5 Leading Causes of NYC Construction Accidents
The construction sector of NYC is one of the most dangerous industries as it is responsible for many deaths and injuries of workers as well as bystanders every year. In 2007 alone, 761 construction workers were injured in on-site accidents in the city, according to the NYC Department of Buildings. During the first half of 2019, 286 construction-related injuries were reported in the Big Apple.
While the labor laws regulate the risks and dangers of the construction sector, the number of deaths and injuries is on the rise. The following list of the five leading causes of construction injuries and deaths may indicate where the problems lie:
Bronx: Family Files Lawsuit for Wrongful Death of Mom
A mother of two children died at the Lincoln Hospital in Bronx, NYC, after a minor procedure, following which the deceased’s family filed a medical malpractice lawsuit. Rosemary Abreu went to the hospital on Sep. 20, 2019, to remove a cyst from her thigh. While the procedure of cyst removal is simple, Abreu didn’t come out alive.
According to the NY Daily News, the 27-year-old mother suffered a cardiac arrest in the middle of the surgery, fell into a coma, and died shortly after. Her family has filed a $50 million medical malpractice lawsuit.
Abreu was a paraprofessional at the Department of Education and a mother of two girls: nine-year-old Katelyn and two-year-old Luna.
Tragic Tales of Medical Blunders at NYC Hospitals
During the past five years, medical malpractice and negligence at NYC’s 11 public hospitals have caused 468 deaths. The NY Post’s analysis of the city comptroller data obtained through a Freedom of Information request found that the city has paid 56 families around $34 million since 2014. The city-wide compensations were given on account of settlements against wrongful death claims made by the victims’ families.
About 72 percent of the 106 wrongful-death lawsuits filed against HHC hospitals in 2014 are still awaiting verdicts. Out of all the hospitals operating under the NYC Health and Hospital Corporation, the King’s County Hospital had the highest number of wrongful-death claims, facing 91 lawsuits between 2014 and 2018.
Manhattan Man Died in an Elevator Accident
It was a typical Thursday morning on Aug. 22, 2019, when 30-year-old Samuel C. Waisbren exited the elevator lift into the lobby at the Manhattan Promenade apartment building. The lift underwent a severe malfunction and suddenly dropped, crushing Waisbren to the death between the wall and the lift-car.
Three people were present inside the lift-car when the accident occurred. People present in the lobby were horrified by the event. Another man named Tyler Hartsfield, who was present in the same elevator and had managed to jump out of the lift before Waisbren was killed, reportedly said that he still has nightmares of the incident.
Statistics Show a Shocking Rise in NYC Car Accidents
Thousands of car accidents happen every year in NYC, the most populous city in the US. These accidents account for a significant chunk of the country’s overall annual motor vehicle accidents, which stands at six million.
The New York Police Department releases the city’s crash data for each of the five boroughs every month. We’ve done a breakdown of the yearly results to give you a closer view of the situation.
Hospital Negligence Caused the Death of Brooklyn Woman
In 2008, Esmin Green, a 49-year-old Jamaican-born woman, died in the waiting room of King’s County Hospital Center right in front of the hospital staff who did nothing to help her.
Ms. Green was admitted as a psychiatric patient and waited for medical attention in the waiting room for almost 24 hours until she collapsed on the floor. She died from a blood clot, which had remained untreated ever since she arrived at the hospital.
NY Court of Appeals Increases Malpractice Lawsuit Award to $1 Million
The New York Court of Appeals added over $400,000 to the medical malpractice lawsuit award that was initially reduced to $650,000. The New York Court of Appeals added over $400,000 to the medical malpractice lawsuit award that was initially reduced to $650,000.
The jury deemed it right that the plaintiff should be awarded $2.5 million for the pain and suffering she experienced because of the malpractice. However, the judge in charge of the trial agreed with the defendant and slashed the award to $650,000. However, in June 2020 the Supreme Court of New York Appellate Division overturned that decision.
Court Nullifies a $10 Million Settlement of a Fatal Spinal Surgery Case
For the death of a 50-year-old woman from Pennsylvania after undergoing surgery for her spinal cord, the awarded compensation amounting to $10 million was deemed as void. This decision was after the court determined that the amount does not match settlements granted to other medical malpractice lawsuits for similar incidents.
Falling Debris from Building Killed Manhattan Woman
In Jan. 2020, a 60-year-old woman from Manhattan was killed when falling debris hit her while she was walking next to a building. Reports of the accident concluded that the pedestrian lost her life at the scene due to blunt force trauma to the skull. The debris came off a W. 49th Street building and was a part of the building’s façade that suddenly broke off.
Brooklyn Woman Won a $15 Million Lawsuit After Medical Misdiagnosis Left Her Blind
A woman from Brooklyn, NYC, was left blind following a misdiagnosis of her glaucoma condition, after which she sued the Woodhull Medical Centre for failure to diagnose her disease. The jury awarded her $15,000,000 as compensation for medical malpractice in 2018.