New York Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

A 33-year-old woman was driving herself and three other people home from a funeral when she lost control of her car and it overturned and crashed.
The woman was driving at a high rate of speed when she swerved to avoid a stopped vehicle. When she swerved, the car flipped and struck a tree and light pole. A mother and her son were trapped in the backseat and declared dead at the scene. The third passenger was not injured.
The driver was initially charged with a misdemeanor DUI, but when she appeared in Traffic Court, she was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated DWI involving a death. A New York Injury Lawyer reveals that the charges were upgraded after lab tests revealed her DNA was found on the driver’s side air bag; this proved she was at the wheel and drunk, which caused the death of two people. Her BAC was 0.17, more than twice the legal limit.
She admitted to detectives that she drank three and a half glasses of wine before she had gotten in the vehicle to drive her friend and son home. She also said that the mother had ‘hugged her’ which caused her to lose control. In The Bronx and Staten Island drunk driving is frowned upon to the nth degree.
Driving drunk is a decision this woman made and it resulted in the death of a close friend and her son. This completely preventable act has left its mark on this woman for the rest of her life. With motor vehicle accidents occurring daily that result in injury and death, the great majority of them involve alcohol. There is a reason why every state in the union has declared a legal limit of 0.08 BAC. Alcohol begins impairing mental and physical reactivity after the first drink, and at 0.08, a person has lost many of the faculties that make him or her a safe driver. The problems associated with drinking and driving are so severe that there are even initiatives raising money to place breathalyzers in bars to help patrons realize when they’ve had too much and should call a friend or a cab and avoid a DWI incident.

Continue reading " Upgraded Charges Possible after Fatality in Woman’s DUI Case " »

A Manhattan Product Liability Lawyer revealed today that both Sunbeam Products, Inc. and the Consumer Product Safety Commission because of a safety hazard have recalled nearly 160,000 wine bottle openers.
“The products were recalled for injury hazards,” he explained and added, “The Company has received 52 reports of wine bottles breaking while using their opener. 22 of those reports said users had lacerations on their hands.”
“I was carefully opening a bottle of wine when the wine bottle broke and I cut my fingers pretty badly,” one consumer said. “I have to say I am impressed with the way Sunbeam has handled this whole thing. They’ve admitted their mistake and are willing to compensate for it. That seems rare these days!”
The product in question is the ‘skybar™ Air Pump Wine Opener’ model number NBSKWA2600, which was sold as a four piece set in several colors including; gray, blue, red or silver and black-colored with a black storage box. ‘skybar, is printed on the side of the product and. model number NBSKWA2600 is printed on the bottom,” said the spokesperson.
He pointed out that the wine bottle openers were sold at QVC retail and stores nationwide, as well as QVC’s televised shopping programs, and online.
Consumers should return these products to any QVC store and will receive a full refund. Those that purchased the wine bottle openers through QVC’s televised programs or at www.qvc.com were sent written instructions on how to get a refund. Those who have not received the instructions in the mail should contact QVC. Those with wine openers not purchased through QVC, should contact Sunbeam for instructions on how to obtain a full refund.
Sunbeam has been extremely cooperative with consumers for these products and added that various phone numbers and websites have been posted for the convenience of their customers.
A spokesperson from Sunbeam in New York City could not be reached for comment but a Manhattan Product Liability Lawyer said they are busy taking phone calls from consumers and are likely managing the various complaints posted on their company website.

Continue reading " Sunbeam Products Inc. recalls 159,000 wine bottle openers this week " »

A 40-year-old woman remains in grave condition, on a respirator. She was the passenger in a car that jumped from a Queensboro Bridge ramp in April.
The victim sustained major head injuries in the accident. Her prognosis is grim and she is not expected to live much longer. The Volkswagen she was riding in jumped the curb in Queen Plaza South in Long Island City and smashed into the front of a store, police sources reported to NYC Injury Lawyers.
The store the vehicle hit had already suffered recent damage when another car crashed into not much more than a week before. A cab driver, who was walking in the area at the time, was killed.
As for the driver of the Volkswagen, the 39-year-old man lost his arm and was taken to Bellevue Hospital. After the accident, he was charged with driving without a license.
The woman is still considered to be in critical condition at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell.
A number of elected officials, including a state senator will meet at the site of the two crashes to implore the city’s Transportation Department to investigate the area’s street design and improve traffic safety so such accidents will never happen again.
There are many accidents in the United States every day, just in the New York City area alone including Suffolk and Nassau counties. Sadly, many of them happen because of someone else’s negligence. A dangerous ramp at a well-trafficked area causing two terrible crashes is a clear sign that someone did something wrong. It may even be a case for someone calling a Lawyer to make sure one or more of the victims is properly compensated – or in some cases, the families of the victims. These accidents, whether they cause injury or death, can often have costs that run higher than most families can afford. Families facing such expenses need compensation, just as those that caused the accident should pay for the pain and suffering they have caused. This is exactly what a NYC Injury Lawyer is there to provide.

