Queens NY Law Blog

Taking good care of your vehicle is part of being a responsible driver. When it comes to safety on the road, the braking system is one of the most important. It allows drivers to slow or stop moving vehicles to prevent collisions. Properly maintaining the brakes is vital, especially when the weather is bad and results in slick road conditions.

Senior citizens often bear the brunt of criticisms about dangerous driving behaviors. But while some seniors certainly are a driving risk, much criticism can be leveled against the  youngest drivers, as well.

It turns out that it's not just "Get off my lawn!" types who blame bad driving on millennials. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 88 percent of motorists age 19-24 self-admitted to doing one or more of the following while behind the wheel:

• Speeding
• Failing to stop at red lights
• Texting while driving

The bigger the vehicle that causes a traffic accident, the more the destruction left behind in its wake. People often see truck accidents and the devastation they cause but a recent accident involving a crane may prove to be more damaging than one involving an 18-wheeler.

According to police officials, a drunk driver was driving a construction crane in New York recently and ended up leaving a trail of destruction nine miles long behind him. The 43-yearold drunk driver was driving erratically and hit four vehicles and drove off when the police gave chase. Apparently, the driver did not stop when asked to-officers had to corner the crane on the shoulder of the road and then jump into the compartment to get him to come to a halt.

Everyone deserves to earn their living in a safe working environment, whether their workspace is an office or a construction site. It is an employer's duty to ensure this, by either removing potential safety hazards or training employees on how to deal with safety hazards. When this duty is breached and an employee is injured in a construction accident that results in catastrophic injuries, they find themselves struggling to make ends meet and cover their medical expenses at the time when finances are often the tightest.

Injuries such as these have a devastating impact on one's life. Depending on the type of injury incurred, the accident victim might be out of a job for a couple of months or even permanently, while the hospital bills pile up. What many workers who have been injured by a fall from an elevated height don't realize is that they are protected by law in New York, as discussed in last week's post.