New York Personal Injury Blog

Construction Work Halted in New York City

Shannon Weidemann — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:06:03 GMT

A new crackdown on following building regulations has halted work on many New York City building sites. Even minor violations have stopped work and that has builders very upset.

A top industry group says the city is paralyzed by fear after eight people were killed when a massive crane fell in Turtle Bay on March 15, according to Crain's New York Business.

"These inspectors are all afraid of losing their jobs," Louis Coletti of the Building Trades Employers' Association told Crain's.

In April, there were 1,403 stop-work orders on construction sites in the city - nearly double the 785 issued in January. Construction workers and site managers told the mag they were shut down for minor paperwork technicalities.

Robert LiMandri is the acting Buildings Commissioner says the shut downs are in the name of safety. Inspectors are following the regulations when they stop work. The former commissioner resigned following many construction accidents earlier this year. A crane accident in March killed eight people. 14 construction workers have been killed this year.

9/11 Police Officers Added to Wall

Shannon Weidemann — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:37:35 GMT

Eight New York City Police Officers who died from World Trade Center Illnesses were added to the Wall of Heroes on Wednesday. The honor is reserved for police officers that died in the line of duty. All of the men spent time aiding in the recovery effort at Ground Zero.

For years, officers and their families sparred with Mayor Michael Bloomberg over whether their illnesses -- including lung and immune diseases -- were caused by their logging hundreds of hours at the smoking pile of the World Trade Center and at the Fresh Kills landfill.

There are over 3,000 claims of injury by police officers related to sickness caused by the toxic fumes and debris from the World Trade Center. Thousands of rescue workers and people that lived and worked near the site are suffering from illness they claim is related as well.

Ford Motor Co. Recalls F-250, F-350 Trucks for Fire Hazard

Chrissie Cole — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:32:00 GMT

Ford Motor Company will officially announce an automobile recall of 64,754 of its 2008 F-250 and F-350 trucks due to potential fire hazard in late May.

The trucks do not conform to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard imposed to maintain "fuel system integrity" and prevent fuel leaks, according to federal regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

NHTSA warned on its Web site that single-rear-wheel versions of the trucks with 4-wheel drive and the 156-inch wheel base, equipped with a two-piece drive shaft contain a fuel tank system that can rupture or leak in a crash.

"During a 30 mph frontal impact into a rigid barrier, the fuel tank can move forward and contact a frame cross member, potentially causing damage to the fuel delivery module which can result in fuel spillage," according to the NHTSA Web site.

The agency warns that fuel spillage in the presence of an ignition source can start a fire.

Ford dealers will install a bracket in the recalled trucks to fix the safety concerns. The recall number is 080C04. For more information truck owners can contact Ford directly at 1-800-392-3673 or NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153).

CPSC Warned About Recalled Lead Keychain in 2006

Shannon Weidemann — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 20:44:23 GMT

Wal-mart and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled a keychain last week that contained an excessive amount of lead. The recalled keychain is believed to be responsible for an Illinois infant girl's lead poisoning. An Ashland University Professor is now claiming that he warned the CPSC in 2006 about the lead in the keychain and that they did nothing with the information.

Weidenhamer, known for exposing high lead levels and triggering recalls for inexpensive consumer goods such as Halloween and Easter trinkets, purchased two different Hip Charm keychains from Wal-Mart in Ontario, Ohio, near Mansfield, in 2006. He tested them, along with metal jewelry items from various stores in several states, and prepared a study that was published in Chemosphere, an environmental chemistry journal. Then he alerted the Consumer Product Safety Commission in December 2006 to more than 70 items with excessive lead content.

About 20 of the items were subsequently recalled, he says, but not the Hip Charm keychain -- even though his tests found more than 80 percent lead by weight in several of the charms. That's much higher than the usual government standard of .06 percent lead by weight.

The little girl that prompted the recall, had a blood test at her doctor's office that revealed the high lead level. An investigator was sent to her home to discover the source of the lead poisoning. While there the girl was mouthing her mother's keychain. The keychain was then tested and found to contain more than 69 percent lead by weight. The professor maintains children could have been saved from lead poisoning if the CPSC had investigated his report. Lead poisoning causes brain damage.

Construction Worker Hurt in Lincoln Center Fall

Shannon Weidemann — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 10:54:43 GMT

A New York City construction worker was injured in a fall from scaffolding at the Lincoln Center last night. He was wearing a safety harness at the time of the construction accident. It is unknown how he fell. He fell 25 feet.

It's not clear what the worker was doing or exactly where the accident happened within Lincoln Center. It's in the midst of a major overhaul involving several of its buildings on Manhattan's West Side.

The accident came hours after the city announced plans to rachet up scrutiny of construction dangers.

