New York Personal Injury Attorneys Blog

Published on: July 1, 2014

A recent investigation conducted by the New York Times indicates that medical malpractice is more prevalent in military hospitals than in civilian hospitals especially for maternity care and surgery

Military hospitals will continue to be plagued by medical malpractice and systemic medical errors in the most routine procedures as long as nothing is being done to address the weakness of the patient safety system in the military environment. According to a recent examination by the New York Times, from 2011 to 2013, medical workers in military hospitals reported 239 unexpected deaths, but only 100 inquiries were forwarded to the Pentagon’s patient-safety center, where analysts recommend how to improve care. Cases involving permanent harm often remained unexamined as well.

The problem is particularly concerning in maternity care and surgery. Babies born at military hospitals are twice as likely to be injured during delivery as newborn nationwide and their mothers have a higher risk of suffering hemorrhage after childbirth. The rate of surgical complications such as infections or improperly done procedures is above the expected rate in half of the 16 biggest military hospitals.

In an excellent article in the New York Times, Sharone LaFraniere and Andrew W. Lehren describe how medical errors have affected or destroyed the life of military families and analyse the reasons behind this disaster.

Continue reading →

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.

32 year old Brooklyn pedestrian dies after being struck by a hit and run driver

By GGCRBHS&M

A speeding hit and run driver killed a Brooklyn pedestrian who was crossing the street to pick up his car after coming out of a bar on Saturday around 2:45 am.32 year old. Bryan Loughan had just stepped out of the the Gather Inn Again bar in Gerritsen Beach when according to the New York Daily News a white Chrysler minivan speeding south on Gerristsen Ave veered across the yellow line and hit the young man. The impact was so strong that the man landed a few yards away in a grassy area near the street. He was rushed to the hospital but he couldn’t be saved. The driver of the minivan, 50 year old Michael Casale, was apprehended by the police later on and was charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident and aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle.

Published on: June 27, 2014

New report points to teacher negligence in an explosion that severely injured two students during a chemistry lab demonstration at New York Beacon School 6 months ago

By GGCRBHS&M

Jeffrey%20Bloom.jpg Our partner New York personal injury attorney Jeffrey Bloom is representing Alonzo Yanes a student at the New York Beacon School who was severely injured, when according to a report issued by the Education Department’s Special Commissioner of Investigation, his chemistry teacher improperly poured explosive methanol onto a burning chemistry experiment.

Alonzo suffered second and third degree burns to his face, neck and torso. According to the report, the school custodian found him with a melted left ear.

“It’s very clear from the report that they conducted an experiment that they had been warned by the government was dangerous,” our partner Jeffrey Bloom told the Post. “As a result, a gifted, talented young man has scars, physical and mental, that are going to be with him forever”.

Continue reading →

Published on: June 25, 2014

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 25, 2014

Dangerous working conditions and widespread disregard for basic labor protection put New York City food industry workers at risk of personal injury

By GGCRBHS&M

42% of NYC food workers have suffered personal injury at work. Cuts and “slip and fall” injuries are the most common injuries followed closely by headaches, back injuries and injuries sustained after being hit by equipment. Dangerous working conditions and the lack of training explain this high rate of personal injury among food workers in New York City according to a recent study entitled FEEDING NEW YORK Challenges and Opportunities for Workers in New York City’s Food Manufacturing Industry and published by Brandworkers and the Community Development Project at the Urban Justice Center.
The study provides an in-depth look at the difficult working conditions of the 14’000 New Yorkers working in food factories and food warehouses located mostly in Brooklyn and Queens. NYC food industry workers are mostly Hispanic immigrants , many of them undocumented, with limited educations and English skills. Even though they live in one of the most expensive cities in the country, their wages are low, their hours are inconsistent and they are not compensated for overtime. Healthcare coverage is most of the time not available and workers are often forced to work even though they are sick or injured. Discrimination and abuse is widespread among workers of color or undocumented workers. Female workers are unrepresented. They are given the lowest paid tedious jobs and are treated as expendable. Most workers do not belong to a union, they would like to but they fear retaliation from their employers.

Race%20and%20ethnicity%20New%20York%20Food%20wrokers.jpg

Published on: June 24, 2014

Making the Most of Omissions: When Critical Facts Are Left Unsaid

By GGCRBHS&M

Ben%20Rubinowitz%20and%20Evan%20Torgan.jpg In their latest Trial Advocacy Column, New York Personal Injury Lawyers Ben Rubinowitz from Gair Gair Conason Steigman Mackauf Bloom and Rubinowitz and Evan Torgan from Torgan & Cooper write: Weaknesses in the opposition’s case are often not readily apparent in the facts contained in their own record. Nevertheless, powerful and persuasive weaknesses might well be found in what those very records do not say, but, indeed, should say.

2 construction workers rescued in New York scaffold accident

By GGCRBHS&M

Thankfully nobody was hurt in a scaffold accident that happened early this morning in New York. 2 construction workers were being hoisted up on a scaffold when it apparently became unhinged on one side. The two men were between the 12th and 13th floor of a 20 story building located ner Lexington on 57th Street in Midtown Manhattan. Rescuers were able to pull the workers to safety through the windows.

Read more on NBC New York website

Click here to read more about Scaffold Accidents in NYC

Continue reading →

Published on: June 20, 2014

8 people suffer personal injury in an accident between a car and a garbage truck in Brooklyn, NYC

By GGCRBHS&M

A garbage truck tried to avoid a car which had run a red light and crashed into an open deli injuring 8 people last week in Brooklyn. The accident happened at the intersection of Dekalb Ave and Bedford Ave. The driver of the Metropolitan Recycling garbage truck had the green light and was driving through the intersection when he tried to avoid a black sedan which had ran the red light. He lost control of his vehicle and crashed into an open Deli located at the corner of the intersection. The deli belongs and is operated by a family who lives in the apartment above it. Two of the family members were working in the Deli while the rest of the family was asleep just above the bodega. 8 people were injured in the accident including the two drivers. The deli and the building are severely damaged.
Read more in the NY Daily News