Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog

Street Smart Program Aims to Prevent Washington DC Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents

March 30, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

DC officials are kicking off their Street Smart campaign this spring to combat last year’s increase in pedestrian and bicycle crashes. Last year there were 83 cyclist and pedestrian fatalities in the Washington region—a 9% rise from the year before. This year, at least four people have died in DC pedestrian accidents.

More DC pedestrian and cyclists facts as reported in The Washington Post:

• There were 436 DC bicycle accidents in 2010.
• The number of bicyclists and pedestrians hit last year was 25% higher than in 2009.
• Ambulances answered 1,299 pedestrian collisions calls in 2010.
• 16 of the DC traffic fatalities were bicyclists or pedestrians.
• The intersection of Howard Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE saw the most number of DC pedestrian accidents—13—with 1 of the victims dying.
• The intersection of New York Avenue and North Capitol Street saw 12 Washington DC pedestrian accidents.

• 11 Washington DC pedestrian injuries were sustained at the Seventh and H streets NW intersection and the H and North Capitol streets N.

Most DC pedestrian accidents take place at intersections when an auto is turning and a person is crossing the street while the “walk” sign is activated. Unfortunately, even if a pedestrian has the right of way, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the driver has seen him/her.

Pedestrians and bicyclists have little in the way of protection during a DC traffic crash, and the injuries are usually catastrophic. Spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, head trauma, severed limbs, and organ damage can be costly to treat and recover from. Some injuries are permanent.

Our Washington DC pedestrian and bicycle crash lawyers are familiar with the serious injuries can result. For years, we have helped many victims and their families prove liability and obtain the financial recovery that they are owed.

Hopefully, the Street Smart campaign will bring the DC cyclist and pedestrian injury toll down. In addition to new ads, the campaign will include heightened efforts by police to ticket drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians who don’t follow traffic laws.

Campaign to protect pedestrians, cyclists as number of crashes in the District rises, The Washington Post, March 30, 2011
Related Web Resources:

District Department of Transportation

Street Smart

More Blog Posts:
71-Year-Old Dies in Hit-and-Run Washington DC Pedestrian Accident, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, November 18, 2010
Washington DC Pedestrian Accidents At Higher Risk of Occurring After Daylight Saving Time Ends, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, November 5, 2010
68-Year-old Mount Pleasant Woman Killed in Bicycle Accident with DC Guard Truck, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, April 20, 2010

Washington DC Construction Accident: Worker Nearly Buried in Trench Dies

March 25, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A worker is dead following a DC construction accident on Thursday. The man suffered fatal injuries when a large quantity of clay dirt fell on him, trapping him in a trench where utility work was being done. The site where the incident happened is a house under construction.

75 rescue and fire workers spent three hours trying to save him. Heavy, wet dirt had fallen around the worker. Although there was a space left around his upper torso and rescuers could see the top of his head, it wasn’t until a medic hooked him to a heart-monitoring device that it was confirmed that the construction worker had died.

The trench the construction worker was trapped in was about 20 feet long and 12 to 15 feet deep. His body was finally extricated nearly seven hours after the DC work accident. His cause of death appears to be fatal “compression” injuries.

DC Construction Accidents

Injuries in many construction accidents can be so severe that many workers who sustained catastrophic injuries may not be able to work again or find themselves disabled for life. There are also those workers who are not fortunate enough to survive their injuries.

Although you likely cannot sue an employer over work accident, there may be third parties involved in the project who can and should be held liable. It is important that you explore your legal options as soon as possible with an experienced Washington DC personal injury law firm.

