23 May

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New York Construction Workers Remain at Risk Without Legislative Action

in Accidents, Construction Workers', Injuries, Insurance, Premises Liability, Wrongful Death

With this year’s legislative session in full-swing in Albany, special interest groups have resumed their attacks on laws designed to keep workers safe on construction sites. Construction and insurance trade groups, seeking to shed accountability and pad their pockets, have argued that labor protections like the Scaffold Safety Law are somehow undermining worker safety. However, a recent data analysis by the New York Committee for Occupational Safety & Health (NYCOSH) confirms that stronger safety requirements in New York City are helping to reduce on-the-job fatalities while worker deaths continue to rise in other, less-regulated parts of the state. In 2017, the most recent...

21 May

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Senator Accuses Popular Trampoline Parks of “Trying to Hide” Deaths and Injuries

Posted by statenislandesq

in Accidents, Injuries, Premises Liability, Wrongful Death

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are pushing to regulate trampoline parks amid mounting concern over their risks. A California police officer filed a lawsuit last week after he was temporarily paralyzed at a trampoline park outside San Francisco in 2013. A recent "CBS This Morning" report revealed six deaths since 2012 and a number of severe injuries at the popular parks. Two weeks ago, CBS News' Meg Oliver went to a Chicago-area trampoline park to assess the potential dangers. Less than an hour before her arrival, Jason Freewalt, a healthy young dad and former college football player, suffered serious injuries to his legs. The 42-year-old...

16 May

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AMA Highlights May as Motorcycle Awareness Month

Posted by statenislandesq

in Accidents, Car Accidents, Injuries, Insurance

The American Motorcyclist Association is issuing a special appeal to motorists to be aware of motorcycles during May, which is Motorcycle Awareness Month and marks the return of motorcyclists to the roadways throughout the country. Drivers should double check their mirrors and blind spots before changing lanes, maintain a safe distance when following motorcycles and pay particular attention when making left turns across traffic. “Motorcycle Awareness Month also provides an excellent opportunity for us to educate the nonriding public about the safety issues that affect motorcyclists every time we leave our driveways,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “May typically is...

09 May

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Johnson & Johnson Will Pay $1 Billion to Settle Hip Implant Lawsuits

Posted by statenislandesq

in Accidents, Injuries, Medical Malpractice, Recalls

In the mid 2000’s, metal-on-metal hip implants were introduced, and manufacturers claimed they were medical breakthroughs that would last much longer than traditional hip replacements and would allow patients to lead more active lives. Unlike prior implants that used hard plastic, ceramic, or stainless steel components, metal-on-metal implants used advanced metals including cobalt, chromium, and titanium for all major parts, and they would simply outperform all the implants that had come before them. This groundbreaking technology turned out to be more harmful than beneficial to many people because as the implant’s metal parts grind together under normal use, they produce tiny...

25 April

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After Hundreds of Crashes Britax Jogging Stroller Faced Recall

Posted by statenislandesq

in Accidents, Injuries, Insurance, Recalls

The crashes were brutal. With no warning, the front wheel on the three-wheeled BOB jogging strollers fell off, causing the carriages to careen and even flip over. Adults shattered bones. They tore ligaments. Children smashed their teeth. They gashed their faces. One child bled from his ear canal. Staff members at the Consumer Product Safety Commission collected 200 consumer-submitted reports from 2012 to 2018 of spontaneous failure of the stroller wheel, which is secured to a front fork by a quick-release lever, like on a bicycle. Nearly 100 adults and children were injured, according to the commission. The agency’s staff members...

11 April

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Window Washer Hit, Killed by Falling Bricks in Manhattan

Posted by statenislandesq

in Accidents, Construction Workers', Injuries, Premises Liability

A 51-year-old window washer was killed Monday when bricks fell on top of his head on the east side of Manhattan, police said. Nelson Salinas was washing windows on the sixth floor of 311 East 50th St., near Second Avenue, at about 11:30 a.m. when the bricks came tumbling down, according to the NYPD. He was hit in the head with debris, police said, and taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. It wasn't immediately clear how long he had been working at that location. By Allison Fox [AMNY]...

01 April

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Proposal Would Allow Pothole Damage Claims Year-round

Posted by statenislandesq

in Accidents, Car Accidents, Injuries, Insurance

Some New York lawmakers are pushing a bill that would require the state to reimburse drivers for pothole-related repairs all year-round. Currently in New York, who is responsible for car damage from potholes depends on the time of the year. If it’s between November and May, when most potholes form, you cannot file a claim. Some state legislators are proposing a bill that would change that. One version of the legislation would create a reporting system that gives the state 14 days to fix the pothole – otherwise it would have to start paying claims. AAA New York says something needs to change...

19 March

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Johnson & Johnson, U.S. States Settle Hip Implant Claims For $120 Million

Posted by statenislandesq

in Accidents, Injuries, Insurance

Johnson & Johnson and its DePuy Orthopaedics unit have agreed to pay $120 million to resolve deceptive marketing claims by several U.S. states over the company’s metal-on-metal hip implants. Attorneys general of 46 U.S. states announced the settlement agreement in statements on Tuesday. They alleged DePuy engaged in unfair and deceptive practices in the promotion of its ASR XL and Pinnacle Ultamet hip implant devices. The states claimed J&J made misleading claims about the longevity of its metal-on-metal hip implants. Patients frequently had to undergo a revision surgery before the company’s advertised timeframe of five years. DePuy in 2010 announced a worldwide voluntary recall of 93,000...

12 March

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Intoxicated Driver Struck 41 Cars

Posted by statenislandesq

in Accidents, Car Accidents, Injuries, Insurance

Rhode Island police have arrested a man they say was driving under the influence when he struck more than 40 other vehicles. Police say 45-year-old Christopher Paolissi, of Foster, was “zig-zagging” his pickup truck when he struck 41 vehicles in Providence on Tuesday afternoon. Police say Paolissi was intoxicated, and he was driving about 15 mph when officers stopped him. He was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. No other injuries were reported. Police Chief Hugh Clements says officers are compiling a “lengthy report” due to the number of vehicles hit. Paolissi is facing multiple charges, including driving under the influence, reckless driving and failure to...

05 March

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Limo Drivers Settle for $750K over Misclassification as Contractors, Not Employees

Posted by statenislandesq

in Accidents, Car Accidents, Injuries

A limousine company dispute in Connecticut has resulted in a $750,000 settlement for 23 current and former drivers. The Connecticut Law Tribune reports that drivers for Connecticut Limousine recently agreed to settle their lawsuit over allegations the New Haven-based company illegally withheld wages by misclassifying the drivers as independent contractors, instead of employees. A lawyer for Connecticut Limousine said the company would have no comment on the settlement. The company had filed court papers denying allegations of unjust enrichment and illegally withholding wages. A lawyer for the drivers, Michael Petela Jr., said the company improperly shifted many business expenses onto the drivers, who had...