New York City Personal Injury Blog

Four ways to prevent motor vehicle accidents

On behalf of Godosky & Gentile, P.C. posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Thursday, October 17, 2019.

Drivers in New York and every other state are concerned about road safety. The unfortunate truth is that every seven seconds, someone is injured in a car accident. However, there are a couple of ways that drivers can prevent motor vehicle accidents from occurring.

One major rule that everyone should follow to prevent accidents is to never use a phone while driving. Unless hands-free Bluetooth technology is being used, texting and answering phone calls can lead to disastrous consequences. It only takes a few seconds for a driver to miss something that can cause a serious accident.

Understanding the meaning of quid pro quo harassment

On behalf of Godosky & Gentile, P.C. on Wednesday, October 16, 2019.

All employees are legally protected from sexual harassment in the workplace. However, for a worker to be able to protect themselves against such behavior, they must first have a good understanding of what constitutes sexual harassment. There are two main types of workplace sexual harassment. The first is sexual harassment through the creation of a hostile work environment. The second type of workplace sexual harassment is known as quid pro quo.

Many people are confused about what quid pro quo sexual harassment means. If you believe that you may have become victim to quid pro quo sexual harassment in the workplace, you should compare your situation with common examples. The following is a brief overview of quid pro quo harassment.

Gaining workers' compensation as an undocumented immigrant

On behalf of Godosky & Gentile, P.C. on Thursday, October 3, 2019.

If you are an undocumented immigrant and you have been injured at work, you may be worried about whether you can gain workers' compensation. Since you are not legally authorized to work in the U.S., it's understandable that you would be concerned.

There are heavy sanctions imposed on employers who have knowingly employed undocumented immigrants. However, most states recognize that all workers should have fundamental rights, regardless of whether they are documented. Make sure that you understand workers' compensation laws in New York when taking action to file for workers' compensation.

Almost half of all e-scooter crashes cause a head injury

On behalf of Godosky & Gentile, P.C. posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Monday, September 30, 2019.

Lawmakers in New York City have been debating the issue of electric bicycles and scooters for years. Those in favor of e-bikes and e-scooters say that they offer a clean and green alternative to diesel and gasoline engines, but they are currently banned in Manhattan due to concerns over pedestrian safety. Companies like Lime and Bird will soon be able to rent e-scooters in other parts of the Empire State, but New York City residents will still have to rely on leg power, motor vehicles or public transportation to get around. A recent study of e-scooter injuries will add weight to the arguments made by supporters of the ban and is unlikely to change the minds of many city lawmakers.

Officials from Texas and researchers from the Centers for Disease Control conducted interviews with and looked at the medical records of e-scooter riders who were injured in accidents in September, October and November 2018. The study, which was released on May 2, reveals that almost half of the injured e-scooter riders suffered a head injury of some sort and 15% suffered a traumatic brain injury. The researchers concluded that many of these injuries could have been prevented by a helmet, but only one of the 190 riders who suffered a head injury was so protected.

Comparative negligence law in New York

On behalf of Godosky & Gentile, P.C. on Wednesday, September 18, 2019.

Being involved in a car accident usually results in damages of some sort. The damages that you experience could be limited to property damage, but they could also include personal injury that requires medical attention. Even if you were involved in a minor accident, it is a good idea to get checked by a medical professional to ensure that you have not suffered whiplash or delayed-onset injuries.

When damages of any kind occur, you will need to go through the process of seeking compensation. This will involve the collaboration of your insurance company. New York has a no-fault car insurance system, which means that you will usually have all damages covered by your own insurance company, regardless of who was at fault. However, this will only be true if the damages do not exceed the coverage offered by your insurance company.

Cyclists and car accidents

On behalf of Godosky & Gentile, P.C. posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Friday, September 13, 2019.

Many people living in New York and around the country are cyclists. While cycling is a popular sport and mode of transportation, it is not without its risks. In many areas, streets are primarily occupied by automobiles, which can pose a significant danger to those riding bicycles.

Recently, a cyclist was killed while riding in New York City. Activists became concerned as this was the 14th cyclist to be killed in the city in 2019. Mayor Bill DeBlasio has committed to taking action to ensure the safety of cyclists in the city.

The Child Victims Act has resulted in a surge of lawsuits

On behalf of Godosky & Gentile, P.C. on Monday, September 2, 2019.

On Wednesday, August 14, 2019, the Child Victims Act went into effect in New York. This is a long-awaited act in the state that will make it easier for those who were victims of sexual abuse as children to take action and get justice as adults.

The act changes several measures that were previously enforced, which used to be a huge barrier for adults who wanted to take action for the abuse they suffered years earlier.

Car has high safety rating and high number of accidents

On behalf of Godosky & Gentile, P.C. posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Thursday, August 29, 2019.

Some people in New York may have purchased a Subaru Crosstrek because the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety gave it the highest safety rating. However, the vehicle has also been involved in the highest number of at-fault accidents.

Insurify, an auto insurance comparison site, conducted a survey to find out how many accidents cars were involved in. The average for all models on the road was around 13%. For the Subaru Crosstrek, it was 25.81%. This was followed by the Honda HR-V at 25.7%. Of the 10 cars on the list, only one is an American car. Two are imports from Korea while the others are from Japan. The American car, the Chevrolet Trax, was in ninth place. The Subaru WRX, in fifth place, also has proportionately more speeding offenses than any other car.

Is it time laws work in women's favor?

On behalf of Godosky & Gentile, P.C. posted in Sexual Harassment on Monday, August 26, 2019.

As a woman, you could probably share various personal experiences of wage inequality, sexual harassment and parental discrimination in your workplace. Whether your employer denied you a promotion you earned, coworkers spoke disrespectfully or people touched you inappropriately, you might wish you had a right to speak up. And you do.

Unfortunately, many women hesitate to file a report about sexual harassment at their place of employment. This is often because they do not want to cause trouble, are afraid of retaliatory action or believe nobody would do anything about it. However, a new reform bill could change women's work environments - for the better.

Pedestrian deaths in New York City

On behalf of Godosky & Gentile, P.C. posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Monday, August 19, 2019.

When New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the Vision Zero program in 2014, he said the goal of the initiative was to eliminate all traffic accident deaths and serious injuries within 10 years. De Blasio now admits that the program is facing a crisis, but he insists that its ultimate objective remains achievable. Total traffic fatalities in the city are up by 15% in 2019, and the pedestrian death toll is even more worrying. Pedestrian deaths in New York City increased alarmingly in 2018, and they are on pace to rise even further in 2019.

Three pedestrians were recently killed in New York in just two days. On July 7, a 72-year-old man succumbed to injuries he suffered when he was struck by driver on the Horace Harding Expressway in Queens. Just a few hours later, a 65-year-old woman was struck and killed by a wrong-way driver in Harlem. The livery driver responsible has been charged with reckless endangerment and vehicular manslaughter.