Common Construction Accidents:
• Falls from roofs
• Scaffolding fools
• Elevator shaft falls
• Crane collapse
• Falling objects
• Machinery accidents
• Falls through floors
• Machinery or equipment defects
• Motor vehicle accidents
• Electrical accidents
• Explosions
• Trench collapses
• Fires
• Gas blasts
• Welding accidents
• Ladder-related accidents
Serious Construction Accident Injuries:
• Head injury
• Traumatic brain injury
• Cumulative trauma disorder
• Spinal cord injuries
• Nerve damage
• Severed limbs
• Paralysis
• Burn injuries
• Limb loss
• Hearing loss
• Broken bones
• Blindness
• Suffocation
• Amputations
• Infected wounds
• Dislocated shoulder
• Fractures
• White finger syndrome
Construction worker dies at D.C. work site, The Washington Times, March 25, 2011
Worker trapped in trench dies, The Washington Post, March 24, 2011
Related Web Resources:
OSHA Construction, US Department of Labor
OSHA Construction Accidents, Workplace Safety Tips
More Blog Posts:
Maryland Crane Accident Leaves One Worker with Serious Injuries, Maryland Accident
Law Blog, February 9, 2009
Maryland Attorney Sues Baltimore For Burn Injuries Caused By Fall Accident into Construction Hole, Maryland Accident Law Blog, October 10, 2008
Two Construction Workers are Seriously Injured in D.C. Construction Accident, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, August 22, 2007

Death Toll in Bronx Tractor-Trailer – Bus Crash Now at 15

March 14, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The National Transportation Safety Board is trying to determine what caused a bus and tractor-trailer to collide on Saturday, killing 15 people in New York. The 56-seat bus then drove through a guardrail, skidded some 480 feet, before turning on its side. A highway sign cut off most of the bus’s roof. Our Washington DC bus accident law firm is continuing to monitor this story and its latest developments.

According to the medical examiner’s office, the victims died from blunt-force trauma as the impact of the crash left passengers bloodied and jumbled over debris, each other, and shattered glass. Most of those who died were of Chinese descent. The latest victim to die is a man in his 70’s. Several others are still in the hospital—six of them in critical condition.

The bus, driving back from the Mohegan Sun casino, is one of a number of buses that travel back and forth between the casinos in Connecticut and New York’s Chinatown. While bus driver Ophadell Williams has said that the tractor-trailer struck the bus, witnesses and survivors says that even prior to the deadly crash, the bus was swerving to the right. Some have speculated that Williams, who has a history of vehicular offenses and served time behind bars for grand larceny and manslaughter, was tired. Meantime, officials are saying that he may have been speeding.

Family’s Washington DC Wrongful Death Lawsuit Alleging Paramedic Malpractice Can Proceed, Says Judge

March 9, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

More than a year after the family of Edward Givens filed a $17 million DC wrongful death case against the District and Emergency Medical Services medical director Dr. James Augustine, a judge says that their lawsuit can proceed under a new statute.

Givens, 39, died on December 2, 2008 after paramedics, responding to call that he was having problems breathing and experiencing chest pains, didn’t take him to the hospital and instead told him that he had acid reflux and he should take Pepto Bismo. He died six hours after receiving the wrong diagnosis. In 2009, his family sued for DC paramedic malpractice and wrongful death.

The District has been combating the lawsuit, claiming that case law doesn’t allow someone hurt by an emergency worker to sue. However, after paramedics didn’t immediately treat New York Times journalist David Rosenbaum because they thought he was drunk (in fact, he was beaten during a robbery), the District settled his family’s paramedic malpractice case. The city council has since passed a statute allowing victims to hold paramedics liable for negligence.

Washington DC Car Accident in Third Street Tunnel Claims 23-Year-Old’s Life

March 6, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Police are investigating a fatal Washington DC traffic crash in the Third Street Tunnel involving a Department of Public Works truck. The victim, 23-year-old Haja Seymore-Wilson, died on Tuesday after the vehicle she was riding crashed into the truck, which was stopped. Also injured in the DC truck crash were three city workers.

If the city workers were negligent in where they parked their truck or could/should have act in a way that would have prevented Seymore-Wilson’s car from crashing into the truck, her family may find that they have grounds for a DC wrongful death case. However, if it was Seymore-Wilson who was at fault, then it is the city workers who may have grounds for a DC injury case.

During such a stressful time, settling immediately may seem like the best solution. Unfortunately, you may be also be giving away your legal right to receive the maximum recovery possible. There is no need to make your healing process more challenging by trying to pursue your injury recovery without legal help.

