A National Weather Service storm damage team and the New York City Office of Emergency Management surveyed the damage Monday and determined that it is consisted with an EF1 tornado.

The inspectors saw tornado damage along a path of about sixth-tenths of a mile from the Hebrew Home for the Aged on Palisades Avenue, according to the NWS. The tornado proceeded [...]]]> Bronx, NY, July 26, 2010 - The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado touched down in the Riverdale section of the Bronx Sunday during a powerful thunderstorm that knocked down dozens of trees and damaged several cars and buildings.

A National Weather Service storm damage team and the New York City Office of Emergency Management surveyed the damage Monday and determined that it is consisted with an EF1 tornado.

The inspectors saw tornado damage along a path of about sixth-tenths of a mile from the Hebrew Home for the Aged on Palisades Avenue, according to the NWS. The tornado proceeded in a southeasterly direction to about the intersection of West 254th Street and Riverdale Avenue, officials said.

The tornado with 100 mph winds touched down in the area at about 2:50 p.m. and lasted for about 10 minutes.

The team also confirmed straight-line wind damage consistent with a microburst, officials said.

After hitting the Bronx, the storm system moved across the Long Island Sound and swept into Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

The storm knocked out power to thousands of homes in the Bronx as well as on Long Island.

A sailor fell overboard on the Long Island Sound during the storm on Sunday and was still missing Monday, the Coast Guard said.

Recent verdicts involving the spinal discectomy surgical procedure confirm that many factors determine the ultimate outcome of a personal injury trial. The court venue, the type of case, liability, the attorneys, experts, the severity of injury, and other elements all play a role.

#1 $875,000 Fall on Waxes Floor. Bronx

INJURIES: Avila was taken by ambulance to the emergency room, from the scene of the accident. She claimed cervical disc herniations at C4-5, C5-6 and C6-7, as well as a lumbar disc herniation at L5-S1. She underwent physical therapy to treat the injuries for a [...]]]> Most Recent Trial Court Discectomy Verdicts

Recent verdicts involving the spinal discectomy surgical procedure confirm that many factors determine the ultimate outcome of a personal injury trial. The court venue, the type of case, liability, the attorneys, experts, the severity of injury, and other elements all play a role.

#1 $875,000 Fall on Waxes Floor. Bronx

INJURIES: Avila was taken by ambulance to the emergency room, from the scene of the accident. She claimed cervical disc herniations at C4-5, C5-6 and C6-7, as well as a lumbar disc herniation at L5-S1. She underwent physical therapy to treat the injuries for a few years, and also received pain medication and epidural injections. Avila underwent a cervical discectomy on Sept. 18, 2009. Avila also claimed internal derangement in both knees, which she treated conservatively.

#2

RESULT: Mediated Settlement Award Total: $2,750,000 Car Accident. Bronx Two Discectomy surgeries performed.

#3 $1,065,000 QUEENS COUNTY: Queens

INJURIES: Meawad refused medical attention at the scene, but presented to a general practitioner the following day with complaints of pain to her neck, lower back and right shoulder. She claimed that she sustained disc bulges at C4-5, C5-6 and C6-7, as well as a herniated disc at L5-S1 and an impingement of the right shoulder. Discectomy and fusion surgery

#4 SUFFOLK SUMMARY: RESULT: Verdict-Defendant Award Total: $0

The jury rendered a defense verdict. It found that there was no violation of Labor Law § 240(1). Discectomy surgery performed

#5

DATE OF VERDICT/SETTLEMENT: October 20, 2009 TOPIC: MOTOR VEHICLE - PEDESTRIAN - MOTOR VEHICLE - INTERSECTION - MOTOR VEHICLE - SINGLE VEHICLE Impact With Turning Van Caused Injuries, Pedestrian Alleged SUMMARY: RESULT: Settlement Award Total: $1,275,000 The parties agreed to settle prior to trial for $1,275,000. Disectomy performed Kings Venue

#6

RESULT: Settlement Award Total: $1,850,000

The jury found that there was a violation of the Industrial Code, per Labor Law § 241(6) and Labor Law § 200. As a result, it found that the Port Authority was 75-percent liable for the accident and that the plaintiff was 25-percent liable.

The parties agreed to settle for $1.85 million just after summations on the damages portion of trial. However, according to defense counsel, the plaintiff will have to repay two-thirds of his $490,000 workers’ compensation lien. Richmond/ Staten Island

#7 RESULT: Verdict-Defendant Award Total: $0

The jury rendered a defense verdict. It found that Bare did not sustain a permanent consequential limitation of use of a body organ or member, or a significant limitation of use of a body function or system as a result of the June 2006 accident. It also found that the plaintiff did not sustain a medically determined, nonpermanent injury or impairment that prevented his performance of substantially all of the material acts that would have constituted the usual and customary daily activities of at least 90 of the 180 days that followed the accident.

Thus, Bare recovered the high/low agreement’s $40,000 minimum amount. Lumbar Discectomy Rockland County

#8

RESULT: Settlement Award Total: $725,000 The parties agreed to settle just prior to jury selection for $725,000. STATE: New York COUNTY: Richmond

INJURIES: Fowle claimed that the accident caused her to sustain herniated discs at C4-5, C5-6 and C6-7 with moderately severe spinal cord compression. She also alleged that she suffered from cervical radiculopathy, and an aggravation and exacerbation of a preexisting degenerative condition of the cervical spine. Fowle was treated at an emergency room following the accident and subsequently began a conservative course of treatment with physical therapy and chiropractic care. She ultimately underwent neurosurgery at Staten Island University Hospital on Aug. 30, 2005, after she complained of persistent and worsening neck problems. The surgery consisted of C5 and C6 carpectomies, discectomies at C4-5 and C6-7, microscopic decompression of the spinal cord, arthrodesis at C4-5 and C6-7, and an interbody cage fusion at C4-5, C5-6 and C6-7 with grafting and plating.

#9 SUMMARY: RESULT: Verdict-Plaintiff The jury found that Acosta sustained a serious injury as a result of the accident. It awarded him $175,000. STATE: New York COUNTY: Kings

INJURIES: Acosta claimed that he sustained an L5-S1 disc herniation with radiculopathy. He was taken by ambulance from the accident scene and presented to the emergency room at Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens, where he complained of back pain. Five days later, Acosta was treated by a physiatrist, who referred him for an MRI and an EMG at Eagle Medical in Elmhurst. He also received physical therapy at the facility from April 20, 2004 until the end of July. He then did not receive further treatment for his lumbar injury until February 2007, when he presented to an orthopedic surgeon at Seaport Orthopaedic Associates in Manhattan as a result of complaints of back pain, as well as pain, weakness and paresthesia to both legs. The physician then referred Acosta to the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases in Manhattan for another MRI and EMG of Acosta’s lumbar spine.

#10 RESULT: Settlement The parties agreed to settle before opening arguments for $775,000. STATE: New York COUNTY: Richmond

INJURIES: Poppe claimed that he sustained multiple thoracic disc herniations at T3-4, T4-5 and T5-6. He underwent a course of physical therapy, but when it didn’t relieve his symptoms, Poppe ultimately underwent a 10.5-hour spinal discectomy in October 2003. During the surgery, three herniated discs were excised and titanium rods, plates and screws were inserted into his back. In addition, a bone graft from a cadaver was placed into his back during the procedure.

Toyota has attributed the problems to gas pedals that can get covered by floor mats. The gas pedals also stick due to design flaws. Safety experts have said the problem may be with the electronics inside the Toyota vehicles.

An estimated 52 deaths since 2000 have been linked to the sudden acceleration problem.  Toyota is also fixing 1.6 million cars due to oil hoses with leaks.

A large numbers of death [...]]]> Toyota Motor Corp. officials are under fire with questions from Congress during Senate hearings on the company’s worldwide recall of 8,500,000 vehicles. The hearings are underway on Tuesday, March 2, 2010.

Toyota has attributed the problems to gas pedals that can get covered by floor mats. The gas pedals also stick due to design flaws. Safety experts have said the problem may be with the electronics inside the Toyota vehicles.

An estimated 52 deaths since 2000 have been linked to the sudden acceleration problem.  Toyota is also fixing 1.6 million cars due to oil hoses with leaks.

A large numbers of death and personal injury lawsuits are being investigation along with a criminal probe by federal prosecutors, an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and from the U.S. Transportation Department.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a branch of the Transportation Department, is demanding evidence and records to find out if electronic components were the cause of the automobile problems.

The New York personal injury attorneys at Frekhtman & Associates will send a number of attorneys to participate in this effort.  We will also speak to clients whose cases were unfairly dismissed due to the threshold law.  Currently, Insurance Law 5102(d) has nine categories [...]]]> Many plaintiff’s attorneys are going to Albany, New York the State Capitol to address the legislature concerning the New York serious injury motor vehicle law also known as Insurance Law 5102(d) or the “threshold” law.  The New York State Trial Lawyers Association (NYSLTA) is attempting to change this law to avoid dismissal of cases with serious injuries.

The New York personal injury attorneys at Frekhtman & Associates will send a number of attorneys to participate in this effort.  We will also speak to clients whose cases were unfairly dismissed due to the threshold law.  Currently, Insurance Law 5102(d) has nine categories of serious injury. However, many of the categories are ill defined and open to numerous interpretations allowing some judges to dismiss claims while other judges uphold similar if not identical claims.  Furthermore, even if a client has sustained a serious injury, including knee surgery for example, a court may dismiss the case as not qualifying under Insurance Law 5102(d) on technical grounds such as that the medical doctor who treated the client after the accident failed to compare the range of motion of his knee to normal, or that the client had an unexplained gap in his medical treatment, and or that the client’s doctor did not compare his range of motion to normal at a time recent to defendant’s motion to dismiss. Any one of these failures by doctors to document an injury may lead to dismissal of otherwise meritorious and serious injury claims.

Hopefully, Lobby Day will prove fruitful in changing and old and outdated law that simply does not apply to contemporary litigation.

There are various types of insurance covers which provide compensation for medical bills/or lost earnings in case of an auto accident. OBEL coverage is an optional coverage and is not mandatory. If you obtain this coverage then it will provide additional benefit of $25,000 which will [...]]]> New York Accident Attorney advises New York car insurance holders to consider purchasing OBEL i.e. Optional Basic Economic Loss coverage. Along with basic insurance coverage, OBEL coverage provides protection to automobile accident victims with an additional $25,000 which can be used to cover medical expenditures and lost wages.

There are various types of insurance covers which provide compensation for medical bills/or lost earnings in case of an auto accident. OBEL coverage is an optional coverage and is not mandatory. If you obtain this coverage then it will provide additional benefit of $25,000 which will supplement your motorist insurance coverage.

It is mandatory for every single driver of an auto vehicle in New York to possess Personal Injury Protection or No-Fault insurance. The No Fault insurance pays for medical bills up to $50,000 and this optional coverage provides an additional cover of $25,000. In case your first 50k are used up or exhausted, then OBEL coverage provides benefits to the policy holder as well as to the pedestrians, your family members, and other occupants of the car if they receive injuries in an auto accident.

OBEL gives you a complete control over the additional $25,000 and the manner in which you would you like to avail this additional benefit. Under basic, mandatory No-Fault coverage the first medical provider who billed the insurance company is the first to be paid.

There are various options available to you under OBEL Coverage. It provides you right to decide the allocation of funds. You can use OBEL Coverage to cover following:-

1. Basic Economic Loss which includes medical expenses, loss of earnings, and other necessary expenses;

2. Lost Wages

3. Psychiatric, physical, or occupational therapy and rehabilitation; or

4. Combined benefits of option two and three.

However, it is important to select the right option. You are not allowed to change or switch to a different option once you have made a selection.

If you have received serious injuries in an accident, then OBEL can help you. If you or someone close to you has been involved in serious accidents such as truck accidents or tractor trailer accidents, then No-Fault coverage will exhaust quickly. This will lead to large, unpaid hospital bills. Therefore purchasing OBEL coverage will give you additional benefits which will cover expenditures arising out of serious automobile accidents and injuries.

If you are injured in an automobile accident due to negligence of some individual then you must get in touch with an Accident Attorney who will help you receive justice and compensation for your injuries.

Visit New York Accident Lawyer : http://www.866attylaw.com at following address:-

60 Bay 26th Street, Brooklyn, New York - 11214 Phone : (718) 331-7700

The Woolworth Building, 233 Broadway, New York, New York - 10007 Phone : (212) 766-5656

The victim Bertrand Jocelyn, was shot in the head and died. He was sitting along with his friend who escaped unhurt. The shooter fled the spot and is still at large.

More than 100 people gathered and held a candlelight vigil near the bench to offer condolences to his family members. Most of those who gathered were young people who placed candles on and around the bench. They also left [...]]]> A 17 year old Brooklyn, New York teenager was shot dead while he was sitting on a bench with a friend. The shooting incident was reported outside Bedford-Stuyvesant housing project on Friday.

The victim Bertrand Jocelyn, was shot in the head and died. He was sitting along with his friend who escaped unhurt. The shooter fled the spot and is still at large.

More than 100 people gathered and held a candlelight vigil near the bench to offer condolences to his family members. Most of those who gathered were young people who placed candles on and around the bench. They also left some flowers and messages for the young victim.

Victim’s father is a Haitian immigrant, aged 63. He was unable to bear with the tragedy and was inconsolable.

“My heart is broken,” he said. “There is no answer to this. He was just hanging out with a friend. We don’t know why this happened.”

The father said his son “loved football and basketball and was a bright student. He recently got his GED and was hoping to start college in September. What else can I say? I feel so hurt.”

New Source : New York Wrongful Death Attorney

Wayne Taylor along with his wife Zelika Brown, both entered guilty pleas to the kidnapping of a 13-year-old girl who lived in Brooklyn, NY.

As per the Queens, New York District Attorney, Taylor kidnapped and presented her as a 19-year-old prostitute and was forced to perform sexual acts for money in several parties.

The girl was held captive in a Queens, New York home, but finally managed to escape.

The two defendants were tracked down with the help of NYPD.

Taylor has served NYPD’s for [...]]]> A Veteran Police Detective from Queens, New York, pleaded guilty to the kidnapping and prostitution charges against a teenage girl.

Wayne Taylor along with his wife Zelika Brown, both entered guilty pleas to the kidnapping of a 13-year-old girl who lived in Brooklyn, NY.

As per the Queens, New York District Attorney, Taylor kidnapped and presented her as a 19-year-old prostitute and was forced to perform sexual acts for money in several parties.

The girl was held captive in a Queens, New York home, but finally managed to escape.

The two defendants were tracked down with the help of NYPD.

Taylor has served NYPD’s for 14 years, and resigned from the services before pleading guilty.

Both the defendants face three and a half imprisonment for kidnapping and prostitution, and will be sentenced on August 4th.

It all started when Officer Sean Sawyer got involved in an argument with Jayson Tirado, in East Harlem in October.

The argument finally ended with Jayson Tirado being shot to death.

Tirado’s mother Irene is still demanding justice.

She wants the officer responsible for killing her son, to be jailed. She says she is unable to understand why they justify these so-called police officers even when they take their own law into their own hands. They usually don’t call for back-up [...]]]> A Manhattan jury decided on Thursday not to accuse a city police officer involved in fatal shooting after a traffic dispute last year.

It all started when Officer Sean Sawyer got involved in an argument with Jayson Tirado, in East Harlem in October.

The argument finally ended with Jayson Tirado being shot to death.

Tirado’s mother Irene is still demanding justice.

She wants the officer responsible for killing her son, to be jailed. She says she is unable to understand why they justify these so-called police officers even when they take their own law into their own hands. They usually don’t call for back-up and if do they ask to unload a gun on you, said Irene.

According to Sawyer, who was off duty at that time, maintains that Tirado was making a move as if he had a gun and claims he acted in self-defense.

The accused officer Sawyer still remains suspended and will face a departmental review of the incident.

The community had previously filed complaints and held protests about the sickening smell from local waste treatment plants.

The noxious smells come from the waste water treatment plant in Hunts Point and New York Organic Fertilizer Company. The fertilizer company converts the sewage and human waste into fertilizer pellets.

The local activist organization Mothers on the Move have filed a nuisance lawsuit against the fertilizer company and the city.

The Natural Resource Defense council has taken on the [...]]]> The residents of Hunts Point in South Bronx have filed lawsuit against the city for smells from a waste treatment plant which has plagued their community.

The community had previously filed complaints and held protests about the sickening smell from local waste treatment plants.

The noxious smells come from the waste water treatment plant in Hunts Point and New York Organic Fertilizer Company. The fertilizer company converts the sewage and human waste into fertilizer pellets.

The local activist organization Mothers on the Move have filed a nuisance lawsuit against the fertilizer company and the city.

The Natural Resource Defense council has taken on the case, saying the plants need to work towards eliminating the noxious odor.

Police are also searching for searching for his accomplices involved in the crime.

Brandon Bethea, aged 15, was shot in the head by a stray bullet on May 17, while he was partying with friends outside the Redfern Houses in Far Rockaway.

The suspect has been held on charges of murder ( second-degree), manslaughter, criminal possession of weapon.

Police search is going on to nab his accomplice.