Continue reading " Queens Crash Victim Continues Struggle for Life " »

Football legend Brett Favre has come under scrutiny once again as reports of inappropriate behavior in the form of sexually explicit text messages, affectionately known as sexting, have been alleged, states a New York Injury Lawyer. Two massage therapists that worked with Favre during his time with the New York Jets in 2008 have alleged that he attempted to schedule a threesome with the women via text messages. 

According to reports, the texts were not appreciated and were sexually inappropriate. The football hero has come under scrutiny before, after having been investigated and fined over $50,000 for sending lascivious texts that included pictures of his penis to another woman who did not appreciate them. The women who are bringing the suit to light tried unsuccessfully to get some kind of solace or closure from the NFL when their discomfort was brought to light. They allege that a lawsuit seems to be the only way that their claims would be taken seriously. 

Inappropriate behavior on the part of celebrities and sports heroes can have a deleterious effect on the reputation of all involved, explains the New York Injury Lawyer. Why anyone in the limelight would participate in something that could hurt other people and blemish their public standing is not really understood. Scandalous behavior that hurts another is inappropriate no matter who is engaging in it. In the case of Brett Favre, his millions of loyal fans are now getting a good look at what kind of individual he is showing himself to be.



Continue reading " No happy ending in sight for Brett Favre sexting scandal, reports New York Injury Lawyer
 " »

Spread out over two boroughs, Brooklyn and the Bronx, eight men were wounded by gunfire in the same three hour period, leaving four in the hospital, police sources told NY City Injury Attorneys. There were four shootings in total.
First there was an incident that happened at 4:20 p.m. on Utica Avenue, in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Police discovered that two men, aged 34 and 32, were taken to Kings County Hospital after being shot by an unknown assailant. They were said to be in stable condition. Two other men were shot in that first incident. They were capable of transporting themselves to Brookdale University Hospital. Like the men before them, they were considered to be in stable condition.
The second shooting occurred in the Bronx, about 45 minutes later, on Eastchester Road in the Bronx. He was taken to Jacobi Medical Center to be treated and listed in stable condition. Two suspects were seen fleeing the scene in that shooting.
The third incident occurred on Rockaway Avenue, in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Yet another man was shot, in the leg, at about 6 p.m., less than an hour after the second shooting. As with some of the first victims, he ended up in Brookdale University Hospital, where he was considered to be in stable condition
The final shootings happened a dozen blocks away on Throop Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant about 45 minutes later. A 17-year-old was shot in the back, while another sustained gunshot wounds of an unspecified nature. They were transported to Kings County Hospital, where their wounds were not deemed to threaten their lives.
Police still have not arrested anyone for any of these shootings. They have no further information on all the gunfire that happened that day, nor do they know if any of them were linked together in any way. Whatever the real circumstances and motivations might be, NY City Injury Attorneys will remain on the case until everything is cleared up.

Continue reading " 8 Shot Over Three Hour Period in Bronx and Brooklyn " »

A 27-year-old driver ran his car into the back of one vehicle on the morning of April 6, 2011, on a freeway in Riverside, California. He then went on to drive the wrong way down the expressway until he was stopped – by colliding head-on with another car, according to California Highway Patrol officials.
The driver was severely hurt and trapped in the wreckage of his vehicle until emergency crews could free him and transport him to a medical facility. Investigators are looking to arraign him on drunken driving charges once he sufficiently recovers.
It all happened starting at 1:59 in the morning while the driver was heading south down I-215, driving his 2007 Corvette at somewhere between 90 and 100 miles per hour, police sources told New York Injury Law Offices. He first hit the back of a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was driven by a 63-year-old man.
“Following this collision, [the driver] drove… (the) wrong-way northbound on southbound I-215 where he collided head-on with [a 23-year-old woman from Riverside, California]’s 2007 Toyota Corolla,” California police said to New York Injury Law Offices.
Both the 63-year-old man and the 23-year-old woman were taken to Riverside Community Hospital, suffering from only minor injuries, investigators confirmed. They had a much better outcome than the possibly drunken driver.
Though matters may have turned out well enough for the two who were harmed by the drunk driver, they still have to deal with damage to their cars, which insurance may not completely cover. There may also minor hospital bills – which are not so minor, considering the expense of even simple medical matters. What all this adds up to is that they may need legal representation fast, and the only kind that should do is the high quality legal counsel.
There is no reason anyone should ever suffer an accident that was no fault of their own and leave it behind without any compensation whatsoever. The cause of the accident needs to pay for it and those harmed by the accident deserve compensation.

