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More than 900,000 New Yorkers regularly ride a bike. The number of bike trips taken in the city in a day is around triple the number taken 15 years ago. Use of electric bikes has risen around the country and across the state. Electric bikes are battery powered “micro-mobility vehicles.” In conjunction with a rise in operation, there has been a push towards making sure there are safe dedicated space for operators. Unfortunately, the increased use of micro-mobility vehicles has led to injuries arising from their use going up 70% in the last four years according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). If you were injured or a loved one died in an electric bike accident, you should discuss whether you have a basis for a claim with experienced White Plains personal injury lawyer Mark A. Siesel.

You should wear a helmet when riding an electric bike, e-scooter, or hoverboard. Head injuries and visits to the emergency room after an accident involving these micro-mobility vehicles are common. From 2017 – 2020, there were 190,000 E.R. visits in connection with riding them. While cars remain a primary danger to bicyclists and pedestrians, those riding the electric bikes and other micro-mobility vehicles face a real risk of injuries and deaths; an actress was killed in the city after being hit by an e-scooter.

The CPSC has found e-scooters have problems with fires and breaks. Some of the injuries and deaths are sustained by children riding these vehicles.

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A New York appellate court recently issued a decision in a case stemming from an accident between a bicyclist and a truck driver. The plaintiff filed a lawsuit alleging personal injury damages after being struck and run over by the truck driver. She alleged that she was approaching an intersection and stopped at the red light next to the defendant’s truck. The plaintiff explained that the truck did not have a turn signal on, and when the light turned green, she went straight, and the truck made a right turn into her.

At trial, the defendant contended that when he approached the light, he turned his right turn signal on for about one minute and that he checked his mirrors before making the turn. He denied seeing the plaintiff or running her over. The defendant further argued, and the court agreed, that he was not required to continuously activate his turn signal because he was effectively “parked” at the red light. The court instructed the jury that the truck driver was not required to activate his turn signal at least 100 feet before making a turn. As such, the jury found that the defendant was not negligent. The plaintiff appealed the ruling arguing that the court erred in its jury instruction.

Under Vehicle and Traffic Law §1163, a motorist must activate their intention to turn continuously during not less than the last one hundred feet traveled by the vehicle before turning.” The appellate court explained that the statute does not make an exception for vehicles stopped at red lights. Thus, contrary to the lower court’s ruling, the defendant’s truck was not “parked,” and he was bound by § 1163 of the traffic code. The court stated that the statute provides a specific standard of care and a violation amounts to negligence per se. As such, the court reversed the lower court’s judgment and found in favor of the plaintiff.

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According to reports and data collected by driver-education organizations and the New York Police Department (NYPD), there are nearly 6 million car accidents across the United States every year. The most recent statistics by the NYPD reveal that there were over 228,047 motor vehicle accidents in New York City alone, which is about 625 accidents a day and five car-accident injuries every hour. These incidents include accidents involving pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists. About 60 percent of the accidents occur in Queens and Brooklyn, followed by Manhattan, Bronx, and Staten Island.

The rate and severity of accidents vary by month, day of the week, and time of day. Most accidents occur during the summer months, specifically May and June. Bike accidents typically occur in August, July, and September. The summer months, especially in tourist towns, prove to be a time of increased motor vehicle accidents. There are many reasons that accidents occur during this time including, distraction, tailgating, improper passing, speeding, aggressive driving, and impaired driving.

Tourist towns often provide the public with various nightlife and entertainment options that may lead to dangerous driving. For example, late last month, five people died in a Hamptons crash involving speeding. According to the New York Times, a group was traveling in the Hamptons when a speeding driver slammed into them head-on. The victims were an Uber driver, two brothers, a friend, and the speeding driver. Another passenger suffered serious injuries and is currently in critical condition. The accident was one of three crashes that occurred the same weekend. All of the accidents involved speeding, alcohol, or a combination of both.

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While New York offers the public various options for public transportation, many people choose to ride bikes for their daily commute. Although bikes are an economical and convenient form of transportation, they can lead to serious accidents. A government report by Safer Cycling examined the rate of cycling across the state across two decades. The report analyzed the rate of residents biking and related accidents.

According to the most recent reporting year, there were about 18,718 New York biking accidents, of which 18,710 resulted in injuries and 8 in fatalities. Even during the pandemic and lock down, the state experienced nearly 12,500 bike crashes, which resulted in 12,422 injuries and 28 fatalities. Although biking safety throughout the state has improved over the past 20 years, the rate of injuries and fatalities is alarming.

There are many reasons why New York biking accidents occur. The leading causes of biking accidents involve:

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The recent Miami building collapse illustrates the devastating consequences of shoddy construction and maintenance. While many building owners may claim that New York building collapses are unexpected, many structural engineers and safety experts disagree with those claims. Regardless of the foreseeability of a collapse, these incidents can cause catastrophic and deadly injuries to anyone in the vicinity of the structure. Those affected by a building collapse should seek representation from a New York construction site accident attorney to discuss their rights and remedies.

In most situations, buildings will not collapse without cause or negligence; however, determining the exact cause of the collapse can be challenging. In many cases, the combining force of several defects and environmental factors may impact the severity of a collapse. The leading causes of building collapses can include:

  • Foundation defects
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Living in New York, large buildings are commonplace. Most residents can live their entire life in the city and never encounter a major problem with a building. However, the recent tragedy in Florida illustrates that building collapses are not unheard of and, when they occur, they can have disastrous implications.

