New York Car Accident Lawyer Blog

This is a case filed by Karren Cotty against several individuals and companies regarding her cycling accident in which she suffered personal injuries. Included in Cotty’s complaints were the Town of Southampton where she and her husband along with other experienced bikers often rode in groups. Suffolk County Water Authority, Elmore Associates Construction Corporation and CAC Contracting Corporation are the other entities included in Cotty’s complaint.

According to her story the accident happened on July 27, 2002 along a two-way paved road known as Deerfield Road in the town of Southampton north of Woodthrush Lane. She said that she was the last cyclist in the party of 8 experienced bicyclist. She considered herself as advanced to intermediate rider while her husband, whom she also rode that day of the accident, was leading the pack and was considered as the skilled cyclist. According to a report Cotty was the last person in a single filed cyclist and immediately in front of her was Peter Deutch. According to Karen, when Deutch fell she tried to avoid running into him and that’s the last thing she remembered. When she opened her eyes, Cotty already saw EMT’s helping her and Deutch from their sustained injuries.

According to her testimony, she considers herself as a “safe-rider” following instruction on cycling safety rules and habits. She wore on that day a high-end type helmet. She said that as a habit, she never ride directly on somebody’s wheel. She always allow a safe distance between her and the rider in front of her. She also remembered the weather being significantly dry and good for riding. She also said that she had already ridden Deerfield about 20 to 30 times before and making her quite familiar with the place.

According to the witness, Deutch testified that he had been riding with Cotty for 6 to 7 years already. He said that on the day of the accident, he fell because there was a construction ahead and that there were no barricades or warning signs whatsoever. Deutch also saw the other riders in front of him had difficulty manuevering because there was no shoulder on the road and all the construction materials were there at the travel path. He saw the others get pass the difficulty, just a split second and he fell. He immediately thought of Cotty who was about three feet away from him and saw her avoid him. He said that there was no real contact between his bike and Cotty’s. But as Cotty avoided Deutche on the ground he believed that she slid the same way he did and slid to the other side of the road straight on to the oncoming car from the northbound lane which he believed was still moving.

Cotty’s husband upon hearing the screeching sound of a car stopping immediately looked around to see his wife underneath a vehicle on the northbound lane of Deerfield. He also testified that normally, when riding as a group the riders in front notifies riders behind them about rode imperfections, pot holes or other hindrances that are significant to their safety either orally or by hand gestures. On that day, their group was not as tight. There were bicyclists riding ahead and sort of several feet away.

According to a friend, Dennis Schmidt who was driving his vehicle on the northbound lane of Deerfield said that he noticed no construction on his side of the road. He noticed ahead, on the opposite side of the road several cyclists riding on a single file. When he saw them, he immediately slowed down or even hit the breaks in order to be cautious. He saw Deutche fell and in no time he saw Cotty avoid her fellow rider on the ground but had turned sharply and went to his side of the road. He immediately hit the breaks, skidded and went to a stop. He did not believe that he hit Cotty at that point. Witnesses who also saw the accident testified that Schmidt was driving about 30 miles per hour, on the speed limit. Accidents like these occur in Nassau also.

Based on the reports that reached a rep, this is a case wherein several individuals and corporate entities are involved. Each has contributory factor on the outcome of the event depending on the circumstances and evidences presented. On case against Schmidt, it was determined that he was not the direct cause of the accident and was not established that he was negligent in operating his vehicle. As for the case against Deutche, further investigation still needs to be done to determine whether he was also a cause of Cotty’s accident or if he was even operating his bicycle negligently.

As for the construction that was going on during the accident along Deerfield Road, it was found out that Elmore has long finished its contract and was replaced by CAC which removed the asphalt overlay done by Elmore, living a depression on the road. CAC was found to have a liability on the Cotty’s accident.

Continue reading "This is a case filed by Karren Cotty against several individuals " »

A man was injured when his motorcycle was hit from the side by a car. The impact of the accident caused the rider to be thrown from the motorcycle.

The emergency services were quick to arrive on the scene. They cared for the rider and put him onto a backboard and in a neck brace explains the authority. This is common procedure whenever anyone is involved in a car accident which could result in back or neck injuries. Police were also called to the scene as it was thought to be a serious accident; however they left when they discovered that it was not as serious as it was first thought.

