42nd Street Accident Injures 10, Including Pedestrians
An accident on 42nd Street and 6th Avenue this past weekend sent several people to the hospital, including several pedestrians. The accident shows how dangerous it can be, even just to walk the sidewalks in New York City.
According to CBS New York, the accident was triggered when a Jaguar, traveling at a high rate of speed, crashed into the back of an Impala, stopped at a red light. Then, the Jag hit a cab before jumping the sidewalk and mowing several people down.
Witnesses said it appeared as though the taxi turned over on its side and hit a tree, causing the roof to be “shaved” off of the vehicle.
Reports are conflicting but at least three people from the vehicles are listed in critical condition, while three pedestrians are listed in serious condition. According to the NY Times, at least two people at the scene refused medical treatment.
One witness, who had been reading in the nearby Bryant Park when the accident occurred, said he ran over to the scene after hearing the crash. There he found people lying on the sidewalks “screaming for help.” Continue reading
Subway Worker Burned Severely in Fire Accident
Michael Lee, 45, has worked on the subways of NYC long enough to be referred to as a “veteran,” according to the New York Post. It isn’t clear just how soon, or if, he’ll be returning to work, however, after a tragic accident on the job left him hospitalized with second and third-degree burns over his body.
Lee was working on his day off, getting some overtime, when the accident occurred. He reportedly dropped a 200-pound piece of equipment, known as a coupler, onto the third rail. When the coupler fell, bolts came off the rail, knocking Lee down and engulfing him in flamed.
Rolling around on the ground didn’t help and Lee ended up ripping off his clothing with his bare hands as he burned. Throughout the ordeal, Lee remained conscious. Continue reading
Fatal Car Accident Claims 3 Lives in Phelps
Three people were killed in a tragic accident early this week. A 65- and 66-year old husband and wife duo, along with their 55-year old passenger were all pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Another motorist is in critical condition.
The accident occurred on County Road 6 near the town of Phelps, 50 miles West of Syracuse, according to the Times Union. George Halbfinger, with his wife and friend in the car, pulled onto Route 6 where his car was hit by a southbound vehicle.
It isn’t clear who is at fault for the accident as investigations are likely still underway. But the speed required to instantly kill three people would indicate that perhaps Route 6 traffic had the right of way and no duty to stop at that particular intersection. Halbfinger may have turned in front of the oncoming vehicle, who hit him on the driver’s side. Continue reading
New York Buses Will Undergo More Frequent/Thorough Inspections
New York buses can expect to be under greater scrutiny in the state’s effort to prevent deadly accidents like those seen in 2011. The state has earmarked $1 million for a new bus inspection program, according to LoHud.com. The new program will force some buses to face multiple inspections per year, based on prior performance and a number of other factors.
The companies who have failed inspections or who have bad safety records will see more inspections than those who do well. All companies will get at least two inspections per year, which is the current standard.
In 2011, there were two major bus accidents in the state, one which killed 15 in March and one that killed 8 in October.
In the March 2011 crash, the driver was found to have hit near 80 miles per hour prior to the crash, and to have convictions for manslaughter and grand larceny on his record. In that accident, the bus tipped on its side and slid, allowing a pole to rip through the roof and the length of the bus. Continue reading
Fatal Manhattan Crane Accident Under Investigation
Last week one construction worker was killed and four others injured when a crane collapsed at a worksite in Manhattan. According to the NY Times, the crane boom split in two, sending debris raining down on workers. Work was immediately halted while the accident is being investigated by numerous agencies.
The accident occurred at a Manhattan Transit Authority site, where they are working to extend the number 7 train. Following the collapse, the MTA ordered immediate inspections on the cranes at all of their work sites.
Thirty-year old Michael Simermeyer of Lawrenceville, N.J. was killed when the crane came tumbling down. One other worker remains hospitalized. The depth of the worksite was said to make rescue efforts more difficult.
In a weird twist of irony, the crane was due for inspection just two days after the accident. The last date of inspection was January 10 of this year when the boom was in use and therefore wasn’t inspected. Instead, at that time, only the control station below was looked at. Prior to that, the last full inspection was conducted in July 2011, where the entire crane was inspected and passed. Continue reading
Increased Penalties for Faking Auto Accidents
The state Senate passed legislation to crack down on auto insurance fraud this week, just after a fraud ring was busted for faking accidents and reaping the financial rewards through insurance companies. The legislation will create a new felony law, making it a serious crime to stage an auto accident. Conviction under the law will warrant up to 7 years in prison.
Insurance fraud is said to cost the people of New York more than $1 billion each year. And it isn’t just people staging accidents that get in on the action. According to the NY Daily News, the Department of Financial Services has “launched a crackdown” on medical professionals that also take part in the fraudulent schemes.
The Department sent letters to 135 doctors in the NYC area after their billing practices “raised red flags”. To substantiate those bills being submitted to insurance companies for reimbursement, the agency requested supporting documentation from the doctors, proving the bills were legitimate. Continue reading
80-Year Old Man Hits School Bus, Bicycle and Range Rover
Bensonhurst was the scene of multiple auto accidents last week as an 80-year old man not only hit a school bus, but went on to hit a bicyclist and a Range Rover truck before coming to a stop. Tommy Saladino was taken to the hospital but is expected to be arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident.
