Bronx Personal Injury & Real Estate Blog

Q: Are commercial trucks and their drivers subject to additional rules and regulations that don’t apply to cars and ordinary drivers?

If you’ve travelled through the Bronx, New York, you know that nothing is worse than the usual traffic on the George Washington Bridge--unless of course the bridge is closed as a result of a multiple-fatality trucking accident.

Such was the case two days after Christmas when a car, two big rigs, and a pick-up truck were involved in a chain reaction pile up that took three lives and injured five others at the George Washington Bridge.

In an accident too horrific to imagine, the pick-up truck was reportedly idling behind a stopped 18 wheel tractor trailer and was crushed when a second big rig barreled into its rear.

Q: Who is responsible for injuries occurring in a New York City apartment building?

Every day, people are seriously injured or killed as a result of the reckless, negligent, or intentional actions or inactions of another person or entity. Because each case is different and different rules may apply, it's important to contact a skilled personal injury lawyer if you or a loved one has been hurt through no fault of your own.

Some of the factors that come into play when establishing a personal injury lawsuit include causation, which means proving that the actions or inactions of the individual or company actually caused the injury and then establishing that the injury resulted from the negligence or malicious intent to do harm.
Read more . . .

Q: What compensation can victims of a school bus accident recover?

In New York City, accidents happen all day, every day. So often in fact that news of truck, bus, or car accidents rarely raises an eyebrow. But when a school bus filled with young children has an accident with fatalities, the entire nation rightfully takes notice.
Read more . . .

Can I be sued if I injure or kill a relative in a car accident?

Imagine the horror for a teenaged boy to discover that he accidentally ran over and killed his own grandmother while he was backing the family’s SUV into their narrow driveway. His grandmother and grandfather lived with him and his family. She reportedly took care of her grandchildren after school. No charges were filed against the teen.

When someone is injured as a result of the negligent, reckless, or intentional actions of another, they can pursue a

Q: Can I sue for malpractice if I was misdiagnosed?

Medical malpractice happens when a doctor, hospital or other medical provider “deviates from the accepted standard of practice” and that deviation results in an injury to the patient. So, there is a two-pronged test. First, prove the treatment deviated from the usual standard of care; then prove the injury resulted from that deviation.

Q: How do I know if I need a personal injury attorney?

People get hurt every day in accidents that are not their fault on the roads, at work, while shopping, at school, or anywhere at all. If you’ve been injured as a result of the negligent, reckless or intentional actions of another person, you may be entitled to recover compensation for your damages. Depending on your particular situation, you could be entitled to compensation for things like medical bills, property damage, lost income, future medical bills related to your injuries, pain and suffering and more.

Q: How much force by police is considered “excessive”?

Headlines remind us almost daily that the relationship between the police and the public has deteriorated. Images on the news are reminiscent of volatile scenes from the civil rights era. Minorities and others repeatedly make accusations of police brutality and misconduct, racial profiling, and civil rights violations--especially in cases where victims die in police custody or during arrests.

What is being done to protect motorists from truck accidents?

In August, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal  Motor Carrier Safety Administration proposed a rule that would require commercial trucking companies to install speed-capping technology in all vehicles in their fleets. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, in the midst of his reelection campaign, recently called on the Department of Transportation to approve the rule.
Read more . . .

Q: What happens if a politician or celebrity causes an accident that results in a personal injury to someone else?

Politicians and celebrities are people just like you and me. They put their pants on one leg at a time. They just happen to be well-known or famous and are often more wealthy than the rest of society. So while it may be a bit intimidating to be involved in an accident with one of them, they are not above the law; they may be sued and held accountable for damages resulting from the injuries they caused.

The former mayor of New York City, David Dinkins, is the subject of a recent

Q: Are the laws regarding tractor trailer accidents different from automobile accidents?

If you’ve ever driven in New York City and the Tri-State area, you’ve likely lived through the white-knuckle experience of sharing the poorly maintained, very congested roadways and bridges with big bulky tractor trailers. Who knows what these road- hogging, line-crossing big rigs are even hauling? It’s enough to make you trade in your car for a Metro card.

The latest available statistics show that tractor trailer accidents are up 17% nationwide, and it’s even worse in the Tri-State area due to the much higher percentage of freight being hauled here by tractor trailers instead of by rail. Whereas most cities get half of their freight by rail, the Tri-State area gets only 5% by rail, with the remaining 95% of freight coming via tractor trailers. It’s no wonder traffic, pollution, and accidents are on the rise and people are intimidated while driving beside the big rigs.

 Personal injury laws are designed to protect us from unreasonably dangerous conduct by others. Sometimes, injuries occur due to another person’s negligent behavior (e.g., driving while intoxicated). Other times, injuries occur due to unreasonably dangerous items or consumer goods – an area of the law known as “products liability.