The injuries of the motorcyclist were thought to be very serious as he was placed in a neck brace, and back board. He was then transported to hospital very quickly in an Ambulance. However, when he arrived at hospital his injuries were fully assessed. It was discovered that his injuries were not as serious as first thought.

A witness explains that the car accident occurred because a car waiting to turn left hit a motorcyclist. A few cars stopped to allow the car turning left to pass, but the motorcyclist continued and was struck by the car turning left.

The report which says the motorcyclist was thrown to the ground in the accident. The family of the victim is very grateful that this isn't any more serious than it really had to be.

Police said that as the accident was not a result of driver error, it would be unlikely that the driver would get a ticket. This is an accident which occurred due to nobody's fault. Even so it's great news that this didn't kill anyone.

Police in The Bronx and Brooklyn are on alert for this type of accident.

Continue reading "Car Accident Injured Motorcyclist" »

A car drove straight through the window of a very popular Deli in South Loop and then drove off without stopping. The incident was not reported until the next day when a delivery driver noticed the damage and reported it to police. There were no injuries.

When officers attended the scene they investigated exactly what had happened explained a prominent expert. They found that the glass was shattered and there was a hole in the wall. Among the debris, there was a lot of automobile parts. The police searched the local area looking for damaged vehicles which could be the culprit, but none were found.

The report says that police believe a 1990's Chrysler Concorde or Cirrus was the vehicle which crashed into the building due to a piece of broken taillight which was found. Using sophisticated databases and computer software police were able to pinpoint the year, the make and model of car. Based on paint transfer at the scene it is also believed that the car is white.

The police investigation is ongoing and nobody has been charged with the car accident. Police are currently alerting all auto-repair shops to be on the lookout for a white Chrysler Concorde or cirrus and to notify them immediately if one requires repairs which would be consistent with slamming into a building. This could allow the police to capture the offender, although the chances are fairly slim.

The owner of the Deli told the police that he is glad the crash was no more serious. The damage happened when nobody was inside the building, and also did not cause structural or long lasting damage. The restaurant is very popular in the area and has become a tourist attraction in its own right. Many politicians visit the deli and the owner is pleased that they can continue to do so. The owner said that although the damage will cost money to repair, it is not excessive and will be covered by the insurance. The owner also reassured loyal customers that the restaurant would remain open as the crash did not affect the kitchens, or food already prepared.

Crashes like this are treated the same way in Westchester and Suffolk Counties.

Continue reading "Car Crashes into Popular Restaurant then Flees the Scene" »

A fire chief was killed on Saturday Afternoon when his motorcycle was crashed into by a car. This left him with live threatening injuries and he died soon after the car accident.

According to a report read by a policeman, the accident happened at about 4:25 PM on Saturday afternoon. The Portland police department was quick to respond to the scene of the accident.

The Fire Chief was immediately air lifted to hospital. He arrived at Parkview Hospital but as pronounced dead on arrival.

It was very emotional for the police officers who attended the scene, because many of them knew the fire chief personally. One of the police men even went to the same training course as the fire chief who was killed. The fire chief was lovingly described by his colleagues as the best of the best, and he will be missed by everyone in Portland.

The Fire Chief is said to of loved his job and really enjoyed helping people in their hour of need. He was a caring and compassionate person who really enjoyed helping people.

The report states that the fire chief was traveling westbound on his motorcycle when he was hit from behind by a car. The car driver said that she could not see the bike as it was behind a large white van. When the car hit the bike, the motorcyclist was immediately thrown from his bike which caused internal and head injuries which were lethal.

The driver was not hurt, and did not require any medical treatment. She was tested for alcohol and drugs, but the findings were not included in the report which was obtained by a reporter. Anyone involved in a fatal traffic accident in Nassau and Suffolk must undergo a drug and alcohol test according to state law.

The fire chief will be dearly missed. He first became a firefighter in 1997 and rose through the ranks to become the fire chief of Portland in 2007. Everyone who knows him says that he really loved his job. Many people are thought to attend his funeral service, although the exact details are not yet known.

Continue reading "Fatal Car Accident Kills Popular Fire Chief" »

A motorist who was trapped under his car after colliding with a tractor trailer is currently undergoing medical treatment for his injuries. His current condition is thought to be stable according to a report read by a reporter.