Saladino allegedly hit a school bus and kept driving. It wasn’t until he hit a bicycle and Range Rover that his black Mercedes was stopped on 73rd Street near 18th Avenue.
A sixty-three year old bicyclist was thrown onto the windshield of a parked car after being hit by Saladino. He lost his helmet and shoes and rolled from on top of the vehicle to the sidewalk. According to the NY Daily News, he was in cardiac arrest when he was transported to Maimonides Hospital.
Saladino is the owner of Continental Shoes, also on 18th Avenue. He had hit a school bus and was driving away when the bicycle accident happened. While he would have normally only been charged with hit and run, he will now face the consequences of the other two collisions as well. Continue reading
Minor Injuries After Brooklyn Bus Accident
A city bus and a meals-on-wheels van made for a big mess when they collided in Brooklyn early this week. According to the Daily News, the van registered to the Jewish Association Servicing the Aging, ran a red light and hit a passenger car, forcing the bus to swerve and subsequently hit a building.
The accident happened on the corner of Avenue J and Ocean Ave. in Midwood just before 10 a.m. Monday morning. The bus was eastbound on Avenue J when it was forced to swerve to miss the van and collided with an apartment building. The van ended up on its side in the middle of the intersection.
Fortunately, no pedestrians were struck at the intersection and no residents of the apartment building were injured.
Twelve people, from the multiple vehicles, were transported to Kings County Hospital, Maimonides Hospital and Lutheran Medical Center with minor injuries according to police at the scene. Continue reading
Fatal Construction Accident Leads to Criminal Convictions
A 2009 construction accident killed a Long Island man and is just now coming to resolution in court. Two contractors on the accident site were charged criminally with the worker’s death, and the family of the victim also has a lawsuit pending against the reportedly culpable companies.
Robert McGee, 59, a construction foreman from Bohemia L.I. was working at the site on Staten Island during heavy wind advisories. As he knelt on the second story floor, a wind gust brought down a 60 foot tall wall on him, crushing him.
The wall was said to be a known problem, as workers on the site had watched it sway in the wind for days prior. Knowing about the wind advisory, a colleague had called McGee before the collapse, warning him that it may be in his best interest to leave the site.
Anthony Malfi, owner of Well Built Development Corp. who erected the wall, and Michael Fazio of Woodrow Builders, LLC, both faced criminal charges in McGee’s death, something rare but not unheard of. Both pleaded guilty to misdemeanors and will serve no jail time.
The family of McGee also has a lawsuit pending in state Supreme Court, claiming that Well Built did not follow the guidelines set for constructing a commercial office building and that Woodrow Builders did not have an inspector on site to ensure the construction was built according to regulations. Both companies are named in the lawsuit. Continue reading
Construction Accidents Less Common in NYC in 2011
New York construction sites are getting safer it seems, according to Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri. There was an 18% decrease in construction accidents last year in the city. Compared with 157 construction accidents in 2010, there were only 128 in 2011. Officials are crediting new laws that have been implemented over the past several years.
Among those new laws are revised city construction codes, which took effect in 2009. Those codes had not been revised in 40 years and were understandably in need of updating.
Construction accident injuries also fell, from 165 in 2010, to 152 last year, a drop of 7.8%. Oddly enough, however, fatalities increased by one, with 5 construction-related deaths last year and only 4 in 2010.
Of all construction accidents, falling is still the most common, but even construction falls declined last year by 21%, from 66 in 2010 to 52 in 2011.
More than 25 construction safety laws have been passed since 2008, affecting construction sites within the city. According to Occupational Health & Safety, many of these laws had a role in reducing the number of construction accidents. Continue reading
One of Several Lawsuits in 2008 Crane Accident Settled
In March 2008, a crane accident killed seven people and injured several others on East 51st Street. Several lawsuits resulted, the first of which was settled a few weeks ago. Though the specifics are not yet being released, a judge has ordered that the details be made public to help settle the remaining cases.
Seven people were killed in the crane accident-six construction workers on the site and a tourist. Twenty-four were injured and 18 homes were evacuated, when the crane released a six-ton steel collar. The collar came loose when a support strap snapped, according to the NY Daily News. When the collar fell from the crane, it flattened a brownstone, causing local evacuations and a significant number of injuries.
This crane accident shows just how dangerous construction sites can be and why the highest in safety standards must be adhered to. Continue reading
NYS DOT Plows Not Responsible For Hitting Vehicles?
A Schenectady man was caught completely off guard this month when he was informed that the state wouldn’t be paying to fix his car after a DOT snow plow hit him and caused damage. The reason is a little-known law in New York, which makes plow drivers immune from legal responsibility in such auto accidents.
Frank Palumbo was driving his 1993 Ford Taurus after a snow storm. He saw the DOT plow clearing the road on the right and decided to safely pass the plow on the left. But, as he passed the plow, the truck crossed the center lane, hitting Palumbo’s Taurus. Though Palumbo stopped his vehicle, as you should when involved in an auto accident, the plow driver kept going, not realizing that he had just hit the Taurus. Continue reading