One man died and another one was critically injured in car accident in Queens, New York City. Monday early morning, 30 year old Jorge Bermudez was driving his car on Laurel Hill Blvd with a passenger at his side. As he was near 49th street just under the Brooklyn Queens Expressway in Maspeth, he lost control of the vehicle. The car slammed into a median and both the driver and the passenger got pinned inside. Witnesses reported that the crash was very loud. The victims were rushed to the hospital where Bermudez died. Read more in the NY Daily News
The importance of a fair press for the coverage of child fatalities when a human service agency is involved
In a recent article about the media coverage of child fatalities when a human service agency is involved, Daniel Pollack, a professor at Yeshiva University’s School of Social Work in New York City questions the fairness of the press. After reviewing many articles from previous years related to these type of cases, Professor Pollack is questioning the ethics and the integrity of some journalists. He concludes that “without a fair press we risk inadvertently prejudicing the justice system later on. The guilty may go free, and the innocent may suffer undeserving penalties or miss their opportunity for compensation”.
The complete article can be downlodad here
Unlicensed driver arrested after killing one pedestrian and injuring two others in New York City car accident
One pedestrian died and two others where injured yesterday night in Brooklyn, NYC, after an unlicensed driver lost control of his vehicle and jumped the curb. Yesterday around 5:30 pm, 30 year old Victoria Nicodemus was walking with her boyfriend on a sidewalk of Fulton Street near South Portland Street in Fort Green when a SUV jumped the curb and hit the two of them as well as a 75 year old female pedestrian. Victoria died and the two others suffered personal injury.
Marlon Sewell, the driver, didn’t realize that there was a bus stop nearby and that the bus in front of him was about to stop. He swerved to avoid it and jumped the curb killing one and injuring two. He was arrested by the police and was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and operating a motor vehicle without insurance. Read more in the Gothamist
Later on, disturbing footage of a surveillance video was released showing a woman that happened to be steps away from the crash looking at the victim and then continuing to walk down the street eating her pizza, unfazed after the crash.
How to prevent construction accidents related to Cold Weather?
During the winter, hard hat workers are exposed to potential construction accidents related to health hazards resulting from cold stress or to safety hazards such as slippery surfaces. These accidents can often be prevented. Some products are specifically designed to prevent cold related injuries and illnesses. The Center for Construction and Research Training will present these products in a webinar that will take place
Wednesday December 9th at 2;00 pm ET. Click here to register
Our managing partner Ben Rubinowitz was recently named New York City “Lawyer of the Year” for product liability litigation – plaintiffs 2016
Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf is proud to announce that their managing partner New York Product Liability Lawyer Ben Rubinowitz was recently named New York City “Lawyer of the Year” for product liability litigation – plaintiffs 2016. “There is no substitute for hard work,” says Rubinowitz who explained that he “feels fortunate to work with such an outstanding group of lawyers.” When asked about his success, Rubinowitz shared credit for the results with the attorneys in his firm. “Every one of our lawyers knows that hard work and preparation are the keys to success. There are no shortcuts in this business. Our clients come to us in a time of great need. Many have suffered through life changing events, many have lost family members and many feel that their life has been ruined.” It is against this backdrop that Rubinowitz and the lawyers at his firm go to work. “We approach every case with the same level of scrutiny. Our goal is to obtain justice for our clients. I know of no other firm that puts in the effort that we do.”
Read the complete article in Best Lawyers
As many as 88% of hoverboards on the market may be defective products that have a high risk of overheating, exploding or catching fire
Cases of defective hoverboards busting into flames or exploding all over the world have prompted the National Fire Marshall Organization to issue a warning about the safety risks related to these fashionable products. A similar warning was also issued by the UK’s National Trading Standard after 88% of the products they tested posed a risk of catching fire. In New York, these self balanced scooters have been declared illegal and users risk a fine of $200 if they are caught by the police riding them.