Also, figuring out who caused a Washington DC car accident can be difficult, which is another reason why you need to have a DC injury law firm that is working for you. Your attorney can make sure that all evidence is explored and a solid case is built on your behalf. In addition to physical evidence and your actual injuries, your lawyer can look at driving records, witness testimony, auto repair/maintenance records, the history of traffic accidents on that road, and other key data.

Woman killed in D.C. tunnel crash, The Washington Post, March 1, 2011
Candlelight vigil for woman killed in Third Street Tunnel, The Examiner, March 4, 2011
Related Web Resource:
Department of Public Works, The District of Columbia
More Blog Posts:
Maryland Car Accident News: Baltimore Trucker Survives Head-on Crash when Minivan Crosses Centerline on Rte 9, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, March 3, 2011
Baltimore Car Accident News: Driver Dies in Fatal Beltsville, Maryland, Automobile Traffic Wreck, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, February 28, 2011
Baltimore Auto Injury News: Three Hurt when Train Hits Minivan in Wicomico, Maryland, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, February 24, 2011

DC Cop Injured While Investigating Fatal Hit-and-Run Accident on Key Bridge

February 28, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A DC cop was rushed to the hospital early today after a car on the Key Bridge hit him. At the time, the police officer was investigating a fatal hit-and-run accident. The victim of that DC traffic crash was a pedestrian with a moped. He was hit by an SUV that then fled the scene. The alleged hit-and-run driver was apprehended on Interstate 270.

DC pedestrian accidents usually result in serious injuries. Traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, internal injuries, and spinal cord injuries can result from the impact of a motor vehicle striking a human body.

Drivers involved in any traffic crash are required to stop at the scene. If someone else was injured, then the driver should call for help.

Hit-and-run driving is against the law. It can also result in deaths of injury victims who may otherwise have survived if only 911 had been contacted right away.

Police officers or any other worker who is injured during a DC pedestrian accident while doing his/her job may have grounds for filing a DC personal injury lawsuit against the negligent motorist. Most employees cannot sue their employers for injuries sustained on the job. This, however, should not prevent them from filing third party lawsuits if other parties involved caused their injury accident.

Serious pedestrian injuries may require surgery, physical therapy, prescription medication, nursing care, and/or rehabilitation and the bills can mount. Our Washington DC personal injury law firm is here to help pedestrians obtain financial recovery for their traffic crash injuries from al liable parties.

D.C. Officer Struck By Car While Investigating Accident on Key Bridge, Policelink.monster.com, February 28, 2011
Related Web Resources:

Metropolitan Police Department

Pedestrian Accidents, Justia
Related Web Resources:
71-Year-Old Dies in Hit-and-Run Washington DC Pedestrian Accident, Washington DC Injury Lawyer, November 18, 2010
Washington DC Pedestrian Accidents At Higher Risk of Occurring After Daylight Saving Time Ends, Washington DC Injury Lawyer, November 5, 2010
Washington DC Pedestrian Accident Involving Alleged Drunk Driver Claims the Life of 26-Year-old Johns Hopkins University Graduate Student, Washington DC Injury Lawyer, September 15, 2010

Preventing Red-Light Running Decreases Washington DC Car Accidents, Says Police Chief

February 23, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

According to the Washington Post, one of the reasons that more red-light cameras are being installed in the Washington region is that per a new Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study, between 2004 and 2008 they helped the number of DC traffic deaths at intersections go down by 26%.

Red-light cameras catch drivers crossing intersections when the light is red by taking a picture of them committing the act. Although some people have complained that the cameras are a tool for raising revenue—these cameras generated $7.2 million in revenue in 2000, under $5 million in 2005, and $7.2 million in D.C. in 2009— stopping people from driving across the street when the light is red can save lives. D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier told the Washington Post changing driver behavior is the goal. She says that traffic deaths in the District went down 50% in four years.

DC Car Crashes

According to a survey conducted last year by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, although 93% of drivers reported that they believe that if a motorist can stop safely to obey a red light then it isn’t acceptable to run one, 1/3rd of them admitted that they had done just that in the past 30 days. Regardless of whether or not you approve of red-light cameras, it is important to point out that running a red light at an intersection can prove catastrophic should a Washington DC auto accident occur.

