On Behalf of Simon & Gilman, LLP | Jul 19, 2021 | Motor Vehicle Accidents |
The average New Yorker walks more than the average resident of any other state, according to recent data. All that walking is good for health and the environment but can lead to pedestrian accidents. Older residents are particularly at risk.
What is being done to reduce pedestrian fatalities in the city?
Risks to pedestrians on New York streets
Poor choices by drivers cause about 70% of pedestrian fatalities in New York. Older New Yorkers, who account for 12% of the city’s population, are the victims of about half of all fatal pedestrian accidents.
What the city is doing to make the streets safer
The Department of Transportation takes a safe systems approach to reduce pedestrian fatalities in New York. The DOT’s street design projects seek to reduce the opportunities for speeding and aggressive driving in the city. As part of the Vision Zero safety initiative, The Borough Pedestrian Safety Action Plans, such as the Safe Streets for Seniors program, established priority corridors, areas and intersections in each borough along with an action plan for tackling the highest risks in each area.
Actions pedestrians can take to increase safety
About 75% of all crashes occur at intersections. Traffic that is turning left is particularly dangerous for pedestrians. Pedestrians should always watch for turning cars. Additionally, always look for vehicles and bicycles, even if the street is a one-way street or you are crossing with a traffic signal.
Seniors often need more time to cross the road than younger pedestrians. As a senior pedestrian, stay alert and give yourself plenty of time to safely cross dangerous intersections.
On Behalf of Simon & Gilman, LLP | Jul 19, 2021 | Motor Vehicle Accidents |
If you are a resident of Queens, you are likely already familiar with the name Boulevard of Death. For decades, Queens Boulevard has held this moniker due to the high number of vehicle-related deaths that have occurred. Between 1990 and 2017, at least 186 people, mainly pedestrians, have died in collisions on this infamous stretch of road.
If you are a motorist or pedestrian in Queens, here is what you need to know about the dangers of the Boulevard of Death.
Why is this road so dangerous?
Queens Boulevard is a busy thoroughfare surrounded by commercial activity. The route is poorly lit in many places, making it difficult for people to identify hazards.
Portions of the street are very wide, which is perhaps one of the greatest factors contributing to the number of fatalities. Pedestrians may not have adequate time to cross before street lights change.
How can you stay safe?
When operating a vehicle, you should demonstrate increased caution when traveling on Queens Boulevard. You should follow all traffic laws and drive within the speed limit. Additionally, you should avoid common distractions, such as cell phones and loud music.
As a pedestrian, ensure you are visible to motorists, cross only at safe areas of the road and stay alert at all times.
If you or a loved one are a victim of an accident on the Boulevard of Death, make sure to document the collision and collect witness statements. These steps could be essential if you decide to seek compensation for your injuries.
On Behalf of Simon & Gilman, LLP | Jul 15, 2021 | Motor Vehicle Accidents |
After a recent motor vehicle collision, you may have trouble discerning regular aches and pains from injury symptoms directly related to the accident. Could you have internal bleeding and not know it?
WebMD explores symptoms of internal bleeding resulting from trauma. Find out whether you need professional medical attention and if you should seek damages from the at-fault party.
Abdominal swelling
Do you notice swelling or discomfort in your abdominal area? If so, your liver may have suffered trauma that triggered internal bleeding. Left unaddressed, the swelling and pain may worsen.
Fainting
If you feel faint, lightheaded or dizzy, do not brush the sensations off. Such symptoms occur after a person loses enough blood from trauma that triggers internal bleeding.
Skin discoloration
Examine every inch of your skin for discoloration. You may have bleeding in your soft tissues and skin if you notice large patches of purple on your body.
Blacking out
Losing consciousness or experiencing headaches or seizures may point to internal bleeding. Specifically, you may have a brain bleed.
Leg pain
Do you experience leg tightness, inflammation or discomfort? If so, you may have internal bleeding in your thigh. This could result from fracturing your thighbone, so have a physician examine you.
Treatment options
If you seek medical attention for the above symptoms and learn you have internal bleeding, you may wonder about your treatment options. Healthcare professionals may administer fluids or give you blood transfusions to level out your blood pressure or keep your pressure from dropping.
A doctor may keep you under observation to see if the bleeding takes care of itself. Severe internal bleeding may require a procedure.
You should not dismiss any confirmed or suspected injuries after a car accident. Doing so may jeopardize your health and your right to compensation.
How do brain injuries affect your risk of stroke?
On Behalf of Simon & Gilman, LLP | Jul 10, 2021 | Personal Injury |
If you suffered a traumatic brain injury, you may have to worry about complications. One of the most catastrophic complications is stroke.
According to WebMD, traumatic brain injuries may increase your stroke risk.