Continue reading " DUI May Be Cause of Back-to-Back Crashes in Riverside, California " »

A member of the crew of the cruise ship Crystal Symphony was airlifted to a hospital in La Jolla recently, after suffering serious eye injuries, tells a New York Injury Lawyer. It is uncertain what happened to the man to cause the injuries, but sources say that after ships physicians had conferred with the US Coast Guard, it was decided by a Coast Guard physician that in the interest of saving the man’s eyesight, a helicopter transport was necessary. 

Reports obtained by the New York Injury Lawyer said that a medevac helicopter lifted off from San Diego, in addition to an HC-103 Hercules airplane for support purposes. The helicopter reached the cruise ship, which was about 250 miles off the coast of San Diego and hoisted the injured man into the helicopter, where he was transported to Scripps Memorial Hospital. 

The authorities were unaware of the man’s status or what caused the injury. At this time there is no reason to suspect negligence or foul play, but investigation into the incident is underway and results are pending. By all accounts, it seems as if the emergency personnel on board the ship and the Coast Guard worked quickly and with efficiency in getting the man the medical attention that he needed. 

When someone is seriously injured on a cruise ship that is out to sea, there are well trained staff on hand and communication systems in place to handle an emergency, especially since cruise ships carry hundreds of passengers at a time. That fact should make all passengers feel safer.

If you have been injured while on vacation or traveling, contact a New York Injury Attorney now to find out if you have a case. If negligence on the part of an individual or company was involved, chances are good that a New York Injury Attorney can get you a settlement.

Continue reading " Cruise ship crew member airlifted to hospital after sustaining injuries, reports NYC Injury Lawyer " »

A man whose drunken driving caused the death of another man, a father and husband, has been arraigned on charges of manslaughter, sources told N York Injury Lawyers. A six-count Suffolk grand indictment charged the driver with being under the influence of intoxicants when the fatal accident occurred.
The suspect, a 53-year-old man, pleaded not guilty in Suffolk County Court, Riverhead. The judge ordered him held on $500,000 bond or $250,000 in cash.
On December 17, 2010, the suspect drove his vehicle, a 2002 Lincoln Navigator, over the yellow divider line on Montauk Highway, near Old South Country Road in Brookhaven. The suspect’s Navigator ran into a van driven by a 43-year-old man, married and the father of three children. The man driving the van was announced dead on the scene.
The suspect’s blood-alcohol level was .11, a spokesman for the Suffolk District Attorney said to N York Criminal Lawyers, which is .03 points higher than the legal limit.
In the meantime, the suspect’s attorney is looking for ways to mitigate the charges. He is not sure if manslaughter is entirely appropriate and may even be seeking a lesser charge, claiming the tragedy goes both ways.
“We’re early in the process of investigation,” the attorney said. “Certainly it’s a tragedy. He’s incarcerated and this gentleman lost his life.”
This isn’t the first time the suspect has been in trouble. He has been arrested for a number of misdemeanors over the last 22 years, including some related to drugs.
N York Injury Lawyers are there to step into the gap when criminal charges don’t seem to be enough. Some losses can never be regained; especially the loss of a loved one, but that does not reduce the need for justice in such cases. The perpetrator may escape under the legal process, perhaps due to a technicality or some other issue, but thankfully there are N York Injury Lawyers who are ready to help out and make sure those who harm a family will be required to pay some measure of compensation to those who suffered loss.

Continue reading " Manslaughter Charges Leveled Against Drunk Driver " »

A drunk driver hit a parked police car sitting on the side of the road on Interstate 93 outside of Boston, Massachusetts. The state trooper had stopped another motorist and may have been issuing a ticket or giving a warning at the time of the accident. A NY Injury Lawyer claims the trooper was injured when the drunk driver forced the police car forward. The trooper was taken to a nearby hospital with leg injuries. While these injuries were not life threatening, it is unclear at this time when the officer will be able to return to work.
The driver is being charged with multiple offences including driving under the influence, failure to move lanes for an emergency vehicle and operating to endanger. While it is unknown if the driver will receive prison time, heavy fines or a combination of both, the driver has been taken into custody.
This is one of at least 12 vehicular accidents involving police personnel to take place on Massachusetts highways in the past 15 months. Police officials are investigating the increase in these accidents to determine the best ways to prevent future incidents. Other accidents involved motorists driving while intoxicated, motorists crossing lanes illegally or motorists not watching while operating their vehicle. Some drivers have been found guilty of speeding or driving irresponsibly.
Police officials may have to increase patrols to stop those driving while impaired before they cause an accident. Or they may have to increase safety checkpoints to ensure drivers are driving safely. Gathering as much information as possible is necessary to determine the best course of action. It is unknown if the police officer's patrol car was equipped with cameras to record accidents like this one. A Manhattan Injury Attorney has stated that recordings of accidents may also help police officials reduce the number of accidents involving police officers and state troopers when they are on the highways trying to keep people safe.
It is unknown when the state trooper will be released from the hospital. He may have to receive out-patient care which could include physical therapy. He may also have to remain at a desk until his injuries have fully healed.

