New York Injury Lawyer Blog

More than 1,500 people died accidental deaths in New York City during 2008, according to the Summary of Vital Statistics, recently released by New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and reported by The New York Times.

Infant deaths: New York City's infant mortality rate was 5.5 infant deaths per 1,000 live births -- down 20 percent from the 6,9 per 1,000 births recorded in 1999.

Surgical or medical error: 59 deaths were reported as a result of complications of surgical or medical care.

Work accidents: 90 people died as a result of occupational injuries, including:
- 10 in transportation accidents
- 26 as a result of violence in the workplace
- 29 in falls
- 31 work fatalities were attributed to construction accidents
- 3 fatal taxicab accidents
-2 deaths involving police or fire protection

A total of 1,651 deaths were classified as accidents and included:
- 299 deaths involving traffic accidents
- 171 pedestrian deaths
- 23 deaths involving bicyclists
- 14 deaths involving railway or subway accidents
- 388 deaths involving fatal falls
- 8 drowning deaths

Subtitled "The Conquest of Pestilence in New York City," the reported noted accidental deaths have declined by 8.8 percent in the last decade. But the rate of accidental deaths has not declined nearly as fast as other deaths, including homicide, which declined 17.5 percent during the same period.

Continue reading "More than 1,500 accidental deaths recorded in New York City during 2008" »

The federal government passed tough new regulations this week, making it illegal nationwide for commercial bus and truck drivers to text message while driving.

While the New York Injury Lawyer blog reported in November when New York outlawed text messaging by all drivers, the federal ban is important because of the large numbers of out-of-state commercial drivers on state roads.

In 2008, more than 4,000 people were killed by accidents with large trucks in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration. In 2007, nearly 14,000 people were injured and 146 people were killed in New York trucking accidents, according to the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

Several recent high-profile New York bus accidents also serve as a reminder that school bus drivers and commercial tour buses are also required to obey commercial safety regulations meant to protect the public.

"We want the drivers of big rigs and buses and those who share the roads with them to be safe," said U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "This is an important safety step, and we will be taking more to eliminate the threat of distracted driving."

Truck and bus drivers who violate the law face fines of up to $2,750.

Drivers take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 of every 6 seconds while texting, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The federal government estimates distracted drivers are 20 times more likely to get into a traffic accidents than drivers who are not distracted.

Continue reading "New York trucking accidents in focus as government bans texting for commercial drivers nationwide" »

The state's ban on texting while driving begins this month with the hope of reducing New York car accidents.

The New York City car accident attorneys and the personal injury and wrongful death lawyers at Queller, Fisher, Washor, Fuchs & Kool continue to monitor the issue as studies increasingly point to the dangers of texting while driving.

The new law forbids the use of all mobile devices for reading, typing or sending text messages while driving, according to Fox News.

Law enforcement can stop drivers and issue a $150 citation if caught committing another traffic violation while using a hand-held device, according to the New York Post.

A student at the University of Utah found text messaging drivers were at eight-times greater risk of a crash. And a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found truckers sending text messages were 23 times more likely to cause a crash or near crash.

Earlier this fall the federal government held a national distracted driving summit and President Obama banned all federal employees from texting while driving on the job.

As the dangers of distracted driving become more apparent, motorists are supporting such bans in greater numbers. A New York Times/CBS poll released over the weekend found 97 percent of Americans support prohibiting texting while driving and 80 percent support a ban on the use of hand-held phones while driving. Half said punishment for texting while driving should be as severe as the penalties for drunk driving.

The U.S. Department of Transportation reported that 5,870 people were killed and more than 500,000 injured last year in crashes cuased by driver distraction, often cell phones or other mobile devices.

In October, the New York Injury Lawyer blog posted an update on the Taxi and Limousine Commission's tough new enforcement of an existing ban prohibiting New York City taxi cab drivers from using cell phones while driving.

Continue reading "text messaging becomes illegal for drivers as law takes aim at reducing New York car accidents" »

A dozen New York City firefighters were injured in a municipal work injury incident over the weekend when two trucks rushing to a gas leak collided at a Brooklyn intersection.

Witnesses described a horrific collision between Ladder Company No. 107 and Engine Company No. 236, according to Newsday, which reported the driver of one of the fire engines was trapped in the overturned truck as a result of the Saturday morning incident.

The 9:43 a.m. accident at the corner of Ashford Street and Hegeman Avenue in the East New York Neighborhood caused the ladder truck to flip onto its side and slide into a tree, trapping the driver for two hours as dozens of emergency personnel worked to free him. The engine rolled over a curb and onto a front lawn.

A witness reported the engine was headed west on Hegeman Avenue when it hit the rear of the ladder truck, which was northbound on Ashford.

All 12 firefighters on the two trucks required medical attention. Four were seriously hurt, and eight had less serious injuries, according to an FDNY spokesman.

The driver of the ladder truck remained trapped until noon and a 27-year veteran of the department suffered a possible broken leg, according to fire officials. Both were taken to
Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center in serious condition.

A fire department spokesman said both trucks were responding with lights and sirens to a gas leak on Warwick Street, one block west of the crash site. The stations are located about a mile from each other and within a mile and a half of the crash site.

The New York City work injury lawyers at Queller, Fisher, Washor, Fuchs & Kool have spent decades fighting for the rights of injured New York City fireman, police officers, sanitation workers and other injured New York City employees. If you have been injured on the job in New York City, call 212-406-1700 for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights.