Manhattan Motor Vehicle Accidents Law Blog

4 signs you do not need to replace a car seat after a wreck

On behalf of Subin Associates, LLP on Friday, April 19, 2019.

Every time you and your family climb into your vehicle and hit the highway, you want to know your kids are safe. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using rear-facing, front-facing and booster car seats until your children are tall and heavy enough to use your vehicle’s seatbelts. Even though you may have a variety of damages after a car accident, your child’s car seat may not be one of them.

While restraint manufacturers make car seats to meet or exceed safety standards, child car seats are not invincible. That is, following an accident, you may need to replace your child’s car seat to be certain your young passenger is as safe as possible on the road. That is not always the case, however. After minor accidents, car seats often continue to be both reliable and effective. Here are four signs that you do not need to replace your child’s car seat after an automobile collision.

1 dead, 2 hurt in fatal accident in Brooklyn

On behalf of Subin Associates, LLP posted in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents on Friday, April 12, 2019.

Two teenagers have been badly hurt and one man is dead after a single-car accident in Brooklyn, according to local police. The fatal accident took place around 4:30 p.m. on the afternoon of April 2. Charges have not been filed, as the driver perished in the accident, but a New York police investigation into the cause of the crash is still underway as of this report.

According to authorities, a vehicle carrying at least two individuals, a 19-year-old male and a 16-year-old male, was headed northbound on King's Highway when the accident took place. For reasons that have not been clearly determined, the vehicle entered a divider between the main roadway from a service road. There, it struck a tree head-on, causing serious damage to the car.

Developing a strong pedestrian accident claim

On behalf of Subin Associates, LLP on Wednesday, April 10, 2019.

It is important to be safe while traveling as a pedestrian. Unfortunately, even when taking proper precaution, the negligent acts of others may still lead to injury.

Thankfully, you may be able to receive proper compensation through a personal injury case. In order to develop a strong claim, there are a few things to consider.

Comparative negligence and car accident compensation

On behalf of Subin Associates, LLP posted in Car Accidents on Friday, April 5, 2019.

Fault, in New York and elsewhere -- it is the big thing that needs to be determined following an auto collision. Unfortunately, not all car accident cases are black and white. In some cases, there is often a gray area when it comes to determining who should be held responsible. This can result in victims being accused of contributing to their own injuries or deaths.

When a victim is accused of contributing to an accident, the other party may claim comparative negligence in an effort to reduce his or her liability. Comparative negligence is just a legal term for shared fault. Here's an example. A person waiting at a stop sign to proceed across a major road, which lacks stops signs at this particular intersection, looks to make sure they have clearance before proceeding. A driver comes speeding down the street and hits this person's car as he or she enters the intersection.

Drunk driver allegedly responsible for crash that injured 1

On behalf of Subin Associates, LLP posted in Drunk Driving Accidents on Thursday, March 28, 2019.

In mid-March, police in New York were called to the scene of a single-vehicle accident in Staten Island. They believe that a drunk driver was responsible for the wreck. As such, the injured individual may be entitled to seek compensation for his or her losses through legal means.

When authorities arrived, they found a totaled car, its front end completely smashed after hitting a building located at Decker and Post Avenues, with three passengers inside. The driver, however, was nowhere to be found. One of the passengers suffered injuries in the incident and was transported to an area hospital for treatment. This person's current condition is unknown.

Construction accidents show no sign of decreasing

On behalf of Subin Associates, LLP on Saturday, March 23, 2019.

Working on a construction site takes a particular type of specialized skill set that not everybody has. You have to understand how to put things together correctly, or an entire project can come crashing down.

Construction workers have fallen victim to more and more injuries on the job. In fact, even with new and improved safety measures, accidents continue to rise, especially in New York. What makes a construction site such a hazard for even the most experienced worker?

Did someone exiting a parked car cause your bicycle accident?

On behalf of Subin Associates, LLP posted in Pedestrian Accidents on Thursday, March 21, 2019.

New York City has its fair share of bicyclists. Some people ride bikes for work, some for basic transportation and others for the pure joy of it. Bike lanes are installed all around the city; unfortunately, people in parked cars can make them dangerous to use. If you or a loved one were in a bicycle accident thanks to someone exiting a parked car, you may be entitled to seek compensation for your losses.

Accidents like this happen in the blink of an eye. You or your loved one likely had no time to react when that car door opened. The door was hit hard at full speed, and off the bike you or they went. Helmet or no helmet, hitting the pavement, a passing car or another parked car is going to do a lot of physical damage to one's body. Victims of these events often experience serious, if not fatal, injuries.

Fatal car accident in Brooklyn claims 1 life

On behalf of Subin Associates, LLP posted in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents on Tuesday, March 12, 2019.

New York police are investigating a single-vehicle crash that claimed one life. This event occurred March 11 in the Brooklyn area. The driver responsible for this fatal car accident did survive, though was initially listed in critical condition. Regardless of whether this individual ultimately survives, he may be held accountable for the death of his passenger.

According to reports, at approximately 3:30 a.m., a vehicle slammed into a light pole at Tilden Avenue and Kings Highway. The car burst into flames, but a good Samaritan was able to put out the fire before rescue teams arrived on the scene. The driver -- a 26-year-old male -- and his passenger -- a 30-year-old male -- were both extricated from the vehicle and transported to Kings County Hospital for treatment. The passenger ultimately succumbed to his injuries. The current condition of the driver is unknown.

A driver paying attention to his or her pet is a negligent driver

On behalf of Subin Associates, LLP posted in Car Accidents on Sunday, March 10, 2019.

Just about everyone has seen one, a driver with a dog in his or her lap or sitting in the front passenger seat. New Yorkers love their pets, but for their safety and the safety of everyone else on the road there is a certain place pets should be kept when they are traveling in a car. According to a recent survey, few pet owners who allow their pets to accompany them in their vehicles actually restrain their animals properly and some even admit that they are distracted by their pets. A driver paying attention to his or her pet rather than the road is, quite simply, a negligent driver.

The American Automobile Association recently conducted a survey on this particular topic. They asked dog owners about their driving habits when their pets accompany them in their vehicles. According to the survey:

52 percent of participants admitted to petting their dogs while driving
13 percent admitted to feeding their dogs while driving
17 percent of participants admitted to allowing their dogs to sit in their laps while operating their vehicles
4 percent admitted to playing with their pets rather than focusing on the road
29 percent admitted that they were knowingly distracted by their pets

Hidden danger causes child car seats to malfunction

On behalf of Subin Associates, LLP on Friday, March 8, 2019.

Most parents in New York are aware that child car seats are mandatory. Upon buying their first car seat for an infant, the anxious new parents carefully read the instructions about proper installation. They find that children under two years of age should ride in a rear-facing child safety seat in the back seat of the vehicle—in the middle, if possible. The manufacturer's instructions contain the latest recommendations for child safety.

Some parents may not understand the law of inertia. All occupants of a moving vehicle are also moving at the same rate of speed. If a car suddenly stops, any unrestrained passengers will continue to move forward until stopped by a dashboard or possibly by the front windshield. The impact can throw those in the back seat into hard objects in the front of the vehicle or eject them out of the car through cracked doors or windows.