Continue reading " Massachusetts State Trooper Injured in Drunk Driving Accident " »

A 39-year old Florida woman has been indicted by a grand jury after killing a 60-year old woman in 2009. The woman was driving while under the influence of alcohol when she hit a car carrying five people and the driver. The 60-year old was driving the vehicle and was wearing a seatbelt. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The passengers were taken and released from the hospital with a variety of injuries. The woman who caused the accident was flown to a nearby hospital with serious injuries.
The woman, driving a Chevrolet truck crossed the center lane on the highway and hit the other woman's Ford SUV. Police later discovered that the woman had been drinking. According to a New York Injury Lawyer, she now faces a felony charge for driving under the influence and causing a death and two other felony charges for driving under the influence and causing great bodily injury. Depending on how the trial goes, the woman faces multiple years in jail, fines and other penalties.
Currently, the woman is being held in a local detention center until her trial. After that, she may be sent to a state women's detention center, suggests a New York Injury Lawyer. The accident happened on August 1, 2009 around 9:30pm on S.C. 917 North. It is unknown where the woman was going at the time of the accident. After being released from the hospital, the woman left South Carolina and was later arrested in Florida.
It is unknown at this time if the deceased woman's family plans to file a civil suit against the other woman. Civil suits are typically filed separately from lawsuits brought against an accused person by the state.
It is unclear at this time if the woman has expressed any remorse for her actions and if she will seek leniency from the judge hearing her case. The woman was intoxicated at the time and may have been under the influence of other substances as well. More evidence will be discussed during the woman's trial. It is now up to a jury to determine the maximum sentence the woman should serve for her crimes.

Continue reading " Florida Woman Indicted by Grand Jury for Death of another Woman " »

A popular Manhattan hamburger vending company had a tragic setback when the truck the business is based out of exploded suddenly on West Side Highway, sources told NYC Injury Attorneys. The two men inside were seriously injured.
The men were driving their truck south on West Street, from midtown where they had been serving lunch. One of the propane tanks exploded at around 3:15 p.m., officials and witnesses recalled.
“Black smoke started pouring out of the roof, then yellow flames,” said a 43-year-old witness from the Bronx. He works near the site of the accident as a superintendent.
“Boom – it blew the roof off. Everyone was hysterical. We thought it was a bomb.”
The truck pulled over onto the median and the two men were able to get out of the truck.
“They were on fire,” the superintendent said. “They got out and sat on the sidewalk. They were in shock.
The 21-year-old owner of the truck and his employee, the victims in the explosion, were both taken to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell. Their burns were deemed to be serious but nonlife-threatening, officials and family members said.
The truck was on its way to Tribeca, where they were scheduled to serve burgers at 4 p.m. Accidents happen all the time and sometimes they are severe enough to change lives forever. Such accidents mean a change in lifestyle, usually the loss of a job, which can mean the loss of medical insurance – catastrophe for a family. NYC Injury Attorneys are there to help in such cases, as well as those that are not so life-changing.
Major or minor, an accident that injures someone else should be allow for compensation, whether for medical bills or just for pain and suffering. At the very least, the cause of the accident should not be allowed to get away with it. A lawsuit is a good deterrent for making sure the same thing does not happen to anyone else. In the end, the goal is justice.

Continue reading " Tragic Explosion Injures Two in Manhattan " »

Hartford-based Conning recently released a report stating the unpredictable business of medical malpractice insurance will continue its trends of lower profits and will face expansive changes in the age of federal health care reform.
The trends ahead have been forecast very differently than in the past largely due to several components to the new health care reform including required electronic records by 2012, demands on health care workers to provide more efficient service and a mandatory addition of 32 million people who weren’t eligible for insurance before or just didn’t have it, explained New York Injury Lawyers.
Prior to this, costs for medical-malpractice insurance stopped increasing in 2006 after reaching an all time low in 2001. Rates were actually cut by insurers in 2008 and continually went down through the third quarter of 2010.
"There has been a rise in acquisition activity and pricing competition in the last three years," said Jeffrey Thompson, vice president of insurance research and publications at Conning.
New York Injury Lawyers predict that mergers and acquisitions will continue to increase in the next five years much like they have been the last half of this decade.
In the end the report predicts insurers will pay higher losses in claims due to tort-reform laws which limit payouts in malpractice lawsuits, a growing shortage will increase the role and liability of nurse practitioners in providing care; and electronic medical records could possibly give lawyers access to more information that could be used in a lawsuit.

Continue reading " Recent report predicts continued lower profits for malpractice insurance, according to New York City Injury Lawyers " »