Some reasons why people run red lights:
• Speeding
• Distracted driving
• Drunk driving
• Drugged driving

None of these reasons are good enough reasons to get involved in a DC car crash. Not only can injuries or deaths result but the negligent driver could end up in jail.

Use of red-light cameras in Washington area increases, Washington Post, February 23, 2011
Q&As: Red light cameras, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Related Web Resources:

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

District Department of Transportation

More Blog Posts:
Baltimore Automobile Accident News: Kent Island Father and Young Son Die in Rte 50 Car Crash, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, February 22, 2011
Baltimore Car Injury News: Reckless Driving Suspected Injury Accident in Anne Arundel County, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, February 20, 2011
Baltimore Car Accident News: Maryland Woman Dies; Other Injured in Charles County Traffic Collision, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, February 18, 2011

Falling Tree Causes Fatal Washington DC Car Accident

February 19, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A tragic DC traffic crash last Wednesday evening has claimed the life of a 41-year-old man. Oswaldo Hernandez-Cruz, a roofer, and three friends were headed to a job where they would be clearing snow all night when the pickup truck they were riding was struck by a falling tree.

The vehicle was stuck in DC traffic when the tree collapsed. The other three people in the truck, a wife and husband and another man, also sustained injuries, as did two people riding in another car that the tree’s braches also struck. The DC injury accident occurred in the 1700 block of Military Road NW. Hernandez-Cruz leaves behind his wife and three children.

Falling Tree Accidents

Falling trees or even just their tree branches can cause serious injuries. In 2008, a woman, Kay Plyler, died when a tree fell on the car that she and her teen daughter were riding. In 2009, a jury awarded one man 1.7 million for injuries he suffered when a tree fell on the vehicle he and his wife were riding in 2006. Mieczyslaw Wisniewski sustained numerous injuries and neck fractures. In 2007, 49-year-old Michael Gandy died when a giant tree fell onto his van. His family filed a wrongful death lawsuit blaming the city for improperly cutting the trees roots and causing it to become unstable. There have also been tragic falling tree accidents involving a pedestrian or bystander injured or killed by a falling tree branch.

Property owners must make sure that trees on their premise are properly maintained. There may be more than one party who can/should be held liable for Washington DC personal injury.

Tree kills man in car waiting in bad traffic, The Washington Post, January 28, 2011
Settlement Reached In Wrongful Death Lawsuit, WSOCTV, December 7, 2009
Falling Tree, Lawyers and Settlements, February 27, 2008
Related Web Resource:
Premises Liability, Nolo
More Blog Posts:
Escalator Malfunction at DC Metro Station Injures Four, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, October 31, 2010
Six-Year-Old Girl Dies in Washington DC Drowning Accident at Turkey Thicket Pool, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, July 12, 2010
Washington DC Slip and Fall Accidents Can Cause Hip Injuries, Broken Bones, a Strained Back, and Other Painful Injuries, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, February 23, 2010

Nearly 800,000 Dorel Child Safety Seats Recalled

February 16, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it is recalling nearly 800,000 child safety seats made by Dorel Juvenile Group. The recall, which affects infant, convertible, and booster seats, was issued because of concerns that the harnesses may not be able to keep children secure. Our Washington DC products liability law firm represents children injured because their child safety seat or another product failed or was defective and we are pleased to hear that steps are being taken to remedy a hazard that could potentially endanger kids and babies.

The recalled child safety restraints were manufactured between May 1, 2008 and April 30, 2009. They were sold under the brands Maxi-Cosi, Safety 1st, Julie Vallese, and Eddie Bauer. There is concern that because the harness locking and release button do not always go back to its locked position, the harness adjustment strap might slip back through the adjuster while a child moves around in the seat. This could loosen the harness, placing the child at serious risk of injury during a traffic crash.

While Dorel says it has received 143 complaints over the front harness loosening, the manufacturer was quick to say that it does not consider the issue to be a safety defect and that no related reports of injuries or deaths have been filed.

