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.
Published on:

Tiffany Cefuni killed in BK car accidentAs Brooklyn car accident lawyers with deep experience handling hit-and-run litigation, we are horrified by the senseless death of Tiffany Cifuni, a 32-year-old woman who was fatally struck after a minor crash in Bedford-Stuyvesant last Saturday night. The incident not only highlights the risks pedestrians face immediately after collisions, it underscores the urgent need for accountability when reckless drivers choose to flee.

According to the NYPD, the tragedy unfolded just before midnight near Van Buren Street and Marcus Garvey Boulevard. Ms. Cifuni, who was in her first trimester of pregnancy, had just returned from the Beyoncé concert at MetLife Stadium. She stepped out of her Toyota 4Runner to inspect the damage after a minor collision with a 2016 Chevy Trax. That’s when the other driver allegedly accelerated, running her over and dragging her body before fleeing the wrong way down Lafayette Avenue.

The suspect’s vehicle—a maroon Chevy Trax with temporary paper plates—smashed into multiple parked cars and a 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee before the driver abandoned the SUV and fled on foot. Ms. Cifuni was transported to Kings County Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Published on:

Queensboro_Bridge_from_Manhattan_sideA Blog by our NYC Personal Injury Lawyers

After years of dangerous conditions and tireless advocacy, New Yorkers finally have a safer way to cross the Queensboro Bridge. On Sunday, the city officially opened a newly redesigned layout that separates cyclists and pedestrians for the first time in the bridge’s history.

Until now, pedestrians and cyclists were forced to share a narrow 11-foot-wide space on the north outer roadway — a setup that led to constant congestion, unsafe conditions, and a documented pattern of injuries. As lawyers who represent victims of bicycle and pedestrian accidents throughout New York City, we’ve long seen the consequences of neglecting proper infrastructure. The redesign is a major step in the right direction.

Published on:

Mexican Navy boat hits Brooklyn Bridge resulting in 2 dead and 23 injuredFrom the perspective of  the New York Personal Injury Attorneys at Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf

On the evening of May 17, 2025, tragedy struck New York Harbor when the Cuauhtémoc, a Mexican Navy training vessel, collided with the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge. The crash claimed the lives of two crew members and injured at least 22 others—11 of them critically. For those injured and the families of the deceased, this catastrophic incident raises serious questions of accountability, safety protocols, and legal recourse.

How Could This Happen?

Published on:

ambulance at accident sceneFrom the perspective of our New York personal injury attorneys

New York City taxpayers paid nearly $2 billion in settlements during fiscal year 2024 — a staggering new record that underscores both the scope of city government liability and the urgent need for systemic accountability. The newly launched Claims Dashboard by Comptroller Brad Lander replaces the former annual reports with a real-time, interactive tool that details exactly how taxpayer dollars are spent on claims and lawsuits against the City. As New York personal injury attorneys, this development provides both transparency and critical insight into how government negligence continues to affect our clients — and where change is desperately needed.

Personal Injury and Civil Rights Claims Dominate City Payouts

Published on:

West Lane where the house explosion occuredOur NY House Explosion Attorneys Discuss Legal Options After Tragedy on West Lane

A quiet neighborhood in Hamburg, New York, was devastated Monday night, May 12, 2025, when a powerful explosion leveled a home on West Lane in the Lake View hamlet, killing one resident and critically injuring another. The blast was so severe it damaged nearby homes, injured first responders, and left neighbors shaken, describing the sound as “like fireworks times 30.”

According to reports, 78-year-old Joene Pease was found deceased in the debris. Her husband, John Pease, also 78, was discovered near the basement and remains in critical condition at a Buffalo hospital. The explosion occurred shortly before 9:00 p.m., sparking a fire that quickly consumed what little remained of the structure.

Published on:

Deadly Long Island CrashOur New York Car Accident Lawyers Discuss Legal and Investigative Issues Following Mother’s Day Fatal Crash on Long Island

Three lives were tragically cut short in the early hours of Mother’s Day after a 2022 Dodge Durango veered off the road and slammed into a tree near Bethpage State Park in Long Island. The vehicle immediately burst into flames, killing all three 20-year-old occupants inside. Nassau County police confirmed the identities of the victims on Tuesday: Gino Vicale of Seaford, Nicholas Rivera of Glendale, and Vincent Cavaliere of Bethpage.

The crash occurred around 1 a.m. on Stymus Avenue, as the SUV was reportedly heading eastbound. Authorities are still working to determine the cause of the crash, including who was driving at the time and how fast the vehicle was traveling.

Published on:

Construction Safety Week 2025 is underway, and as New York construction accident attorneys, we urge every contractor, laborer, and site manager to take this moment seriously. The weeklong initiative—launched in partnership with OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Downconstruction workers moving equipment are at risk of struck by accidents—focuses this year on preventing falls, which remain the leading cause of death in the construction industry.

The 2025 theme, All in Together, is a timely reminder that safety is a shared responsibility. One lapse in protocol, one missing harness, or one ignored warning sign can lead to catastrophic injury or death. That’s why this Wednesday, May 7, companies across the U.S. and Canada are being asked to pause work and participate in the largest coordinated safety stand-down in the industry’s history.

From a legal perspective, we’ve seen far too many cases where a worker’s life was forever changed due to preventable falls from scaffolds, ladders, roofs, or other elevated surfaces. And in New York, under Labor Law §§ 240 and 241, contractors and property owners have a clear and non-delegable duty to provide proper fall protection. When they fail to do so, we step in to fight for justice.

Published on:

Published on:

Accident sceneThe arrest of an ambulance driver nearly six months after a fatal crash in Manhattan has reignited serious questions about pedestrian safety — and accountability — in one of New York City’s most heavily trafficked corridors.

According to police, 69-year-old Miriam Reinharth was lawfully crossing W. 96th Street on November 12, 2024, when she was struck by an ambulance making a left turn from Amsterdam Avenue. Despite remaining on the scene and personally transporting Reinharth to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital, the driver, 28-year-old Juan Santana, was charged this week with failure to yield and failure to exercise due care.

As pedestrian accident attorneys in New York City, we know all too well how long it can take for criminal or civil accountability to catch up after a deadly crash — especially when the vehicle involved belongs to an emergency service. But let’s be clear: emergency vehicle drivers are still bound by rules of the road, and pedestrians have the right to cross safely, even when ambulances are operating under lights and sirens.

Published on:

Car Accidents, Bicycle Crashes, Pedestrian Knockdowns, and Construction Injuries Spike as New Yorkers Head Outdoors

As New York thaws from winter and the streets grow busier, personal injury claims tend to rise—often sharply—during the spring months. At Gair, Gcommon NY personal injuries in the springair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf, our attorneys have represented victims of serious accidents for more than 100 years. Below are the most common spring-related personal injury cases we see across New York City.

1. Car Accidents Increase with Holiday Travel and Wet Roads