(914) 220-1086
In Amandola v Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Ctr., 2015 NY Slip Op 06099 [130 AD3d 761], the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department denied a defendant’s motion for summary judgment to dismiss a cause of action for failure to provide adequate supervision in its school. A plaintiff brings suit against his school for failure to […]
Personal Injury Law
NHTSA Widens Tesla Autopilot Probe
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a division of the Department of Transportation, has expanded its investigation into electric automaker Tesla’s “Autopilot” automated driving software. Initially launched last year, the probe will now encompass approximately 830,000 Tesla cars, according to Reuters, which notes that the probe is a “required step” prior to any potential recall. The […]
Unpacking the Eight Largest OSHA Fines So Far This Year
A recent report by Construction Dive unpacks the biggest fines issued by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration during the first quarter of 2022. The contractors who received these fines include DME Construction Associates, Boss Construction, Lanigan Construction, and Groundworks Colorado. The smallest of the eight largest OSHA fines identified by the report was a fine of […]
Report: OSHA Faces Challenges Protecting Workers from Covid-19
The Government Accountability Office recently testified to Congress about the measures Occupational Safety and Health Administration has taken to protect workers from the dangers of Covid-19. A report published by the GAO regarding these measures by OSHA, a division of the US Department of Labor, outlines the challenges OSHA faced in implementing standards designed to protect healthcare […]
Study Shows Declining “Hire to Injury” Lag in Workplaces
A new ten-year study by Selective Insurance, “Workplace Injury Trends,” reveals recent declines in the average “hire to injury lag,” or the amount of time between an employee’s hiring and their reporting of a workplace-related injury. The study found that “employees are reporting a workplace-related injury 18% earlier in their tenure compared to 10 years […]
Investigation: New York City’s Streets Are Especially Dangerous Near Schools
An expansive and illuminating new investigation by Streetsblog found that streets surrounding New York City public schools are disproportionately dangerous compared to other streets in the city. The massive analysis is well worth reading on its own, but some highlights are recapped below. To conduct its analysis, Streetsblog gathered data on “nearly one million crashes” in the […]
Analysis: What Will It Take to Solve Traffic Violence in the US?
Newly released estimates by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a division of the US Department of Transportation, reveal that almost 43,000 people lost their lives to motor vehicle crashes in 2021, a 10.5% increase since 2020 and an 18% increase since 2019. An analysis by CNBC examines why the traffic violence crisis is “a tough problem […]
Data: Almost 43,000 Car Crash Deaths in 2021
Figures released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a division of the US Department of Transportation, show that almost 43,000 people died of traffic violence in 2021. The NHTSA’s estimates suggest that 42,915 lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes last year, up 10.5% from 38,824 in 2020. This makes 2021 the deadliest year for the […]
Are Dusk and Dawn Car Accidents Accurately Counted?
These measures include street lighting, reflective strips on signs, and larger and more visible signage. According to Evari, Federal Highway Administration data show that more street lighting can significantly mitigate nighttime collisions at rural and urban intersections and on highways, helping prevent injuries among both pedestrians and motorists. As a report by Streetsblog notes, 76% of pedestrian […]
Reports: NYC Suffers Eight Car Crash Deaths in Four Days
The epidemic of traffic violence in New York City continued last week, with at least eight deaths from traffic accidents in four days, according to a report by Spectrum News NY. Advocacy group Transportation Alternatives, which tracks traffic violence in the city, said data shows a “13% increase year over year in traffic fatalities,” with city […]
Do Bicycle “Stop-to-Yield” Laws Reduce Injuries?
A new resource published by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, a division of the Department of Transportation, highlights the benefits of bicycle “stop-as-yield” laws, which allow cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs: first stopping, then proceeding through the intersection when safe. According to the NHTSA, these laws are correlated with decreased crashes […]
Report: Construction Industry Execs Mental Health, Suicide Risk
In an illuminating roundtable published last week, construction industry trade magazine Construction Dive asked an array of industry experts what the industry can do protect and improve its workers’ mental health. As the report noted, construction’s suicide rate is four times that of the general population, suggesting that there is much work to be done to take […]
NHTSA Launches Car Heatstroke Prevention Campaign
A new campaign by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, a division of the US Department of Transportation, encourages parents and other caregivers to make sure they don’t leave young children in their cars during the hot spring and summer months. As a press release by the NHTSA explains, the “Look Before You Lock” initiative coincided with […]
NHTSA Taking Steps to Make Cars Safer for Pedestrians
A recent column in America Walks argues that the US Department of Transportation should take regulatory steps to ensure that large vehicles associated with higher pedestrian deaths implement technology designed to keep pedestrians safe. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a division of the NHTSA, has initiated a rule-making process that would rate passenger vehicles for pedestrian […]
Does Highway Safety Signage Actually Reduce Car Crashes?
