New York Personal Injury Blog

Safety around heavy equipment is critical

On behalf of Keogh Crispi on Wednesday, November 28, 2018.

Heavy equipment is necessary to get many jobs done, including construction. The trouble with these large machines is that they also pose a safety risk to workers using them and those who are around the equipment. Proper safety guidelines must be adhered to at all times.

Most heavy equipment has safety rules in the owner's manual. Employers can't expect employees to read through all of this, so each company must have those rules put into place on the job sites. There is never an excuse for a business to try to pass the duties of setting and enforcing safety rules on to the employees. However, they can demand that workers comply with the rules they set.

Lead poisoning: A potentially lethal threat

On behalf of Keogh Crispi on Thursday, November 1, 2018.

Now that the world knows about many of the toxins people were exposed to in the past, they're used less and less. For instance, people know that lead has the potential to be dangerous, so it is no longer included in paints. However, it wasn't until the later 1970s that lead stopped being used.

If your property was built before 1978, there is a chance that there is lead-based paint inside. The use of this paint has been banned since 1978, but that doesn't mean that it isn't still a risk to some homeowners today.

Winter conditions increase your slip-and-fall risk in New York

On behalf of Keogh Crispi on Wednesday, October 24, 2018.

Winter is nearly here, and with the dropping temperatures come the increased risk of sleet, snow, hail and freezing rain. Not only do these inclement weather situations result in difficult driving conditions, but they can make just walking through a parking lot more dangerous.

Slippery outdoor conditions and melted snow in entryways makes the winter season a dangerous time for pedestrians and shoppers. There is the potential risk for a slip-and-fall accident when there is accumulated frozen precipitation on the ground or puddles in stores.

Stopping slip and falls must be a primary concern

On behalf of Keogh Crispi on Wednesday, October 24, 2018.

Slip-and-fall and trip-and-fall accidents can lead to serious injuries for the victims. It is imperative that all property owners, including government entities and commercial property owners, take steps to ensure that anyone who is on the property is safe from hazards that can lead to these mishaps.

Some hazards are universal. Others are specific to the type of site, such as a construction site. Here are some considerations for all outdoor spaces:

Some construction injuries might require third party claims

On behalf of Keogh Crispi on Wednesday, October 24, 2018.

Unions are a hot topic in the construction industry in New York. Unionized workers believe that this collective group helps to keep them safe, but non-unionized workers seem to think that the record of unions isn't all that others make it out to be. While it is true that union job sites have been involved in fewer injuries in the past, there are many other things that can have a direct impact on worker safety in this industry.

When a construction worker is injured, it is necessary to take a look at the big picture so that the worker can make a plan for what to do next. Many people believe that all injuries in this industry are handled through the workers' compensation program, but this isn't always the case. Here are some points that might come into the picture when a worker is trying to decide how to proceed with a third party claim:

Construction hazards are a threat to New York pedestrians

On behalf of Keogh Crispi on Wednesday, October 24, 2018.

When you're walking through the city, you often have to avoid construction. With so many homes and businesses, streets and a major park system in the Big Apple, it's no wonder that construction is almost always taking place.

The problem with construction is that it's a risk to people almost it as much as it's a risk to construction workers. For instance, if you are walking near a scaffold, it could collapse on you, or objects could fall from above and hit you on the head or back. This would likely lead to injuries, especially if the objects fall from high above.

Planning your claim when fatigue is a factor in a semitruck crash

On behalf of Keogh Crispi posted in truck accidents on Friday, October 12, 2018.

Truckers have to drive for hundreds of miles per shift. While there are laws in place to prevent them from driving over a specific number of hours between rest breaks, there is a still a chance that some truckers will become fatigued, even when they are in compliance with these time limits.

Unfortunately, the trucking industry is filled with companies that place the emphasis on fast delivery times, even if the truckers doing the routes have to drive while they are too tired. This puts everyone on the roads in danger of being involved in an accident with the semitruck.

Factors to consider when seeking compensation for an injury

On behalf of Keogh Crispi posted in product liability on Friday, October 5, 2018.

We recently discussed one of the hazards of electronic cigarettes. If you recall, the victims of these e-cig explosions suffered some very serious injuries. There really isn't any reason for someone to have to deal with the catastrophic injuries that occur simply because the manufacturers don't have a safe product on the shelves.

Some of the injuries reported are life-altering. Think about how devastating it would be if a vape device exploded while you were smoking. Your teeth might be knocked out or your face could be burned. These will likely require significant medical care before you are well enough to care for yourself.

Construction worker injuries and deaths climb in New York City

On behalf of Keogh Crispi on Tuesday, October 2, 2018.

New York City is in the midst of a construction boom. While this might be a positive sign for the economy, it also brings about some solemn news for the men and women who are working hard on these projects. They are losing co-workers at an alarming rate. This doesn't even include the individuals who are injured on the job.

In the first seven months of 2018, there were eight construction worker deaths in the city. Last year, that same timeframe saw four deaths. The injury rate has also increased. In the first seven months of the year, there were 469 injuries, which is a 17 percent increase.

Electronic cigarettes can explode and cause serious injuries

On behalf of Keogh Crispi posted in product liability on Friday, September 28, 2018.

Electronic cigarettes, which are also known as e-cigs or vapes, are touted as a safe alternative to regular cigarettes. This is proving not to be the case thanks to safety issues with the devices themselves. Even if you don't look at the ingredients in the cartridges, you will still find something very unsafe.

These devices use a lithium battery to heat up the element that produces the vapors that are inhaled. Unfortunately, these are the same batteries that are known to explode. When this happens, the user might suffer some very serious injuries.