Two Teenagers Dead After Long Island Car Accident

 Two Long Island teenagers were killed when their car lost control and struck a tree early Wednesday morning, police said.

The accident happened around 1:15 a.m. Wednesday in Roslyn Heights.

Steven Clancy, 19, was driving a 2004 Volkswagen Jetta northbound on Roslyn Road near Locust Lane when he struck a curb and then a tree in the back yard of an Oak Lane home, Nassau County homicide detectives said.

Clancy and his passenger, Javier Gonzalez, also 19, were pronounced dead. Both men were from Mineola.

Police said the investigation is ongoing.

Lindenhurst Woman Dies After Being Hit By Car

A Lindenhurst woman crossing a street in West Babylon was struck and killed Monday afternoon, Suffolk police said.

Amelia Couvertier, 83, was walking east on Montauk Highway about 3:20 p.m. when she attempted to cross Great East Neck Road, police said. She was struck by a 2008 Toyota Corolla driven by Carol Lawrence, 73, of North Lindenhurst, police said. Lawrence had been traveling east on Montauk Highway when she made a left turn onto Great East Neck Road. According to police, witnesses stated Lawrence had a green arrow when she made the turn and no criminality is suspected.

Couvertier was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip, where she was later pronounced dead.

Lawrence was not injured. Her car was impounded for a safety check. First Squad detectives are asking anyone who may have witnessed the accident to call 631-854-8152.

Faulty Crossing Gate Possible Cause of Deadly Train Accident

Long Island father of four was killed when his vehicle was smashed by a LIRR train at a Central Islip crossing.  MTA officials returned to the scene to investigate whether or not a faulty gate crossings contributed to the crash.

Relatives of a Edson Muñoz, victim Adolfo Muñoz's nephew, walked along a grassy area next to the train tracks, strewn with metal car parts and soda cans.
Muñoz rifled through scattered debris near the site where his uncle was killed. When asked why he was there, Muñoz said he just "wanted to see" it.

Adolfo Muñoz, 63, was driving his black 2000 Lexus south on Route 111 before getting in the path of a westbound nonpassenger LIRR train at the crossing.  Muñoz was taken to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore and pronounced dead a short time later.

Edson Muñoz, 30, of Brentwood, said family and friends "are not too sure" what caused the accident. "A lot of people were saying the gates were up and down and weren't working properly," he said.

The MTA is still investigating the collision, said Marjorie Anders, spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which owns the LIRR. "We are looking into the functioning of the gates and flashers and downloading the black box," Anders said Saturday.

Tomika Oliver, who drives past the rail crossing at least twice a day, said there have been consistent problems at the intersection. The gate guard comes down and then quickly pops up but no train passes, she said. "It makes me very nervous," Oliver said. "I don't trust the gates."

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured due to a train malfunction call the experienced train injury lawyers at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878

Drunk Driver in fiery Lindenhurst crash left the scene

A drunk driver of a Mercedes vehicle burst into ferocious flames just after crashing into a home and then a utility pole in Lindenhurst (new york).

A police officers responding to the scene said the drivers car smashed into a house before ramming it into a Long Island Power Authory (LIPA) pole at about 2:55am.  The driver, Donta L. Riddick, 26, of Bay Shore, was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip with injuries.

LIPA sent a crew to make repairs, and Park Avenue was closed between Montauk Highway and East Hoffman Avenue until about 6 a.m. as the crash was investigated, the Lindenhurst Fire Department put out the fire and repairs were made.

Riddick faces charges of driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Drunk Driving Injury Statistics

70 year-old man Hit By Flying Tire on Expressway...almost dies.

A man standing on the shoulder of the LIE near Exit 61 in Holbrook was critically injured when he attempted to prevent one of two tires that had dislodged from a passing semi-truck from crashing into his car.

The unidentified man, who is about 70 years old, was airlifted to nearby Stony Brook University Hospital after being hit by the tire and hitting his head on the ground.

The motorist had pulled his Jeep off the road to inspect a noise that he heard in his Jeep.

All lanes of the westbound Long Island Expressway were temporarily closed wednesday in Holbrook so the injured victim could be airlifted to a nearby hospital.

If you or someone you know has been seriously injured due to the negligence of another call the experience personal injury lawyers at Buttafuoco & Associates.  1-800-669-4878

How Much Is My Case Worth?

If you have been seriously injured due to someone else's negligence you might be wondering - "How much is my personal injury case worth?

There is a very complex, scientific method to determine the value of a personal injury case.   This process involves measuring (including but not limited to) medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, loss of normal life, etc.

In this featured video Daniel Buttafuoco, founding personal injury attorney at Buttafuoco & Associates, answers the question:  "How much is my injury case worth?"

Still have questions regarding your possible injury case?   Our attorneys are available 24/7.  Call 1-800-669-4878 or go to www.1800NowHurt.com

The Attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates have recovered over $250 Million for their clients.

How Long will my case take to settle?

“How Long will my case take to settle?”  This common question has a complicated answers.  It depends based on the specific facts of your case.  We inform all of our clients that a personal injury case can take anywhere from several months to a few years; with the larger cases taking the longest.  The length of a case is largely determined by the parties involved: the client, the insurance company & the insurance company’s attorneys, etc.