Because hoverboards are in high demand this holiday season, negligent manufacturers have been flooding the market with shoddy versions of the toy that have a high risk of catching fire. Explosions often happen during charging time and are caused by defective lithium batteries but cases of hoverboards catching fire during rides have also been reported. In Louisiana an exploding hoverboard led to a fire that completely destroyed a house (see video below).
In an article related to the deadly Metro-North crash, New York Train Accident Attorney Howard Hershenhorn questions why the train operator’s sleep apnea was undiagnosed
New York Train Accident Lawyer Howard Hershenhorn is representing one of the four victims who were killed when a sleeping engineer derailed a speeding train in the Bronx in 2013. He was recently quoted in a Lohud article related to this accident. Here is what he told the newspaper about the NTSB leniency toward William Rockefeller, the train operator: “I think it’s an outrage that the NTSB gave him a pass because of the alleged undiagnosed sleep apnea, and his shift being changed. For God’s sakes, he’s a train operator.”
The article indicates that in the years before the fatal train accident, union members questioned the safety of the Spuyten Duyvil curve and recommended installing a a system that automatically activates the brakes on a speeding train when an engineer is unresponsive but Metro-North never addressed their concern.
Read the complete article
Trying Damages in the Wrongful Death Case of an Adult Child
In their Trial Advocacy column in the New York Law Journal, Personal Injury Attorneys Ben Rubinowitz and Evan Torgan write: Damages in a case involving the death of a working spouse and parent can readily be communicated to a jury. The more difficult case is when the decedent is a young adult just starting out in life, unmarried with no children, little to no earnings history, and survived only by his parents, all of which raises issues that should be confronted head on in jury selection and opening statements.
The number of pedestrians injured or killed in traffic accidents reached a record low while the number of bicyclists injured or killed reached a record high during the warm season in New York City
The number of pedestrians injured or killed in a traffic accident in New York City over a period of 3 months reached a record low during the period of July, August and September 2015. 2186 pedestrians were injured during this period of time compared to 2270 during the same period of 2014 and 2710 during the same period of 2013. So far there were fewer pedestrians were injured in traffic accidents in 2015 than in 2014 or in 2013. 21 pedestrians died in a car accident this summer compared to 38 during the summer of 2014 and 39 during the summer of 2013.

The number of people who suffered personal injury in a bicycle accident over a 3 month period reached a record high between July and September 2015 with a total of 1648 injuries compared to 1507 for the same period of 2014 and 1468 for the same period of 2013. More and more people are riding bicycles in New York City resulting in an increase in bicycle accident injuries. 8 people died in a bicycle accident this summer. This is the same as last summer. Over the year so far less people died in a bicycle accident in 2015 than in 2014.

The number of passengers injured in a car accident in NYC has been decreasing over the last 3 years and for every season. This summer, during the months of July, August and September 4121 passengers suffered personal injury in a car accident, compared to 5193 in 2014 and 5754 in 2014. The number of passengers killed in a car accident during the warm season has been increasing every summer over the last 3 years in New York City. Between July and September 2015, 10 passengers died in a car accident in New York City compared to 9 for the same period of 2014 and 6 for the same period of 2013. So far more passengers died in a NYC car accident in 2015 than in 2014 or in 2013.
New York Medical Malpractice Lawyers- Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf
The attorneys at Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf have more than 90 years of experience representing patients who have been injured or have died as the result of medical malpractice. Eight of our lawyers have been recognized in Best Lawyers in America in the area of medical malpractice. Additionally, attorney Jeffrey Bloom co-chairs the Medical Malpractice Committee of The New York State Trial Lawyers. At GGCRBHS&M, we seek to help you recover compensation so that you can afford the care you need in order for you and your family to begin to recover. Our experienced medical malpractice attorneys will work with qualified experts in the medical profession to help prove your claim. Throughout your case we will remain attentive and responsive to your medical and legal needs and meticulously prepare your case for trial. When your family suffers as a result of negligence, you deserve maximum compensation.
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