How to determine stroke risk
A review of 18 studies in four different countries showed that people who suffer from a TBI at some point in their life have a higher likelihood than other patients to have a stroke. In fact, TBI patients may have an 86% higher risk of stroke.
In the first four months after a TBI, you have the highest risk of stroke. During this period of time, your doctor should educate you on the risk of stroke. Your stroke factor does not depend on the severity of the injury. Patients with a mild TBI still have the same risk. About 70% to 90% of all TBI patients have a mild injury. However, most TBIs may be chronic, even if the patient recovered well.
How to reduce stroke risk
One way to reduce the risk of stroke is for doctors to educate on the risk of stroke. You should know the symptoms of stroke to prepare if it happens. Identifying a stroke earlier can save your life. In addition, the use of blood thinners and statins can reduce your risk of stroke. Some studies also show that antidepressant use could increase your risk. Your doctor should take steps in the first four months following your injury to decrease your stroke risk.
Over 60 million people suffer from TBIs every year, but stroke can affect any TBI patient.
When do vehicles have to yield to pedestrians?
On Behalf of Simon & Gilman, LLP | Jun 25, 2021 | Motor Vehicle Accidents |
Pedestrian accidents often result in severe injuries or death of the pedestrian, but it is everyone’s responsibility on the road to watch out for people in the roadway. According to the New York State website, the law requires both drivers and pedestrians to follow the law to keep everyone safe and prevent accidents.
The pedestrian laws in the state specify the right of way rules, which can help to prevent incidents.
Intersections and crosswalks
At intersections, pedestrians have the right of way when crossing the street the majority of the time. They always have the right of way when they are in an intersection. However, at intersections with no marked crosswalk, they still have the right of way.
An exception is when you have pedestrian signals. In that situation, you only have the right of way when your signal gives the sign to walk.
As a driver, you must always watch out for people walking across the road. You should always yield to them regardless of the situation.
Common sense
Regardless of who has the right of way, it is good common sense for pedestrians to always watch out for traffic. It is not reasonable to walk into traffic when vehicles will be unable to stop. You will always lose in that situation.
In addition, as a driver, you must be alert for pedestrians at all times. This includes when pulling out of a driveway or turning left. You have the responsibility to protect them.
It is also worth noting that children may not understand all the rules of the road. They will follow pedestrian signals and crosswalks without much concern. As a driver, you must watch out for these vulnerable youngsters and always give them the right of way when possible.
Right of way is important if there is an accident as it will often determine who was at fault.
What makes roof falls difficult to prevent?
On Behalf of Simon & Gilman, LLP | Jun 14, 2021 | Construction Accidents |
If you work in the construction industry, you understand the risks you face on the job. You not only have to use powerful and dangerous equipment, but your job probably places you in hazardous areas like high places on buildings and homes. Recent research has discovered construction workers face particular risks when working on roofs.
You could slip and fall anywhere on a construction site, but falling from a roof presents a higher risk of injury or death. Safety and Health Magazine provided some recent information on why construction workers face particular problems with roof falls.
A high rate of roof falls
Research produced by The Center for Construction Research and Training in 2019 took a look at fatalities in construction occupations. While the deaths of roof workers had actually declined that year, the rate of roofing deaths was higher than all construction occupations, reaching 35.9 per 100,000 full time workers. This finding demonstrated that simply working on a roof increased the likelihood of dying from a fall.
The issue with preventing roof falls
The Center for Construction Research and Training conducted a webinar to discuss the issue of construction site safety, including roof fall prevention. The participants discussed safety measures like putting up guardrails, having workers use anchors and using secure ladders while working on a roof.
However, the main challenge in preventing roof falls is that roofs vary across structures. Almost no roof is identical to another. As a result, construction companies have to tailor their safety measures to the specifics of each roof. This means construction workers must understand a variety of safety options so they can implement the proper measures for each roof they work on to prevent deadly falls.
Do I need a personal injury attorney?
On Behalf of Simon & Gilman, LLP | Mar 25, 2021 | Firm News |
After a serious car accident or slip and fall, the injuries you received can have lasting consequences that haunt you for years or even a lifetime. Insurance companies may try to tell you that an attorney will only slow things down and delay the compensation you need, so it is best not to get lawyers involved.
A car accident can cost you thousands of dollars in medical bills alone. If lawyers are not helpful, why are there so many personal injury attorneys, and what can they do for you?
The benefit of personal injury legal representation
Insurance companies would have you believe that they are looking out for your best interests in your personal injury claim, but that is not quite the truth. These businesses are a company like any other, and their goal is to maximize profits. To keep profits high, insurers try to get accident victims to accept far less settlements than they deserve.
Your personal injury attorney can help you spot these lowball offers. They can act on your behalf to negotiate for compensation that accurately reflects both your injuries’ current cost and the future expenses that you may experience.
