Monthly Archives: February 2012

Seven Years After Bus Accident, Lawsuit Settled and Healing Continues

On January 29, 2005 a team bus carrying the women’s Windsor Wildcats basketball team was involved in a bus accident. Four people were killed and 18 survived. Now, five years later, the lawsuit has been settled though many of the survivors still struggle with the events of that day.

Their coach, his son, a teammate and her mother were all killed in the accident. Many of the young women were seriously injured. According to the Windsor Star, some are lucky to be alive after the bus accident. Continue reading

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Two Men Severely Injured By Falling Shopping Cart

Two men were seriously injured in a department store accident when a shopping cart fell on their heads Monday. The men were walking outside a Bronx Home Depot, located near Yankee Stadium, when the cart fell from an overhead parking deck, similar to the case that left a mother brain damaged just a few months ago.

According to the Daily News, the men were about 50 feet from the front door of Home Depot when the Toys ‘R’ Us cart came crashing down on them. Witnesses say one man was immediately knocked unconscious and the other was trying to get up when help arrived on the scene of the department store accident.

Both experienced serious head injuries and the scene was reportedly quite bloody. One onlooker said you could see the skull of one of the men through the deep gash in his head. Both were taken to the hospital and though one was admitted in critical condition, both are now listed as stable.

No one knows why the cart tumbled and no arrests have been made.

In a previous department store accident case, a mother of two was hit in the head by a shopping cart outside of a Harlem Target store. Similarly, the cart fell 40 feet from a parking deck and initially left her in a medically induced coma. Now out of the coma, her husband says she has a long recovery process ahead.

In that case, two young boys were arrested and later pleaded guilty to felony assault.

Though it has not been substantiated, the men in this latest accident may have been working at the time. At least one source says that they frequently make deliveries to the stores in that shopping area. If that is the case, there could be a worker’s compensation claim. If not, and it can be proven that someone was negligent in maintaining the shopping area, there could be a premises liability case.

In a premises liability case, it must be shown that the injuries were caused as a result of the company’s negligence. Perhaps it’s Toys ‘R’ Us who was negligent in collecting the cart, making an unsafe condition. Or, maybe Home Depot was not cautious in the design of their store, ensuring there was a safe walkway for customers to enter without fear of injury or fear of a department store accident. There are many possibilities here, where the error of a large company could have contributed to the tragic department store accident that befell these men.

If you are injured in a department store, supermarket, shopping center, or any other business, you too could be entitled to compensation and justice. The department store accident attorneys with Omrani & Taub are experienced in handling department store accident cases. We understand what you’re going through and are here to help. Contact us for a free consultation.

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Elevator Maintenance Company Named In Multiple Lawsuits

The attorneys at Omrani & Taub have been following and posting updates on a case regarding a young advertising executive who was killed when trapped by the elevator at her Manhattan office building. Transel Elevator, Inc., the company who was servicing that same elevator only hours before her death, was named in an unrelated lawsuit this week, regarding yet another elevator accident, this time at the New York’s Plaza hotel.

According to Bloomberg, a housekeeper at the hotel was injured in an elevator accident when the freight elevator she was on came to a sudden stop. The unexpected and “violent” stop is being blamed for fractures in one of the housekeeper’s feet. Transel Elevator, Inc. is said to have been responsible for maintenance and upkeep of the elevator and all of those at the Plaza.

This latest suit is said to mark one of many that have been filed against the company for elevator accidents around the city. The company works in construction, maintenance and repair of both commercial and residential elevators. Continue reading

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New York construction accidents slowly decreasing

According to New York City data, the number of injuries experienced by workers in construction accidents has begun to decrease. From 2010 to 2011 there was a 7.8 percent decrease in the number of workplace accidents that resulted in at least one injury to an employee. The total number of accidents fell by approximately 18 percent last year.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg cited the 2008 safety measures as the reason for the decline. “Even as construction activity rose by nearly 8 percent last year, the number of construction-related accidents fell,” he said. Continue reading

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