DJG says it will give consumers a repair kit to fix the safety issue. Consumers can keep using the DJC child safety restraints before the remedy has been applied, but they should make sure that the lock/release button is securely in the locked position and that the harness is properly adjusted and hasn’t come loose.

Washington DC Personal Injury

A child can die during a DC car crash because he/she was seated in a defective car seat. This is why it is so important that manufacturers make sure their child safety restraints are designed and made properly. Common child safety seat defects:

• Poor construction
• Design defects
• Shell separation
• Harness defects
• Mechanism failures
• Inadequate instructions
• Insufficient testing of seats
Nearly 800,000 Dorel Child-Safety Seats Are Recalled, NY Times, February 14, 2011
Consumer Advisory: Dorel Recalling Nearly 800,000 Child Safety Seats For Safety Harness Issue, NHTSA, February 14, 2011
Related Web Resources:

Dorel Juvenile Group

Child Safety Seats, US Department of Transportation
Related Web Resources:
Drop-Side Cribs No Longer Allowed, Rules CPSC, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, December 22, 2010
Preventing Washington DC Injuries to Children: Graco Strollers, Fisher-Price Toys, and Drop-Side Cribs by Ethan Allen, Victory Land, and Angel Line Among Latest Recalls Issued, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, October 23, 2010
CPSC Recalls “ChildESIGNS” and Generation 2 Worldwide Drop-Side Cribs Following Three Child Deaths, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, February 10, 2010

Washington DC Strangulation Accident Prompts Baby Monitor Recall

February 11, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Last year, our Washington DC wrongful death lawyers reported on a DC injuries to minors accident linked to a baby monitor cord. Savannah Caroline, 10 months, died last March after she became entangled in the cord. Eight months later, a 6-month old baby died after he too was strangled because of his video monitor’s cord.

Now, Summer Infant and the Consumer Product Safety Commission are recalling about 1.7 million video baby monitors. The recall will allow Summer Infant to provide new on-product warning labels and instructions so that parents and guardians will know where they can place the baby monitor so that it doesn’t pose an injury hazard to kids. Summer Infant is also recalling the rechargeable batteries of another 58,000 video monitors because they pose a possible burn hazard. These monitors were sold at Babies R Us in 2009 and 2010.

Injuries caused by products that malfunction, have design defects, or fail to provide instructions or warnings on proper use can be grounds for a Washington DC products liability lawsuit against the manufacturer. The supplier or seller can also be held liable for DC personal injury or wrongful death for making the defective or dangerous product available for purchase.

Strangulation is an all too common problem when it comes to babies and certain product defects. Manufacturers know this and it is their responsibility to prevent these types of accidents from happening.

Last year, the CPSC provided a Safety Alert warning parents of what to do to keep their kids from strangling in a baby monitor cord:

• Make sure that the cord and the monitor is placed far away enough that the baby cannot reach for it.
• Make sure that the cord is over three feet away from any crib, play yard, bassinet, or sleeping area.
• As your baby grows, constantly check to make sure that he/she still cannot reach the monitor cord.
Two Strangulation Deaths Prompt Summer Infant to Recall Video Baby Monitors with Cords; Firm to Provide New On-Product Label & Instructions, CPSC, February 11, 2011
Big recall of baby monitors linked to 2 deaths, AP/Google, February 11, 2011
Related Web Resources:
Baby Products, Consumer Reports

Recalls

Related Blog Posts:
Washington DC Injury: Strangulation Accident Involving Baby Monitor Cord Causes 10-Month-Old’s Death, Washington DC Injury Lawyers Blog, October 28, 2010
Preventing Washington DC Injuries to Children: Graco Strollers, Fisher-Price Toys, and Drop-Side Cribs by Ethan Allen, Victory Land, and Angel Line Among Latest Recalls Issued, Washington DC Injury Lawyers Blog, October 23, 2010
Washington DC Injuries to Children: Banning Drop-Side Cribs, Washington DC Injury Lawyers Blog, August 17, 2010