Specific Build-A-Bears may not be so snuggly, declared a hazard
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is a governmental agency that helps to protect the public from the unreasonable risk of injury or death that could result from dangerous products released into the stream of commerce.
The Build-A-Bear experience has become very popular amongst young children who love the brightly lit store filled with sensory stimulating bold colors and soft and snuggly stuffed bears. Children in New York and across the nation especially love the part of the experience where they can design and create their own bear. Some of those bears may not be as comforting as originally thought after a recall of the Colorful Hears Teddy Bears line was announced. Continue reading
UPDATE: New York elevator firm sued after fatal accident
In a prior post, we reported the news that a woman had lost her life on a New York elevator on Dec. 14. The woman had stepped onto the elevator at the same moment that it spontaneously began to rise. The 41-year-old woman was crushed between the floor of the elevator and the ceiling above.
Almost immediately after the fatal accident occurred, there was speculation as to whether or not faulty repair work was to blame for causing the accident. An inspection report had been conducted on June 16, 2011 which noted that there was a “defect found” although it was unclear as to what the defect referred to. Continue reading
Senate joins attempt to pass bus safety bill after horrific accidents
A recent series of horrific bus accidents, including one in New York that killed 15 people and injured 18 others in March, 2011, has spurred some members of Congress to try to take action. It is an uphill battle, though, and the proposed bus safety legislation faces strong opposition.
A disproportionate number of fatalities are occurring in curbside tour buses, which pick up passengers on the street rather than in bus terminals. Curbside buses have a crash fatality rate that is seven times higher than that of traditional terminal-based buses. Continue reading
It may be a slippery Christmas for New York shop owners
It has been an unusually warm start to the winter this season. While last year set record snowfalls across the country, this year there has barely been anything to measure. Residents in New York are hoping that they will see snow for Christmas and the forecast shows at least some precipitation.
Whether it is rain or snow, when more precipitation falls more slush is tracked into stores across the city. Store owners have a duty to keep their floors free of slippery slush that could result in slip and fall accidents and injury to patrons. Continue reading
Family says restraints could have saved NY construction worker
In New York, a construction accident involving a worker who was killed after a wind gust blew him off a roof apparently involved employer negligence and liability as described by personal injury laws. The family of the deceased worker is suing the subcontracting firm, claiming employer negligence in failing to provide any type of safety protection for the worker to prevent a fall.
The 36-year-old worker fell over 50 feet onto a concrete slab and died at the scene. In this lawsuit, personal injury claims are also being made against the development partnership owners of the property as co-defendants. Under Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations and laws designed to protect workers from on-the-job injuries, there should have been adequate protection provided to prevent this fall. Protection could have been provided with restraining devices or a safety harness configuration for that worker. Continue reading
Soldier who rescued New York bus accident victims receives honor
Over the summer the lives of several citizens were dramatically altered when they were involved in a New York bus accident. The crash was so severe that the bus burst into flames and could have ended the lives of many on board if it were not for a young soldier who risked his life to save the injured on board.
The soldier was honored this week for his selfless participation in the rescue of a number of passengers. The ceremony took place on Tuesday afternoon at a military post in New York – the same post the soldier had driven home from on the day of the crash. The man was honored with one of the highest military awards for a noncombat act of heroism, the Soldier’s Medal. Continue reading
New York elevator accident claims life of one woman
Building owners have a duty to keep their premises safe, whether it is by ensuring that floors are not slippery, sidewalks do not have protruding cracks and that basically everything on the property is kept in a safe condition. It is unclear at this point whether it was faulty repair work or something else that caused a New York elevator to unexpectedly rise this week, crushing a woman’s body between the shaft wall and the elevator floor.
The 41-year-old woman lost her life as a result of the injuries she sustained in the accident on Wednesday morning. There were two other passengers on the elevator at approximately 10 a.m. when it began its un-signaled ascent. The two other passengers did not appear to have serious physical injuries, but were immediately treated for the trauma that was caused when they saw the woman crushed in front of their eyes. Continue reading
Congressional advocates of intercity bus safety try again
Recently, there have been several horrific bus accidents in New York. In March 2011, 15 people were killed and 18 injured when a chartered tour bus, traveling at high speed from a Connecticut casino to Manhattan’s Chinatown, overturned in the Bronx on Interstate 19. Some of the victims were thrown out of the bus while others were trapped inside and at least one was decapitated.
In July, two people were killed and 35 injured in a crash in upstate New York in a tour bus headed for Niagara Falls. In another upstate New York accident that month, a tour bus coming from Canada crashed into a tractor trailer, killing the truck driver and one bus passenger, and injuring 30 passengers. Continue reading
Father loses son under Manhattan streets in construction accident
New York has one of the largest underground mass transit systems that transport children to school, employees to work and tourists to famous see famous sights. While the residents and visitors to the large city benefit every day from the network of tunnels, maintenance and construction workers must work in the dark tunnels to build the system and keep it safe for travelers.
A26-year-old New York construction worker recently lost his life approximately 140 feet beneath the Manhattan street level. Not only did the construction accidentclaim the life of the young man, but a father was forced to watch the one thing that should never happen to a parent. He watched the young life of his son slip away before his eyes. Continue reading
New York bus driver fails to report accident while students onboard
A large number of fender benders do not result in injury. When a driver feels fine, it is completely up to them whether they will seek medical attention to determine any injury. When the driver is a school bus driver with passengers on board, there is a duty to make sure that the students are taken care of after even the smallest accident.
New York officials are investigating a school bus driver after he failed to report a bus accident that occurred while 21 students were onboard the vehicle. Not only did the students have to rely on the driver to bring them to school on time, but they also had to rely on the driver to keep them safe. Continue reading
Desperate Housewife sued by injured restaurant patron
Eva Longoria is known as the fashionable and very feisty one of the female bunch on the hit television series “Desperate Housewives.” Most of her character’s investments in the show are made by her husband, but in reality, the star has made several investments of her own including opening a fine dining restaurant called Beso – the Spanish word for kiss.
The restaurant has not been kissed with the success that the star had hoped for, however. The restaurant first hit financial troubles after suffering losses of about $76,000 per month forcing the restaurant to file for bankruptcy. Now, a slip and falllawsuit names the restaurant and Eva Longoria as defendants and claiming over $25,000 in damages suffered as a result of the accident. Continue reading
Risk of bacterial infection prompts tampon recall
New York personal injury attorneys familiar with product liability cases took note recently that certain types of Kotex tampons have been recalled as an “unsafe product” because there may be danger to users from bacteria that may be contained in some of the plastic tubing used for packaging the tampons.
Persons with compromised health and immune system problems — such as HIV positive women — may be at higher risk of a dangerous infection from using those tampons. The recall clearly illustrates the efforts of Kimberly-Clark to mitigate possible repercussions from that product defect. Continue reading