enhance safety and health practices at the workplace.  According to a recent press release from OSHA, the partnership that includes federal officials, private companies and labor organizations will provide education and training as well as monitoring of workplace safety during the entire  length of the project. As part of the partnership with Skanska, OSHA representatives will be included in meetings, serve as liaison and resources, assist in training, provide assistance on demand and inspect the various construction sites on a regular basis to make sure all safety standards and practices are complied with. “The OSHA and Skanska- Walsh partnership will allow us to focus on preventing work-related fatalities and injuries, and controlling or eliminating serious workplace hazards,” said Robert Kulick, OSHA’s regional administrator in New York. “It will also establish a foundation for effective job site safety and health programs serving approximately 250 subcontractors and their employees at LaGuardia Airport through the project’s scheduled completion in 2022.”

ONLY UNION TRAINED CONSTRUCTION WORKERS

Worker safety has been a top concern for Skanska since the beginning of the project. Among the 1,600 workers  that will be working on the different phases of the project ( finance, design, construction, operation, and maintenance), 1,200 are construction workers. Skanska already announced last May that hired workers will be unionized (See NY Daily News article). The company signed a contract with the Building and Construction Trades Council which will manage the 16 different construction zones. For Skanska USA Building president Richard Kennedy, the contract with the Building and Construction Trades Council should increase safety standards during the LaGuardia Airport Central Terminal Building Redevelopment Project  as all workers will be union trained in the latest standards and practices.

 

 

 

 

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accident sceneTwo people were seriously injured in bicycle accidents in New York City yesterday. One accident occurred in Brooklyn, the other one in Manhattan. In the first accident, a reckless driver slammed into a bicyclist near the intersection of Washington Ave and Willoughby Ave in Fort Green. The impact was so intense that the bicyclist landed on the hood of the blue four-door Subaru that struck him. He then crashed into the windshield as the driver kept on going. The bicyclist suffered critical injury. He was rushed to the hospital. He is expected to survive. The car was found a few blocks away. The police are still looking for the hit and run driver. (Read more in the NY Daily News)

In the second accident, a NYPD cruiser collided with a bicyclist in Manhattan. The accident occurred near Union Square by the intersection of Fifth Ave and 14th Street. The cruiser was responding to suspicious package alert. According to the police the cruiser was traveling at a low speed in the middle of the street with the siren on when their cruiser struck the bicyclist who was riding in the opposite direction. The 43-year old bicyclist suffered head trauma and was transported to the hospital. He was reported in critical but sable condition.The police cruiser stayed at the scene of the accident. (Read more in the NY Daily News)

Also early this morning a 30-year-old motorcyclist died after crashing into the back of a truck delivering bread. The accident occurred on Broadway near Arion Place under the elevated Subway tracks in Buschwick, Brooklyn. The police are still investigating the exact cause of the accident. (Read more in the NY Daily News)

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ACL InjuryKnee injury and  anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury  are particularly common among young athletes.  As children are heading back to school, parents as well as coaches should be aware that high school athletes are the population the most at risk of suffering ACL injury.  Recent studies show that the number of ACL injuries in young athletes has been increasing annually by an average 2.3% over the last 20 years. 16 year old female athletes practicing Basketball, Soccer and Lacrosse have the highest risk of suffering ACL tears followed by 17 year old male athletes practicing Football, Lacross and Soccer. ACL injury often requires reconstructive surgery and the recovery takes months.

As young athletes are heading back to school and are getting ready to participate in various sports activity, parents should check with the school or with the coaches if an injury prevention program is included in preseason or season training. According to recent studies these types of programs have proven to be effective in reducing the number of ACL injuries. They usually include plyometric (such as jump training) and balance exercises on top of the traditional strengthening and stretching sessions.  For example during such injury prevention programs young athletes are taught how to properly jump and land in positions that reduce the strain on the knee.

To prevent re-injury, ACL Injury Prevention programs should also be incorporated in return-to-sport training after an ACL reconstruction. According to statistics, young athletes who suffered ACL  tears have a 91% rate of return to sport however 32% of them will suffer re-injury. Additionally sufficient recovery time is crucial as athletes who return too fast to sport have a high risk of re-injuring themselves.

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FDNY fighting NYC home fireA couple died and their 17 year old daughter was injured in a home fire in Brooklyn, NYC. 61 year old Howard Gluck and 59 year old Evelyn Gluck as well as their 17 year old daughter were sleeping in their two-story home located on 44th Street between Fort Hamilton Parkway and 12th Avenue  in Borough Park, when a fire broke out on the first floor and spread to the second floor around 3:45 am yesterday morning. The FDNY told the media that the fire had probably been going for a while until someone noticed it and called 911. By the time the firefighters arrived, the fire had already engulfed the stairwells.  The couple was found unconscious in a back bedroom on the second floor of the house. They were rushed to the hospital but it was too late and they both passed away. Their daughter was found on the roof of the porch and rescued by the firefighters. She suffered injury and was also transported to the hospital to be treated. She is now in stable condition. The daughter survived because she was able to climb out to a first floor landing before being rescued by the firefighters.

