New York City Personal Injury Blog

New York residents who work in zoos know that certain animals can be dangerous. In December of 2018, an intern at a North Carolina zoo was killed by a lion that somehow left its enclosure. In mid-January 2019, another incident, though non-life-threatening, occurred; a volunteer at the Toledo Zoo had her hand bitten and her thumb detached by a 14-year-old orangutan.

The volunteer was with two paid staff members while she was in the area where orangutans are fed. This area is closed to visitors, so the public was in no way endangered. During the feeding, the orangutan reached out through the mesh enclosure at the volunteer. The incident was over in a matter of seconds, but the volunteer still needed to be taken to the hospital for treatment.

The brain is a very complicated organ that performs many functions. It controls life sustaining activities like breathing, while also managing physical movements, language skills, creativity, problem-solving abilities and more. Because we require our brains to complete such a wide variety of functions, it can be life-altering when a brain is injured. However, not all traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are the same.

Different kinds of force and amounts of force can cause different kinds of injuries to a brain. This can result a wide variety of symptoms which can be expressed. Symptoms can also vary based on the part of the brain that received an injury. With so many variables at play, it is safe to assume every person’s experience of a TBI is unique. However, TBIs are generally categorized by type and severity.

Many safety advocates in New York are urging increased regulations to lower the risk of a particularly deadly type of trucking accident. Underride crashes occur when a passenger car slides under the carriage of a large commercial truck, often crushing or severing the top of the car. These accidents can occur at the rear, front or side of the truck, and they are very likely to be fatal. Associated with severe head and neck injuries, underride crashes have even resulted in decapitations.

In 2011, there were 260 deaths in underride rear-end trucking accidents, 19 percent of all fatalities linked to two-vehicle accidents between commercial trucks and passenger vehicles. As a result of the number of severe injuries and deaths, underride guards are now mandated on semi-trailers. However, many have criticized the current standard as insufficient to provide proper protection, and no underride guards are mandated on the front or sides of these large trucks.

The 24-year-old man who crossed the center line and caused the crash left his BMW and fled on foot. He later returned and was arrested and charged with unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, criminal possession of a controlled substance and leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in death.

Individuals who are injured in car crashes may be entitled to recover for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering or other damages. In a case where a person is killed in a motor vehicle accident, surviving family members may have a claim for wrongful death. An attorney might be able to help by analyzing the facts of the case and identifying parties who potentially have liability. The attorney might gather evidence or depose witnesses in preparation for trial or attempt to negotiate a settlement with the at-fault parties' insurers. If the case cannot be settled, filing a lawsuit might be the next step.

Source: NBC New York, "1 Dead in Violent Chain-Reaction Hit-Run Crash in the Bronx", Oct. 1, 2018