The victim is in the hospital and his condition is unknown. He is certified to work on scaffolding. Reports say he was awake and talking after the accident.

$150 Million a Year Needed for World Trade Center Sick

Shannon Weidemann — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 10:15:00 GMT

Maybor Bloomberg has called on the federal government to pay $150 Million a year to pay for the health care of World Trade Center Illness victims. A $1 Billion fund that was set up is untouchable due to lawsuits. The mayor spoke at a luncheon attended by California Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger.

The request for the health payments was among the top priorities for the mayor, who provided an update on Thursday for his second and last term that ends in 2010.

As home to numerous billionaires, the city regularly plays host to political fund raisers and Bloomberg said he wants donors to ask the country's politicians to support his priorities.

Thousands of people that responded to Ground Zero to help in the rescue and cleanup have fallen ill. It is believed that toxic fumes and materials they came in contact with is responsible.

Woman Died in Collision With Fire Truck in Queens

Jenny Albano — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 17:42:07 GMT

An collision between a car and a fire truck left one woman dead on Saturday, April 19. The car the woman was driving collided with the New York City fire truck which was on the way to stop a house from burning.

All six firefighters on the truck were hospitalized after the accident at an intersection in the Jamaica section of Queens.

The fire truck, from Engine Company 275, was responding to a fire at a three-story home when it was struck by Angela Johnson's vehicle. Johnson, 27, was pronounced dead on the scene.

According to the Fire Department, two of the six fire fighters have serious injuries, but all are being hospitalized at Long Island Jewish Hospital. The accident is currently being investigated.

Nalgene Removes Water Bottles From Stores Due to Potential Health Concerns

Jenny Albano — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 02:27:34 GMT

Nalgene has decided that it will remove some of its hard-plastic products made with bisphenol, or BPA, from stores during the next few months because the chemical may cause health problems. The company decided to substitute the plastic after reports stated that the Canadian government would label BPA as a toxic chemical and some animal studies showed harmful effects.

The general manager of the Nalgene unit, Steven Siverman, said in a statement, "Based on all available scientific evidence, we continue to believe that Nalgene products containing BPA are safe for their intended use. However, our customers indicated they preferred BPA-free alternatives, and we acted in response to those concerns."

A study completed on rats demonstrated that some of the rats that were fed or injected with low doses of BPA developed precancerous tumors, urinary tract infections, and reached puberty early. This evidence shows that there is a possibility that the chemical could alter human development. The American Chemistry Council has asked the FDA to review the chemical.

Also, some of Canada's retailers, including Wal-Mart, have decided to remove food-related products that contain the chemical, such as baby bottles and food containers, from their shelves.

The chemical has been used on the interiors of cans in an exopy resin to extend the shelf life of its contents and to prevent the contents from tasting like metal.

New York Man Trapped Beneath Car on Courthouse Steps

Chrissie Cole — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:25:00 GMT

A car jumped the curb, struck a coffee cart and plowed up the busy steps of Manhattan's State Supreme Court Building, on Friday, injuring six and trapping one man beneath the vehicle.

Firefighters arrived to release the man whom was trapped under the front end of the vehicle following the car accident. They covered his face with a sheet to protect him from metal fragments and sparks as they used powerful saws to cut through the vehicle he was trapped under. They were able to cut the vehicle away and release the man safely.

Six people, including the trapped man and the driver, were transported to the hospital; none appeared to have suffered life-threatening injuries. Police were questioning the driver.

The courthouse steps where the accident occurred is in the opening shots of the popular television show "Law & Order."

It is a "miracle" no one was killed in the accident. A few hours after the crash, a pedestrian was hit by a taxi across the street and about 60 feet away.

Construction Worker Falls to His Death in Manhattan

Chrissie Cole — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 07:30:00 GMT

A safety strap system intended to secure a construction worker to the building he was working on failed, causing him to plunge to his death on Monday, according to authorities.

The worker, 25, of Bayside, Queens, was installing windows at a condo tower when the construction accident occurred and he fell from the 23^rd floor to a 15^th floor balcony. Contractors at the site, the Laurel, had been cited by city inspectors for 25 code violations last year.

The incident is under investigation, but that "a failure of the safety strap connecting the worker to the concrete ceiling played a role," according to the city's commissioner of buildings. The Buildings Department, late Monday, said the entire strap had pulled from its concrete and steel mooring and remained attached to his harness when he fell.

All work at the site has been halted pending a full investigation by the Buildings Department, into the methods the crews were employing to install safety straps throughout the building.

Ten people have been killed in high-rise construction accidents in this year so far, including seven that were killed on March 8 when a 200ft. crane collapsed at another condominium project.