Last week, an apartment building in Miami collapsed, killing at least eight and leaving more than 150 unaccounted for. The investigation into the collapse is so far taking a back seat to locating all missing residents; however, ultimately, state and federal investigators will look into what could have caused the huge building to collapse.

According to a recent news report, there is already some speculation as to what could have been done to prevent the catastrophe. For example, CNN recently published an article citing a letter written by the board president of the building. In the letter, she notes, “the concrete deterioration is accelerating. The roof situation got much worse, so extensive roof repairs had to be incorporated…the observable damage such as in the garage has gotten significantly worse since the initial inspection.” This leads to the natural question: why didn’t building management take the necessary steps to secure the building.

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Elevator accidents can inflict catastrophic injuries or even kill a worker at a construction site in New York. If you were injured in an elevator accident, it may be appropriate to sue under New York Labor Law 241(6). Recently, a falling elevator at a charter school under construction in the Bronx dropped four stories from the fourth floor to the ground. It killed a construction supervisor, while also seriously injuring the worker who was with him in the elevator cab. Both were carrying construction debris at the time.

 

The elevator accident occurred early in the morning. The construction crew was present at the site to convert the building into a charter school. Among other permits, the contractor had a permit to work on the elevator of the existing building. However, back in 2019 at the same site, workers fell twenty feet to their deaths through an opening in the second floor. Additionally, the construction site was temporarily shut down over the last year because their construction permits had expired.

 

Afterward, a stop-work order was placed on the site as the Building Department investigated the accident. Workers at the same site reported they didn’t know what had caused the elevator to drop. One worker said there were always proper safety measures taken at the site. However, as it should, the Building Department promised there would be a thorough investigation to determine whether the elevator accident occurred because safety rules were ignored.

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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the roofing industry consistently maintains its position as one of the most dangerous types of work. Statistics indicate that roofers experience the third-highest fatality rate of American workers. New York construction workers, such as roofers, who suffer serious injuries should contact an attorney to discuss their rights and remedies.

The most serious danger to construction workers, especially roofers, is the risk of falls. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reported that nearly 40% of construction worker fatalities involved a falling accident. There are many causes of roofing fall accidents including, roof pitch, inclement weather, debris and slipping hazards, and electrocution. These dangerous angles and weather conditions, compounded with irregular surfaces, make falling accidents more likely to occur. In addition to falling off of a roof, workers may fall through a collapsing roof. This is an especially perilous situation as a collapsing roof often poses a danger to anyone in the vicinity of the roof.

For example, a recent news report described a construction accident stemming from a collapsed roof. According to officials, the construction worker was working on a demolition project when the building began to collapse. Witnesses stated that roof jacks were placed throughout the building. Emergency responders stated that the roof “completely caved in” and surrounded the man. Fire and Rescue workers extricated the worker from the building and transported him to a hospital. Tragically, the man succumbed to his injuries and died at the hospital.

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A New York appellate court recently issued an opinion addressing contractor liability for defects resulting in a slip-and-fall. Generally, New York slip-and-falls fall under premises liability theories of negligence. Although slip-and-fall cases might seem straightforward, each case is unique and successful recovery depends on the property owner’s status and circumstances surrounding the fall. Common defendants in New York slip-and-fall cases are property owners, government or city entities, and construction or contracting companies.

Property owners maintain the duty to keep their premises in a reasonably safe condition. These duties include removing snow and ice from their property, ensuring that their stairs and elevators work properly, and securing their property from foreseeable criminal activities. However, reasonableness can be relative, and injury victims must prepare a compelling and legally sound case. Courts will look to various factors when determining whether a property owner’s conduct was reasonable. Some considerations include how long the defective or unsafe condition existed, and the amount of time the owner had to address the hazardous condition. Moreover, defendants will often impute fault on the victim, and plaintiffs must be able to address any contributory negligence claims.

In certain situations, the city may hold full responsibility for a slip-and-fall accident, such as when the accident:

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The pandemic brought many changes to the daily lives of Americans throughout the country. One of the significant changes was the decrease in the number of daily commuters. Despite lighter traffic, New York car accident fatalities soared. In 2020, over 240 individuals died in a New York City traffic accident. Historically, economic downfalls usually coincide with reduced traffic congestion and fewer fatal accidents. However, the pandemic seemed to have the opposite effect, and many individuals recklessly sped down empty highways in their cars and motorcycles. These actions resulted in a sharp increase in deadly New York city accidents. Data showed a 76% increase in fatality rates from the previous year. However, the pandemic did bring a decrease in fatalities involving pedestrians.

Many reasons may explain the increase in fatal accidents but tend to go back to the changes that coronavirus brought to city residents. With older adults locking down in place, younger drivers, who are more prone to speeding, took advantage of the emptier streets. Further, the increase in unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as alcohol and drug-use combined with speeding, resulted in disastrous consequences. Traffic experts noted that some areas issued more speeding tickets during Covid than they ever have before.

Additionally, officials noted that fatalities involving motorcyclists hit the highest level in nearly 30 years. Further, over half of the incidents involved operators who did not have a motorcycle license. Data suggest that the rise may be attributed to the growing number of young men seeking an outlet from lockdown.

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