The most important variable in a personal injury case is you, the client.  One of the first factors is determining the length of medical treatment the injured client requires?  Settling a case prior to the patient receiving all necessary post accident treatment and having a doctor provide a long term diagnosis for the injury will hurt the value of your case.  For this reason you must be careful with settling too soon.  Doing so could risk sacrificing money you’re entitled to in the future. Keep in mind, a settlement is permanent. Once your case is settled, it cannot be opened again.

Although Insurance companies give the illusion they are "on your side", they aren’t the most reasonable and often times refuse a fair settlement thereby delaying your case.  Attorneys then must follow procedures to protect the clients right to seek compensation by putting the case to suit, file motions, make court appearances, preparing the case for trial, etc, which inevitably delay recovery.   Unfortunately, this process can end up taking anywhere from two to five years, with the larger cases taking the longest.

Insurance companies aren’t always willing to just hand over millions of dollars to injured victims, fortunately the attorneys here at Buttafuoco & Associates are experienced in getting the carrier to hand over a fair settlement.  For example, we were recently able to obtain a $43 Million lifetime payout for one of our clients (serious injury left him a paraplegic).

The final variable that determines the length of a case is the insurance carrier’s defense firm.  Usually, their tactics are to intentionally delay settlement.  For this reason it is important to be represented by an experienced, reputable attorney so that these defense firms think twice before they attempt to try any of these tricks.


If you find yourself asking "how much longer will it take to settle my case" keep the above information in mind.  For any additional questions about your current case or accident call the experienced attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878

Pedestrain Killed after being hit by Car in Baldwin

Two pedestrians on different parts of long island were hit by vehicles earlier. 

Evelyn Ramos-Coto, 33, was violently hit by a car while she was in the crosswalk on Grand Avenue, police said.  Evelyn was still conscious as EMT staff took her from the accident scene but later died at the hospital shortly after the accident.
 
The accident took place as she walked across the southbound left lane of Grand Avenue, at Lorenz Avenue. She was hit by a southbound 2001 Ford driven by a 37-year-old man, police said.

"The vehicle was impounded for brake and safety checks," police said. "Detectives report no apparent criminality at this time."

In Suffolk County, a teen boy is in serious condition after he was hit by a sport utility vehicle in West Babylon, police said.

The pedestrian/car accident took place on Straight Path near 12th Street in West Babylon, and the victim was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip with serious injuries, police said.


If you or someone you know has been injured as a pedestrian hit by a car call the experienced Injury Lawyers at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878

86-car pileup kills young girl and leaves at least 20 injured

Intense snow and icy roads led to what is being called one of the worst car accidents in Ohio in recent years.  A 12-year-old girl was killed and over 20 others were injured in an 86-car pileup in Cincinnati, Ohio

The horrific multiple chain-reaction collisions took place on Interstate 275, close to the Colerain Township suburb.

In horror one man screamed “She’s about to die,” as he filmed the crowd that had gathered around the helpless teenage girl.

According to a report from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department, the young girl had exited a damaged vehicle and was standing on the shoulder near “a cable barrier, a type of fencing made of rope-like steel wire cables.”  An out-of-control car slammed into the barrier, “snapping a cable, which then struck the girl and killed her" office spokesman Jim Knapp.

At least 20 other people were taken to nearby hospitals with their injuries that are not expected to be life-threatening.  Scattered car wreckage forced the interstate to be closed for hours.

If you or someone you know has been seriously injured in a car accident call the experienced car accident lawyers of Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878

Make sure you hire an EXPERIENCED attorney – Persona Injury Cases

It is very important to get the right lawyer from the beginning of your case. Often clients who have suffered a serious injury will just hire a relative or friend, someone without the necessary expertise to handle these types of cases. It’s very important to hire a lawyer who concentrates only on personal injury cases if you have been seriously injured in a accident. The good news is that you have the right under law to change attorneys at any time.

Do you have to pay a lawyer twice if I switch attorneys? The good news is NO. The fee is the same regardless of how many attorneys you have.

Have concerns about switching attorneys? Check out this video…

Side-Curtain Airbags - Are they safe for children?

How do they work?

The curtain airbag activates instantaneously in the event of a side impact crash, deploying from the top of the door rails above the side window. They form a cushion between the driver or passenger and the window and stay in place if the car rolls over to protect their head.

Why do I need them?

Research conducted in the USA estimates that head protecting airbags can reduce driver deaths in the event of a side impact crash by close to 40%*. Without them, in a side impact crash there is little to protect your head from striking the side of the car or rigid objects like trees or poles.

How are curtain airbags different to other types of airbags?

Curtain airbags are one type of head protecting side airbag. There are other kinds too, such as combination head and torso designs.

Combination head and torso airbags mostly activate from the seat, but some types deploy from the door, offering you good protection to both head and body in side impact crashes. However, combination designs are less effective than curtain airbags in rollover crashes.

Most people have heard of driver airbags (or frontal airbags). While these come as standard in many cars, they do not protect you in a side impact crash. Also, side airbags without the combination of head/torso design only protect the chest and thorax area, not the head.

How dangerous are side impact crashes?

Side impact crashes at intersections account for approximately 22% of all major crash types where people are killed or seriously injured.

However, according to IIHS spokesperson Russ Rader, "Even if a head curtain airbag covers the rear seats where children are most likely sitting, it won't necessarily offer them any protection. Most children are too short to receive any protection from a curtain-type side airbag."