The driver of the vehicle is thought to of hit the trailer at a rest area between exit 21 and 22 on the northbound side of the highway. It seems that the side of the car was ruptured in the accident and the driver was pushed out the side. Then the car rolled and ended up falling on top of him.

The tractor trailer driver decided to park to rest. The driver was in the sleeping compartment when the car accident occurred but escaped without injury. The driver of the car pulled over and struck the trailer on the off ramp to the rest area.

The report explains that firefighters were quick to respond to calls for assistance. They managed to use hydraulic jacks and large air bags to lift the heavy Toyota Corolla off his body. It took firefighters around half an hour to lift the car; this is because the car needed to be lifted evenly. While the car was being lifted paramedics started to provide first aid the best they could.

After the injured driver was pulled out from under the car, he was transported directly to St Vincent's Medical Center. His condition was initially listed as serious. The driver said that he suffered from injuries to the neck, forearm and cheek. He is currently in a stable condition and thought to make a full recovery.

Drivers being ejected from vehicles in accidents can be fairly common. If the driver was wearing his seat belt then it would greatly improve the chances of him staying inside the vehicle during the car accident.

The accident is still being invested by local police although it's thought that excessive speed had a role to play in this incident. Drunk driving is suspected. This is not tolerated in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

Continue reading "Interstate 95 Crash Victim Freed from the Wreckage by Brave Firefighters" »

The driver of an old van is wanted for causing a car accident and not waiting to exchange details. Instead he just drove off.

A report handed to a policeman explains that the driver of the van left the side of the road at speed. At the time he was towing a heavy pickup truck. The van tried to pull away so quickly that the tires were spinning viciously on the pavement which generated a lot of smoke. The truck behind was slowly bringing up the rear.

According to the report, passersby reported that it looked like the towing hitch on the rear of the van broke and released the vehicle which was being towed. This meant that the pickup truck was released from the van where it slammed into a back of a car parked by the side of the road.

Eye witnesses report that although the vehicles were moving relatively slowly at the time of the accident. The noise made by the car crash was very loud.

The driver of the van stopped and got out of his vehicle to have a look at the accident when it occurred. The witness explained that the owner of the car hit by the truck came outside to take a look at the damage. Both men were cautious and looked at each other.

They took a look at the pickup truck, the damaged car and the van. Then they examined the state of the tow hitch.

The report explains that there was not a proper tow hitch, but instead there was just a simple hook. This meant that the vehicle was much more likely to crash because it was not secured correctly. The hook had been torn off.

The scene of the accident attracted many people to gather and discuss exactly what happened. The two men seemed to be discussing what to do about the accident and how to deal with the accident. The driver of the van got back into his vehicle seemingly to get his license and registration details. However, he just drove off.

Fortunately the owner of the car damaged in the crash managed to write down the registration number of the van and truck which hit his car.

Witnesses discussed what must of really happened. It's suggested that the driver of the van was not actually supposed to be towing the truck. Perhaps the driver of the pickup truck parked too close to the hook on the back of the van and got caught. Instead of the van driver asking for help he instead tried to pull away quickly to release the van from the truck. Although the truck had its parking brake on it still pulled away with the vehicle.

It is not clear whether the van was stolen, or the driver was uninsured as police are still trying to track him down. In Queens and Staten Island you must have car insurance to operate a vehicle.

Continue reading "Driver Left After Traffic Accident" »

A young boy was involved in a serious accident with a truck when riding his bike explains an observer . The accident occurred at the Old Military Road and Opal Court intersection on Sunday.

His injuries were serious enough for him to be flown direct to Harborview Medical Center where he is currently undergoing treatment for his injuries. His injuries were life threatening but he is currently in a serious condition.

This is the second car accident involving a bicyclist in the area over the weekend. On Saturday a minivan crashed into a 53 year old cyclist who was also flown to Harborview.

The report read by the newspaperr explains that the boy was riding his bike quickly downhill. Witnesses report that the boy was not wearing a cycle helmet, if he was then his injuries would not have been as serious.

