New York Injury Lawyer Blawg

On October 17, the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) will be hosting the 2011 Distracted Driving Summit. The Summit will be held in Washington D.C. and is funded through a grant from AT&T.

NOYS is a firm believer that teen-led and teen-informed programs are an effective way to raise awareness, educate drivers and prevent distracted driving-related teen car accidents in New York and elsewhere. The Organization uses its resources to empower, convene and train youth leaders to effectively address distracted driving among teen drivers.

NOYS reports that there were roughly 3,000 teens aged 15 to 19 that were killed in traffic accidents in the U.S. in 2009. The Organization estimates that another 350,000 individuals in this age group were injured in these types of incidents. While the deadliest months for teen car accidents (May through August) are over, parents, teachers and guardians are urged to refresh teen driving habits and skills as teens head to back campus to refresh their academic knowledge for the new school year.

Our New York car accident attorneys understand that car accidents are the number one cause of death for teens in the United States. The main reason for these fatal accidents is that these young drivers have much less driving experience than adult drivers.

For this reason, parents are urged to keep safe driving habits as a frequent topic of conversation. Parents are some of the most influential people in a young driver's experience behind the wheel. Even though this young age group only represents less than 15 percent of the population in the U.S., fatal accident involving these individuals account for roughly 30 percent of the total costs for traffic accidents. These accidents cost the U.S. nearly $30 billion every single year.

The 2011 Teen Distracted Driving Summit will consist of the following:

• Presentations from key national leaders from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and from the U.S. Department of Transportation.


• The announcement of the new NOYS Teen Distracted Driving Prevention Team (TDDPT) for the 2011-2012 year. This Team consists of 40 youth leaders and 10 advisers.


• There will be TDDPT training workshops, which will be conducted by some of the top traffic safety experts.


• Organizations and companies will be offered an opportunity to showcase products, programs and other resources that address distracted driving among teenage drivers.

Teens make up the age group that is most likely to be involved in a distracted driving-related car accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were nearly 200 teenagers killed in traffic accidents in New York that reported the involvement of a teen driver.

We can all do our part to help reduce the risks of these types of accidents by talking to the teens in our lives and helping them to understand the dangers of distracted driving and the importance of safe driving habits.

Continue reading "NOYS Hosts the 2011 Distracted Driving Summit to Help Reduce Risks of Teen Car Accidents in New York, Nation" »

Pedestrian accidents in New York City accounted for more than half of all fatal traffic-related accidents from 2005 to 2009, according to the New York City Department of Transportation.

The rest of the country is experiencing alarming rates of fatal pedestrian accidents as well. According to a recent study conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety that looked at of 7,000 reports of accidents that resulted in serious injury or death to pedestrians, there were more than 4,000 pedestrians that were fatally injured in 2009 because of traffic-related accidents in the U.S. Close to 60,000 pedestrians were injured in these types of incidents.

The AAA study concluded that the risk of an accident is directly correlated with the speed of the vehicle. Therefore, the study has concluded that reduce the speed of motorists is one way to help decrease the risks of these serious accidents.

Our New York pedestrian accident lawyers understand that the New York City Department of Transportation is looking into ways to reduce these types of accidents as well. One of the ways that the DOT is approaching is the Pedestrian Safety Report and Action Plan. This plan started with the analysis of more than 7,000 accident reports in an attempt to find the underlying causes. The DOT is then using this information to find ways to make roadways safer for everyone.

Important findings of New York City's Pedestrian Safety Report and Action Plan:

• Traffic accidents in the City cost the local economy nearly $4.5 billion a year.


• Pedestrians are about 10 times more likely to be killed on our roadways than an occupant of a motor vehicle in the event of an accident.


• Driver inattention was a top contributor in nearly 40 percent of accidents in which a pedestrian was seriously injured or killed.


• Nearly 30 percent of fatal pedestrian accidents were the result of a driver failing to yield.


• Pedestrian-vehicle accidents are about twice as deadly as any other type of accident.


• Pedestrian accidents are about 70 percent deadlier on major street corridors in comparison to smaller local streets.


• Most drivers in New York are unaware of the 30 mph standard speed limit.


• Roughly 80 percent of pedestrian-car accidents that seriously injure or kill pedestrians involve a male driver.


• Nearly 80 percent of serious or fatal accidents that involve a vehicle and a pedestrian involve a private vehicle, not a bus, a truck or a taxi.


• Manhattan has four times more serious pedestrian accidents per mile than any of the other four major boroughs.


• More than 40 percent of pedestrians who were killed in Manhattan were residents of other boroughs or lived outside of the city.

Department of Transportation officials have analyzed the data and have a few different ways that they think they can help to reduce the risks of these serious accidents:

-Fix up approximately 60 miles of New York City streets and engineer them with more pedestrian-safe features. The selection of these areas will correspond with specific accident data.
-Pedestrian countdown signals will be installed at roughly 1,500 intersections.
-Twenty intersections will be reconstructed to increase safety for pedestrians.
-Pilot programs will be conducted to test out 20 mph speed limits in specific neighborhoods.
-Pilot programs will be conducted in an attempt to improve the visibility of left-hand turns for those along avenues in Manhattan.

According to Transportation for America, New York's most dangerous metro areas for pedestrians are as follows (from 2000 to 2009):

-New York/Northern New Jersey-Long Island: 3,485 deaths.
-Buffalo-Niagara Falls: 163 deaths.
-Rochester: 122 deaths.
-Syracuse: 93 deaths.
-Albany-Schenectady-Troy: 92 deaths.