The Glucks had been living in their house for nearly 40 years. They were the first Jewish family to move into the neighborhood and beloved members of a tight knit community. Everybody was in shock yesterday in the neighborhood. Maureen Weiner, who had been living in the house next to them for almost 40 years as well was devastated by the news. She said they were the nicest people.

138 firefighters were called to the rescue to keep the blaze under control and make sure it didn’t spread to neighboring houses. 3 firefighters also suffered minor injury in the exercise of their duty. According to the fire marshals the fire was accidental and caused by “careless cooking/grill”.  There were no smoke detectors installed in the house.

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A FDNY truck crashed into two cars in New York City on Saturday injuring 7 people including a child.  The accident occurred in Queens at the intersection of Booth Memorial Ave and Kissena Blvd. The fire truck was on its way to a fire in Flushing and its sirens were on.  The fire truck hit a Lexus SUV. The Lexus SUV then ricocheted into a Mercedes SUV.  The Mercedes flipped over on its side. A total of 10 people were injured in the firetruck crash. 7 of them were transported to the hospital with serious injuries. Among them a child and an adult were critically injured. 3 other people including a firefighter were treated for minor injuries at the scene of the accident.

According to a study, there are around 30,000 firetruck crashes every year in the U.S. Firetruck crashes are also the second leading cause of death of on-duty firefighters. In New York City alone, there are between 20 and 40 crashes every month.

 

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accident scene5 people were injured after a speeding driver crashed into a pole in Queens, NYC, early Saturday.  The 26-year-old driver of a white Chevrolet Sonic was speeding on 31st Ave in Elmhurst, Queens, when he lost control of his vehicle. He crashed into a traffic light pole located in front of a CVS at the intersection of 54th Street. The impact was so violent that the car was totally destroyed. Luckily the police arrived quickly at the scene of the accident. They were able to pull  the driver and the passengers out of the vehicle before it caught fire.In addition to the driver, there were 4 other occupants  in the car. A 19 year old boy was sitting in the front passenger seat. A 17 year old girl and an 18 year old girl were sitting in the back with a 20-year-old man.  The driver was in critical condition. All the passengers were also seriously injured but in stable condition. All 5 were rushed to a nearby hospital. The police believe that not only speed but also alcohol was a factor in the accident. Read more in the NY Daily News

 

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accident sceneA 6 year old pedestrian was seriously injured in a car accident in Brooklyn, NYC. Haroon Ali Khan was chasing a basketball when he was hit by a car on East 33rd Street near Filmore Ave. He was rushed to the hospital in critical but stable condition. The driver of the car stayed at the scene of the accident and wasn’t charged.  (Read more in the NY Daily News)

Later on Friday, another pedestrian was fatally hit by a tractor trailer truck. The truck accident occurred on the Clearview Expressway near 46th Ave in Auburndale, Queens, NYC. The pedestrian was trying to cross the busy highway when the accident occurred. The truck driver tried to swerve to avoid the pedestrian but he couldn’t avoid him. The pedestrian was rushed to the hospital but he couldn’t be saved. The truck driver stopped and remained at the scene of the accident. He wasn’t charged. (Read more in the NY Daily News)

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aerial view of drunk driving accident locationA man died in an accident after a drunk driver lost control of his SUV and crashed into a parked backhoe on a NYC highway. The man who died was identified as Abe Prior, a 30-year-old resident of Norwalk, Connecticut. He was among the 3 passengers of a car driven by 30-year-old Jorge Viteri, also from Norwalk, Connecticut. Police said Viteri was  intoxicated at the time of the accident. He is now in custody. The accident occurred yesterday night around 6:30 pm on the Bruckner Expressway in the Bronx, NYC.  The SUV was heading North. As the SUV approached exit 7 C, the driver tried to change lanes. He hit a barrier and crashed into a large construction vehicle that was parked on the white lined center median between the Bruckner Expressway and the Throgs Neck Expressway (see picture on the left) . The impact was intense. All occupants were injured and rushed to the hospital. Abe Prior didn’t survive and died from his injuries while at the hospital. The two other passengers were expected to survive. The driver only suffered minor injuries and was arrested by the police. We question why such a large construction vehicle was left parked on the center median on a weekend. An accident such as this should have been anticipated. Read more on CBS News .