Manhattan Motor Vehicle Accidents Law Blog

Police say man was drunk when he caused fatal accident

On behalf of Subin Associates, LLP posted in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents on Saturday, April 4, 2020.

The laws for driving while intoxicated have been on the books for many years, yet people choose to ignore the consequences and continue to drink and drive. When the senses are dulled by alcohol, the driver's reaction times are diminished to the point they can cause a fatal accident or one with critical injuries. Alcohol was believed to be the chief factor in a New York fatal accident that happened two months ago.

A 57-year-old man and three passengers were in his BMW on their way to a basketball game, headed east on I-287. A man police say had been drinking was going the wrong way, westbound in the eastbound lanes, when he crashed his Jeep into the other car. The driver of the BMW and one of his passengers, a 17-year-old student, died after they and the other two passengers were transported to an area hospital.

Using a cell phone isn't the only thing that could distract you

On behalf of Subin Associates, LLP on Sunday, March 29, 2020.

After years of driving, you may not even think twice about the number of mental and physical operations you perform while driving. It takes experience and skill to keep track of everything going on around you while maintaining control of what essentially becomes a deadly weapon once you turn on the ignition.

It's easy to forget that you are driving a machine at rates of speed that could cause serious or deadly devastation in an accident. Complacency is the enemy of many drivers since it lulls them into a false sense of security. When this happens, they could engage in any number of distracting behaviors that diminish the ability to safely drive the vehicle.

5 construction workers hurt in truck accident

On behalf of Subin Associates, LLP posted in Truck Accidents on Thursday, March 26, 2020.

Police in New York are investigating a crash that left five construction workers injured. This event occurred the morning of Saturday, March 21, on the RFK Bridge. As the victims of this truck accident were on the clock at the time of the crash, they may be entitled to seek compensation for their losses through both workers' compensation benefits and third-party legal claims.

According to reports, at approximately 8 a.m., the construction workers parked their flatbed truck on the RFK Bridge, where they were scheduled to work on a project. Shortly after parking their vehicle, it was struck from behind by a box truck. Two of the construction workers were thrown from the flatbed. One suffered critical injuries while the other's injuries were described as serious. The three other workers suffered minor injuries in the wreck.

Seeking relief following an accident with a drunk driver

On behalf of Subin Associates, LLP posted in Drunk Driving Accidents on Friday, March 20, 2020.

If you or a loved one were recently involved in an accident with an impaired driver, whether in New York or elsewhere, it has likely affected your life in several negative ways. Are you struggling physically or emotionally? Has it caused your family financial distress? The actions of a drunk driver can affect a lot of people, and the victims' losses can be severe. Thankfully, the damages associated with a drunk driving-related accident may be compensable.

Those who drive while impaired do not think about the number of people they might hurt when they get behind the wheel. They don't think about how their vehicle colliding with another will impact that person's life or that individual's family. They don't think about the potential loss of life, the debilitating injuries, the depression or the monetary losses the victims and their families will endure. This lack of caring and concern for others is one of the reasons DUI-related accidents are so common.

Car accident may result from daylight saving time change

On behalf of Subin Associates, LLP posted in Car Accidents on Monday, March 16, 2020.

Drowsy driving can pose a problem on New York streets at any time of the year. However, it can especially be a problem following daylight saving time in the spring. In fact, research shows that the change leads to a greater car accident risk because drivers lose an hour of sleep as a result of this change.

Researchers recently assessed a national government registry of more than 732,000 fatal crashes that occurred between 1996 and 2017. The researchers discovered that fatal crashes went up 6% following the clock change compared with previous weeks. However, the increase was about 9% during the hours leading up to noon.

Something as simple as a windshield wiper can cause a crash

On behalf of Subin Associates, LLP on Saturday, March 14, 2020.

The campaigns of many law enforcement agencies and advocacy groups who warn you against serious or deadly accidents tend to focus on driver behaviors such as distracted driving and drunk driving, but these are not the only factors that lead to crashes.

In fact, your behavior behind the wheel only represents a portion of what could cause an accident. The condition of your vehicle plays a role as well. You may think of your vehicle's brakes, tires and other major components. However, not many people will think about components such as windshield wipers.

Mother and son hit while crossing in a crosswalk

On behalf of Subin Associates, LLP posted in Pedestrian Accidents on Monday, March 2, 2020.

Police in New York are in the process of investigating yet another pedestrian accident. This particular event occurred the morning of Feb. 27, in Brooklyn. A mother was walking her son to school when they were hit while crossing the street in a crosswalk.

According to reports, at approximately 8:15 a.m., a 7-year-old boy, accompanied by his mom -- age 39 -- attempted to cross the street at the intersection of Blake and Pennsylvania Avenue. As soon as they entered the crosswalk, a jeep plowed into them while making a right-hand turn. The boy suffered critical injuries and was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. His mother was also hurt in the wreck. She was treated and released from the hospital the same day.

Fatal car accidents involving teens often sleep-related

On behalf of Subin Associates, LLP posted in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents on Thursday, February 27, 2020.

Many people in New York and elsewhere believe that teenagers are involved in car accidents more often than older drivers because they lack experience behind the wheel. While lack of experience certainly may contribute to some collisions, it is not the main reason so many teenagers are involved in fatal car accidents. According to a recently released study, sleep, or at least the lack of it, plays a significant role in numerous teen-involved auto collisions.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, teenagers need to get a good eight to 10 hours of sleep every night in order to function properly during daylight hours. Unfortunately, many teens do not get the recommended amount of rest. School, work, social lives, sports and various other extracurricular activities keep this age group up and running from early in the morning until very late at night.

Is your child's bus driver working while impaired?

On behalf of Subin Associates, LLP on Thursday, February 27, 2020.

When you put your children on the bus, you may have concerns about bullies, peer pressure or other drivers not stopping for the bus's red, flashing lights. However, you probably heard somewhere that kids are safer going to school on a bus than they are riding with you through New York traffic or walking along busy streets.

What you may forget is that bus drivers are people, too. When they are not behind the wheel of the bus, they may be like any other driver who takes dangerous chances. For some bus drivers, this tendency does not change when they are transporting your children to and from school. In fact, a recent report reveals that school bus drivers in at least 38 states may be placing thousands of children in danger because they come to work impaired by drugs or alcohol.

Drunk driving accident in New York injures 1, kills 1

On behalf of Subin Associates, LLP posted in Drunk Driving Accidents on Thursday, February 20, 2020.

Police in New York are saying a drunk driver was responsible for the fatal crash that recently occurred on Staten Island. This drunk driving accident happened in the early morning hours of Sunday, Feb. 16. A total of three vehicles were involved in the wreck. One person is said to have died, and another suffered unspecified injuries.

According to reports, at approximately 5 a.m., a 47-year-old male was driving the wrong direction on the West Shore Expressway when he struck a minivan and a pickup truck. A passenger in his vehicle suffered critical injuries and was transported to a medical facility where he later died. The driver of the truck refused medical treatment, while the driver of the minivan -- a 63-year-old male -- required transport for medical care.