Continue reading "Pedestrian Accidents in New York City Account for more than 50 Percent of all Fatal Traffic Accidents" »

The Garden City News Online reports that the police department will be doing a four-part back-to-school safety series for children and parents. Students in New York have already returned to class, but there is never a bad time for parents to remind children of some of the dangers involved in walking, biking or riding a bus to school and steps that can be taken to avoid child injuries in Manhattan, Westchester and elsewhere in the state.

New York injury lawyers know that school accidents are common among young children but school systems have a responsibility to take necessary precautions to keep children safe on the school bus, in school drop off zones, on the playground, or elsewhere on the premises. Children spend a good amount of time at school throughout the year so safety should always be a priority.

The first part of the Garden City Police Department series is on safe driving practices. School zones and drop off areas can be loaded with pedestrians, bicyclists, school buses, and cars so motorists need to use extra caution when they travel on roadways near schools and busy neighborhoods.

The morning and afternoon hours when school resumes and ends for the day are especially hectic so parents, children and motorists are all urged to practice some of the following safety tips offered by the department:

-Children contain two-thirds of the peripheral vision of adults and have trouble determining the origin of sounds so motorists should slow down when they see a child pedestrian or young bicyclist because they may have a difficult time determining speed and distance of a vehicle from where they stand or sit.

-From 2002-2004, 69 injuries and one death occurred from passing a school bus while the bus was stopped. When following a school bus or approaching one from the opposite direction, never pass when the red lights are flashing. Come to a full stop and remain idle until the flashing lights are turned off and it is safe to move your vehicle.

-If a school zone speed limit is 15 mph, nothing states that you can't slow down even more, especially in poor visibility conditions like heavy rain, fog, sleet or darkness.

-Every school system has routine traffic patterns that follow a daily schedule. Motorists should take the time to learn the pattern on your preferred route in order to avoid conflict.

-Leaving a child alone in the vehicle is never a good idea because they could suffer from heat exhaustion or dehydration which can result in serious or fatal illness.

-Avoid making U-turns or turning around in neighborhood driveways or in school zones because children may be hidden in your blind spot which makes it nearly impossible to see them.

-It is against the law to leave a vehicle parked or idling in a school drop off area, even if for only a minute.

-Signs posted 'no parking' at crosswalks provide a buffer that makes crossing the street safer. Stopping in the middle of a crossing zone makes it dangerous for pedestrians and should always be avoided for the safety of everyone using the intersection or crossing area.

-Never double-park, block traffic, park or wait in a red zone or school bus loading zone.

-Instruct children to open car doors on curb side rather than into the street where traffic is passing by.

-When picking children up from school, wait on the same side of the street or find a nearby lot to park in that they can walk to safely.

-The chance of injury or death can be reduced by 30 percent if children under 12 are fastened in by a belt in the back seat. Have children ride in the back seat rather than the seat next to you in front.

Other future articles to look for in the back to school safety series by Garden City Police Department include school bus safety, bicycle and pedestrian safety and stranger danger.

Continue reading "Back to School Safety Awareness Can Reduce Child Injuries in New York City School Zones" »

Recently, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) suggested that Ride the Ducks International go over its safety program to make sure their workers obey emergency procedures to prevent a repeat of last July's fatal crash on the Delaware River.

Duck boat accident lawyers and New York injury lawyers Peter Ronai and Holly Ostrov Ronai find it unacceptable for authorities to permit these boats to resume operations even though they are calling for a more thorough review.

It is irresponsible for operations to resume until the case has been heard and all safety concerns addressed. A lawsuit is pending against the tug boat operator, the duck boat company and the City of Philadelphia.

Last month, the tug boat's first mate pleaded guilty to the maritime-law equivalent of manslaughter. He also agreed to have his Coast Guard issued mate license revoked. Sentencing will be November 1, when he will face between 37 and 46 months in prison.

Though he was remorseful, his actions lead to the deaths of Dora Schwendtner, 16, and Szabolcs Prem, 20, both were Hungarian tourists. He was distracted by a family emergency and it remains a mystery why the first mate did not ask crewmates to relieve him from his duties.

Not only was the first mate distracted by his cell phone, he left the upper deck of the tug boat to go to a lower level to use a laptop. Even worse, it was learned that he had turned down the volume on the tug boats radio so no one on the vessel heard the distress calls from the disabled duck boat.

As lawyers for the victims, we appreciate that the first mate is taking responsibility for his role in this tragic accident. We are appalled that K-Sea Transportation and Ride the Ducks aren't acknowledging their roles. A K-Sea representative says the company has apologized to the victims families. A Ride the Ducks spokesperson says the blame falls to the first mate of the tug boat for being distracted and not asking for relief from his duties.

Though the NTSB held the first mate of the tug "primarily responsible" for the accident, officials did not completely let the Ride the Ducks company off the hook. Their contribution to the crash was the missing surge-tank pressure cap.

Since a mechanic failed to replace the cap, this caused smoke to fill the boat, making the captain think there was a fire on board. This event made the captain shut off the engine stranding the duck boat in the shipping channel.

We frequently post on our New York Injury Lawyer Blawg about the dangers of distracted driving. Multi-tasking is a way of life these days, but using a cell phone while operating a vehicle -- and in this case guiding a large boat -- is a recipe for disaster. A second of distraction can lead to a lifetime of regret.

Continue reading "Revamped Emergency Procedures Could Help Reduce Tour Boat Injuries Involved in Waterway Accidents in New York" »