The preliminary investigation reports have been handed to the right person. Reading these it is clear that the driver of the truck was abiding by the speed limit. The truck driver also had his own children with him in the truck at the time of the incident. The police investigation has already ruled out speeding, drugs and alcohol as causes of the accident. It seems that this incident was just an unfortunate accident.

It is thought that the child was traveling quickly down speed and entered the main road from a side road without any warning. Everything happened so quickly that the driver simply didn't have enough time to react or stop. Many local residents have claimed that the intersection is notoriously bad for visibility and accidents in the area.

The intersection is a popular route to and from school for many children. As there is a hill coming down to the intersection many of the riders are traveling quickly and most do not stop. It's a very stressful time for both the driver and the child’s family.

While the accident was investigated the police decided to close Old Military Road for over half an hour. accidents like this occur in Manhattan as well as Long Island.

Continue reading "Boy hit by truck suffering from Life Threatening Injuries" »

Road traffic accidents can affect anyone, even when they are doing everything they possibly can to remain safe. Sometimes the road conditions or other drivers expose even the safest of drivers to the risk of car accidents.

A policeman has been given a report caused by poor weather conditions. The driver was driving their children home from their sports game. The weather was very bad and visibility was also poor. The driver has later mentioned that the wind and rain became very heavy while driving along and that she saw the faint outline of a vehicle about to pull out to turn right. She was distracted by the conditions.

The report shows that the driver obviously tried to hit the brakes and stop, but there wasn't enough time. The wheels locked up and the car went into a spin. This caused it to strike the truck waiting to turn right. This completely damaged the front of both vehicles. There was another vehicle in front which was also involved in the accident.

The police stated that the driver’s immediate concern was to check that her two young sons were OK and still strapped securely to their seats. The lawyer points out that if the children weren't wearing their seat belts that the car accident could of been much more serious.

The police were called to the scene and acted quickly to resolve the collision. Medical treatment was not required as the only injuries sustained to anyone were aches and bruises.

According to a report issued by Nassau and Suffolk Counties, driving is pretty safe. Most people haven't been in a car accident before which means they won't normally know what to do when involved in one.

The woman who had the car gave her details to the local police department and then had to wait almost an hour for a state trooper to arrive. While the accident was caused by the driver of the first vehicle, it was just an accident caused by bad weather. No alcohol was drunk by any of the drivers before setting off and they were not going too quickly.

The vehicle was towed off the road to a repair shop to be fixed. The driver received 4 points on her record, and had to pay a fine of $163. An expert advised her that she can fight the charges and points.

Continue reading "Dealing with Road Traffic Accidents" »

An accident in Pittsburg in the early hours of Thursday morning resulted in two severely injured people and one death. One 20 year old student was fatally injured and died at the scene; two other students received injuries but did not require immediate medical attention.

A report handed to the rep by the local police department explained that the truck was driven by a 20 year old male with three more passengers. The exact cause of the crash is not known as the police investigation is still ongoing.

The driver of the truck was on the wrong side of the road which caused another driver to crash into the truck. The truck rolled on its top as a result of the impact. This killed the truck driver instantly, and the other driver and his passenger were taken immediately to Via Christi Hospital. The report read by the court states that the injuries to these were not thought to be life threatening.

Both passengers of the truck refused any medical treatment but it is not clear why they did this. Police were investigating the case and trying to look at whether or not this accident was caused by alcohol. It has been suggested that alcohol could have been involved as the truck was traveling quickly, and many students drink during the night.

The source explained how thorough police are when dealing with fatal road traffic accidents. It was not known whether any of the results of the investigation would be released into the public domain.

The student who lost his life in the accident was a sophomore studying mechanical engineering at Pittsburg State University. He was a popular student with many friends on campus. Accidents like this are common in places like Manhattan and Long Island.

It's very sad for everyone concerned that a young student has lost his life as a result of the car accident. The entire Pittsburg State University has been shocked by the fatal accident and students are able to request counseling if required. Counselors will be able to deal with concerns of the faculty and other students alike.

Continue reading "Fatal Car Accident Killed Young Student" »

It was revealed today that a recent study shows people are more likely to develop chronic pain from injuries after a hit and run car accident than after other physically traumatic events.

The study took place in Scotland and involved 2,069 people who were asked three times over a course of four years about musculoskeletal pain and related stress, related a doctor. They were asked if they had experienced any of these six physically traumatic events: traffic crash, surgery, workplace accident, fracture, hospitalization, or child birth.