Your lawyer can also help you handle your claim’s legal aspects while you focus on your health and recovering from your injuries. Fair help can meet legal deadlines, submit any documentation or paperwork after thoroughly completing it, and help you secure the best possible outcome swiftly and efficiently.
Do not take chances with your future
A personal injury can change the way you live and cause you to suffer expenses like medical bills, lost income, and property damage. Let an experienced attorney fight on your behalf to provide you with the resources you need to cover the costs of someone else’s reckless or negligent actions.
What are the different kinds of plea bargains?
On Behalf of Simon & Gilman, LLP | Mar 19, 2021 | Firm News |
Whether or not accepting a plea bargain is a good idea in your case depends upon your individual situation. However, it is highly likely that a plea bargain will be a part of your journey through the criminal justice system. In many cases, plea bargains benefit both the prosecution and the defense.
There are three different “types” of plea bargains. Formally, the courts call these areas of negotiation and they are “charge,” “sentence” and “fact” bargaining.
What kind of plea bargain is the most common?
You are most likely to get a charge bargain from the prosecution. A charge bargain is when the defendant agrees to plead guilty to a lesser charge in order to skip a trial and potentially receive a higher charge from a jury. A common example of this would be a defendant pleading guilty to a manslaughter charge in order to not go to trial for a murder charge.
Sentence bargaining is also quite common and is similar to charge bargaining. The only difference in a sentence bargain is that the actual charge itself does not change. So in this instance, the defendant would agree to plead guilty to a murder charge in exchange for a lighter sentence.
What is a fact bargain?
Fact bargaining is not at all common, and some courts do not allow it. In fact bargaining, the defendant agrees to admit to specific facts in the prosecution’s case. This makes the prosecution’s job easier since they will not have to prove those facts to the jury. In return, the prosecution does not admit other facts into evidence. Again, fact bargaining is very rare.
Pedestrians at high risk for injury and death in NYC
On Behalf of Simon & Gilman, LLP | Mar 5, 2021 | Firm News |
Walking down a New York City street should not result in injury. Unfortunately, even with the city’s plan to help curb pedestrian accidents, they continue to remain high.
The city streets are some of the busiest in the country. Even with sidewalk and bike lane expansions, pedestrians and cyclists still land in the hospital in large numbers. The injuries sustained in vehicle versus pedestrian crashes are some of the most serious.
Top reasons pedestrians get hurt
New York is a walking mecca. Many people choose to walk or bike around the city streets even with an extensive public transportation network. Because of the ease with which pedestrians can get around, it is not unusual to see packed city sidewalks throughout the day. With so many pedestrians in the area, the chance of a strike with a car is higher. Some of the most common types of pedestrian strikes include:
- Distracted pedestrians and drivers
- Excessive speed
- Poor weather
- Insufficient lighting
- Failure to yield by pedestrians and drivers
Ways to stay safe on city streets
It is critical for pedestrians and cyclists to remain vigilant while going about their day. Staying off the cellphone while walking is one way to avoid becoming blindsided by a vehicle. Keeping the volume on headphones low enough to hear warnings is critical. Crossing only at designated crosswalks is another way walkers may avoid falling victim to a car strike.
A vehicle versus pedestrian accident may result in catastrophic or fatal injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries or spinal cord trauma. It is the responsibility of both pedestrians and motorists to remain diligent and look out for each other.
Can PTSD impact your ability to work?
On Behalf of Simon & Gilman, LLP | Mar 2, 2021 | Firm News |
Suffering a personal injury can impact your life in many ways including post-traumatic stress disorder. Depending on the circumstances of your accident, you may suffer ongoing emotional trauma that affects your ability to respond rationally to triggers.
PTSD can impact your personal relationships, your self-confidence and even your ability to work. If you can no longer work because of debilitating anxiety, you may need to seek professional help as you continue to heal and recover.
Collaborate with your employer
Especially in the weeks and months immediately following your accident, you may need to collaborate with your employer to discuss modifications to your responsibilities. According to Psychology Today, PTSD can cause a number of complications including the following:
- Gastrointestinal disorders
- Memory lapses
- Social phobias
- Flashbacks
- Depression
- Irrational fear
Each of these conditions can interfere with your ability to focus at work or participate in group initiatives in the workplace. You may have the option of negotiating with your employer to discuss the possibility of telecommuting or working on a modified schedule while you implement resources to help you overcome your PTSD.
Prioritize your needs
Taking care of yourself is more important right now than ever before. Make sure you have ample rest each night, at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Drink plenty of water and make sure you eat balanced, nutritious meals. Do something active every day and try to participate in social situations.
Implement therapy to help you learn how to handle situations that may trigger your PTSD. You may even need to take medication to facilitate your emotional response as you continue to recover. If your injuries and PTSD were the results of another person’s negligence, you may choose to file a lawsuit for compensatory damages.
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