Walking is a popular, efficient and economical way to get around New York City and many communities throughout the state. With proper precautions, it is also a safe way to travel and see the Big Apple and neighboring communities. Unfortunately, accidents can happen. A recent case provides an example.
UNDERSTANDING A WRONGFUL DEATH ACTION
How do you know if you have a claim? Who can sue for wrongful death?
Man Dragged to His Death by Subway Car
On February 15, 2016 a man trying to board a subway train in New York City got jammed between the cab's doors and was dragged along the platform for about 60 feet. The man was rushed to Jamaica Hospital, where he died from blunt force trauma.
Filing a Wrongful Death Action
It is devastating to lose a loved one. It can be particularly traumatizing when their death was caused by the wrongful conduct of another. Recently, there has been much news coverage of families who have filed wrongful death lawsuits. In one New York case, a family recently filed suit for $20 million in damages for the loss of their son who spent over two years at Riker's Island without a trial. In that case, the young man was arrested and held in jail where he began to suffer psychological turmoil. The charges against him were eventually dropped, but he continued to suffer from the devastating effects of incarceration and later committed suicide in his home. The suit alleges that the young man was maliciously prosecuted, denied his constitutional rights, and was inhumanely and cruelly punished by the city in addition to being subjected to mental and physical abuse by the city's corrections officers.
Bed Handles Linked to Injury and Fatality
Recently, The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Bed Handles, Inc. announced a second recall of 113,000 portable bed handles. The first recall issued in 2014 noted the safety hazards associated with the bed handles use. However, since then, four deaths and numerous injuries have resulted from use of the product, which can shift out of place if safety straps are not attached. All four deaths occurred due to entrapment between the mattress and bed handles.
Study: huge rise in cyclists killed in distracted driving wrecks
An analysis of U.S. traffic fatalities reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that was just published by researchers from the University of Nebraska Medical Center revealed an alarming trend. While traffic fatalities overall have generally declined, fatal accidents involving both bicyclists and pedestrians are actually on the increase.
Can we prevent bike wrecks with no consistent criminal penalty?
An editorial called “Is It O.K. to Kill Cyclists?” by a biking enthusiast and contributing editor for the lifestyle and fitness magazine Men’s Journal was recently published in the New York Times. Considering that the competition between bicyclists and motorists for road space, it’s no surprise the article struck a nerve with people on all sides of the debate.
Family of ax-murder victim sues lot owner for negligent security
In Nov. 2011, a 28-year-old man from Edison, New Jersey, was murdered with a pick ax late one night in an industrial lot in Sayreville. That lot was reportedly part of the property of Viking Terminal Marine, a wholesale marine and industrial equipment dealer. Three men have been charged with the murder, two of whom have just been named as defendants in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the victim’s family -- and so has Viking Terminal Marine.