33% of the 241 people in the study with chronic widespread pain were much more likely than other participants to report at least one physically traumatic event during the study period.
The study explained that the researchers decided to adjust for a number of factors and found that people who had been in traffic crashes had an 84 percent increased risk of developing chronic widespread pain.

It said the study found no link between new onset of chronic pain and hospitalization, surgery or childbirth.

Physicians involved in the study speculated that the results are due to the nature of car accidents. Car accidents really traumatize the body in a different way than every day traumatic injuries. The body gets jolted around in a very uncontrolled manner and often times it’s hard to predict the long term effect his will have on a victim’s body.

"We believe there are persons -- defined by prior physical and psychological health -- who in the event of a traumatic trigger are vulnerable to developing chronic widespread pain," one report said.

Further research in Long Island and New York City should focus on the unique aspects of an auto accident and the individual's reaction to this particular trauma that causes the increased risk of chronic widespread pain onset.

Everyone said more research is in the works now in hopes in improving the quality of life of accident victims and their families. “We hope to uncover valuable information to help people as much as we can,” a source concluded.

Continue reading "New study shows injuries from car crashes cause more chronic pain than other injuries" »

Two men driving - one allegedly heading the wrong way – were left with serious injuries after they collided head-on. They were driving down the turnpike and one of the drivers was going east instead of West when they crashed. Police are investigating whether or not alcohol was involved now.

Just before 4 a.m., a 30-year-old man was driving a 1999 black Honda Accord and heading west instead of east on the eastbound side of the Turnpike when he hit a 1997 green Ford Taurus head on, which was driven by a 30-year-old man, said a policeman.

Police say the car accident happened on the very far-left eastbound lane. Luckily there were not many other cars on the road at that time of the morning.

One witness in the westbound lane was able to call 911 and both men were taken to a local hospital where medical officials said they sustained "serious injuries.”

Experts said the witness made a statement after the accident, “It was frightening to watch. You could see the man coming from the wrong way and there was just nothing you could do to stop it. I called 911. That’s all I could do.”

Both men were admitted to another hospital and are in serious but stable condition now.

The Police said the man in the wrong lane’s blood alcohol levels are being tested and haven’t been released. Initial tests point to alcohol intoxication but they are screening his blood for everything to be sure. Criminal charges are pending for now until the results come back, explained a spokesman.

Although alcohol related car accidents and fatalities in Brooklyn and Manhattan are steadily going down, experts remain concerned with these types of crashes and particularly are concerned with the more recent texting and driving related accidents.

There have always been distractions for drivers but it is getting harder and harder with all of our technology advancements. Let’s hope our young people truly understand the dangers involved.

Continue reading "Two vehicles crash seriously injures both drivers" »

Families received news today of a tragic car accident involving a train. The accident was a surprise to everybody standing by. A white Ford Focus was sitting waiting for the train to pass when the train unexpectedly derailed and crushed the car to the point where officials can’t tell how many people might have been in the car. This is not distracted driving.

Witnesses at the scene said it happened so fast, they were certain the driver of the Ford Focus didn’t see it coming.

The coroner is on the scene and the car is currently crushed under the train and some power lines.

Emergency crews can’t confirm how many people are in the vehicle at this time. It will likely take hours to extract anybody from the car.

Authorities found out that there are several organizations trying to figure out what happened with the train and make sense of the tragic accident.

Thankfully, it appears there are no hazardous materials coming from the train. Hazmat had been at the scene right away and confirmed that there were no hazardous materials.
The coroner, who is helping at the scene, said they were going to need a Crain to move the car.

At this point all you can see is half the car, until they bring in special equipment to lift the train car we just don't know anything. Crews are going to be here for several hours at this point, They’re going to have their accident re-constructionist come out and work the investigation.
Police at the scene say they plan to spend as much time as it takes to figure out exactly what happened in this tragic accident.

It has not been confirmed whether or not the victim or victims in the crash have had family or friends come forward. In The Bronx and Brooklyn these situations are handled with care for the families.

“This is truly heart breaking that this happened,” one witness said. “I really feel sorry for the family of the people involved in this crash.”

Continue reading "Train derails and kills at least one person" »