A new study suggests that some measures intended to reduce traffic accidents may have the counterintuitive effect of increasing them. According to a recent report by the Los Angeles Times, researchers at the University of Minnesota and the University of Toronto looked at the impact of highway safety signage in Texas—specifically, signs displayed every January notifying drivers of […]
Data: 2022 Another Deadly Year on NYC Streets
The first three months of 2022 were the deadliest on New York City’s street since former mayor Bill de Blasio launched the Vision Zero plan to eliminate traffic violence in 2014, according to data analyzed by Transportation Alternatives. During those months, 59 people lost their lives in motor vehicle accidents, a figure that represents a 44% […]
Understanding the Dangers of Driving While High
Two recent articles discussed the dangers of driving while under the influence of cannabis, as well as broader policy discussions surrounding the issue. In the New York Times, a health columnaddressed whether driving while high is as dangerous as driving while drunk. The column argued that the question isn’t quite as clear-cut as drunk driving, which […]
E-Bike Accident Statistics: E-Bikes May Cause More Injuries than Motorcycles, Cars
Using an electric bicycle or e-bike is more likely to result in injury than using a motorcycle or car, according to a recent UCLA study. However, the study found, those injuries were “less serious than those victims of motorcycle and car crashes, and significantly less deadly.” As a report by Electrek explains, the study involved a review […]
NHTSA Raises Awareness of Distracted Driving Injuries, Deaths
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a division of the Department of Transportation, launched a campaign raising attention to the dangers of distracted driving. As a recent release by the agency notes, April is “National Distracted Driving Awareness Month,” and the NHTSA marked the occasion with a weeklong enforcement effort intended to stop drivers who were texting […]
Reports: NYPD Van Driver Strikes, Kills Pedestrian in Brooklyn
An NYPD driver struck and killed a pedestrian in Brooklyn last week, according to a recent report by the New York Post, which states that the 53-year-old pedestrian “was believed to be homeless and panhandling” in the painted central median of Eastern Parkway. The driver was at the wheel of a police van that was reportedly […]
Report: NYC Construction Incidents Fall, Deaths Rise
The New York City Department of Buildings released its second annual Construction Safety report last week. Among other things, the DOB revealed that building construction-related incidents fell for the third year in a row in 2021; at the same time, construction-related injuries and fatalities slightly increased. As the report explains, building construction-related incidents fell 10% in 2021 […]
New York Bill Would Put New Requirement on Student Drivers
A new bill recently introduced in the New York state legislature would place higher standards on student drivers. Senate Bill 8677, introduced by Senator Andrew Gounardes, would require student drivers to take at least six hours of training under a “certified instructor” before they could be issued a license. According to a report by Streetsblog, […]
NYC Mayor Renews Call For Home Rule over Traffic Enforcement
In a news conference last week, New York City Mayor Eric Adams called for New York’s state government to pass a suite of legislation designed to mitigate rising traffic violence in the city. Joined by city officials, lawmakers from all levels of government, and transit safety activists, he renewed demands for state legislators to give […]
NHTSA Launches Automated Safety Tech Media Campaign
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a federal agency that writes and enforces motor vehicle safety standards, has announced a new media campaign to educate drivers about “the safety benefits of advanced driver-assistance technologies in newer vehicles.” According to a press release issued by the agency, the yearlong campaign will involve $1.25 million in spending […]
Brooklyn Activists Call for Safer Bike Lane in Williamsburg
Brooklyn residents are pressing New York City authorities to protect a bike lane on Williamsburg’s Grand Street with concrete barriers. According to a recent report by Brooklyn Paper, transit safety advocates have sent an open letter to the mayor and the commissioner of the Department of Transportation, arguing that the bike lane’s current protections—plastic bollards—are not enough, […]
