PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Are Changes Coming to the Way the NYPD Investigates Auto Accidents?

Recent proposals by city lawmakers would revamp the way in which the New York Police Department investigates auto accidents.

2012-11-30
November 30, 2012 (Press-News.org) Recent proposals by city lawmakers (in conjunction with Transportation Alternatives, a well-known pedestrian, bicyclist and public transit advocacy organization) would revamp the way in which the New York Police Department investigates auto accidents.

The proposed legislation, the Crash Investigation Reform Act (CIRA), would begin with an assessment of what current NYPD accident investigation policies are, after which a determination would be made regarding what (if any) changes need to be made to better meet the needs of the city's roughly 8,200,000 residents.

The proposal was introduced by a number of New York City Council members from around the five boroughs, including representatives from Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Manhattan. It comes in response to their own investigation of police traffic control and accident review policies and some high-profile cases that seems to illustrate a disconnect between the approach of the NYPD and accident victims.

How do investigations work now?

Currently, the NYPD only investigates auto accidents where there is a fatality or someone is likely to die because of serious injuries. There are an average of nearly 80,000 car crashes in New York City annually, a rate of about nine accidents an hour, 365 days a year, and usually less than 300 accident fatalities, so that leaves a huge number of accidents that are either totally uninvestigated or do not receive the attention they deserve.

That is where CIRA would come in, though, to ensure that policies are consistent between precincts and that the NYPD as a whole has a clear-cut approach to investigating injury-causing accidents.

How would CIRA change the investigative approach?

In the words of Councilman Brad Lander, one of the council members introducing the proposal, CIRA would "set up a comprehensive review of NYPD policies regarding traffic crash investigations and get us on the road to safer streets." It would do this by ensuring that the NYPD, pursuant to current state law, actively investigates all injury-causing crashes, not just those where fatalities are anticipated.

Another goal of CIRA is that the NYPD as a whole and individual precincts dedicate resources exclusively to car crash investigation.

The waiting game...

For now, CIRA is a proposal and nothing more. There hasn't yet been a comprehensive assessment of NYPD policies and attitudes toward accident investigation, so no change can be measured now. For now, a tragically high number of injured, innocent victims are struggling to hold at-fault parties responsible because of a lack of accident scene investigation by the police. A skilled personal injury attorney can make the process of establishing liability easier, but an increased police presence would both send a message to drivers that they will face legal consequences for accident-causing traffic violations (like speeding, texting behind the wheel, reckless driving or driving while intoxicated) and ensure that victims receive compensation for the damages caused by an auto accident.

Article provided by Hacker Murphy LLP
Visit us at www.hackermurphy.com


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Consumer Protection Group to Oversee Operations of Large Debt Collectors

2012-11-30
The Federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will oversee the daily operations of the nation's largest debt collection agencies starting in January 2013. It will be the first time that the burgeoning debt collection industry will be regulated by the federal government. The bureau hopes that overseeing the operations of debt collection agencies will protect consumers from harassment and predatory collection tactics. Consumer protection group will target the nation's largest collectors Only debt collection agencies that handle more than $10 million in annual receipts ...

Maryland Workers' Compensation Benefits for Second Injury Denied

2012-11-30
A recent Maryland Court of Special Appeals opinion narrows the scope of recovery for subsequent injuries in workers' compensation cases. In Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority v. Williams, the appellate court held that for a worker to recover under Maryland workers' compensation law from a second, subsequent injury, the second injury has to be directly related to the first injury. The Facts of the Case In April 2008, a mechanic for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, or WMATA, injured his back and left knee while working on the job. The mechanic ...

Dram Shop Case Filed Against Florida Law School in Drunk Driving Wreck

2012-11-30
It's not unheard of for a bar, tavern or nightclub to face lawsuits after an over served patron causes a car accident. But a law school facing dram shop liability? That brings a whole new twist to the standard Florida dram shop case. Was law student knowingly over served alcohol at the "Barrister's Ball"? In early 2012, St. Thomas University in southeast Florida hosted an event known as the "Barrister's Ball." The Barrister's Ball is St. Thomas University's conception of law prom, a common social event held at law schools across the country. While ...

Common Bankruptcy Errors

2012-11-30
Filing for bankruptcy is a complex process with specific rules that must be followed. Failure to follow the rules may cause a bankruptcy petition to be dismissed. When a case is dismissed, the debts are not discharged and the filer is back where he or she started - dealing with creditors, wage garnishment and financial anxiety. Avoiding dismissal of your bankruptcy petition A bankruptcy dismissal occurs if you fail to meet the requirements of the court. Some of the most common mistakes people make include: - Failure to participate in pre-bankruptcy credit counseling: ...

Debt Collectors Illegally Trying to Collect on Fake Debts

2012-11-30
Some credit card companies have recently been accused of sending incorrect bills to consumers. The bills may be larger than what consumers actually owe. In some cases, consumers have actually received bills when they did not owe anything at all. The problem seems widespread, with consumers receiving incorrect bills from American Express, Citigroup and others. Attempts to collect fake debt violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Experts think this illegal collection process is occurring because banks sell bad loans to collection companies. These collection ...

New York Estate Planning: What is a QTIP Trust?

2012-11-30
The term "QTIP" is shorthand for qualified-terminable-interest-property trust, a legal vehicle used through which property of one spouse can provide lifetime income to the other, usually after the death of the first spouse, with significant tax advantages. QTIPs make sense for married people of substantial wealth who would otherwise be subject to estate taxes. QTIPs are often used in a second or subsequent marriage when a husband or wife wants to provide income for his or her spouse until death, but then would like that property to pass to children from a previous ...

$2.4 Million for Family of Sacramento Bus-Pedestrian Accident Victim

2012-11-30
On a January evening in 2008, 49-year-old secretary Joyce Ann Jacobs was run over and killed by a public bus in Sacramento, California. Almost five years later, in early November 2012, a Sacramento Superior Court jury saw fit to award her child and husband more than $2.4 million in damages for her wrongful death. Jacobs was a church musician, a foster mother and a community volunteer. Her husband, a Sacramento pastor, was awarded $2 million "in noneconomic damages for the loss of his wife's love and consortium," meaning companionship and affection. He also ...

Understanding How to Keep Your Home in Los Angeles After Bankruptcy

2012-11-30
When debts have become unmanageable, filing for bankruptcy protection may be the best option. It is an effective way for people to get back on their feet, because it offers a debt relief over a shorter time period than debt consolidation plans. It is often especially attractive to homeowners because eliminating other debt often frees up the funds necessary to keep the family home. It is important for homeowners to understand how bankruptcy impacts home ownership. Some homeowners may not realize that a lender can foreclose on a home even after the owner has filed for ...

New California Employment Laws Will Go Into Effect Soon

2012-11-30
California workers gained some protections in this year's legislative session. While not as many employment-related bills became law this year as the previous year, about 18 new laws will be taking effect. Social media privacy Perhaps the most publicized new law constrains employers from asking employees for password access to personal social media accounts, under most circumstances. The central issue is privacy. Counting California, only three states have such a law. Some have criticized the legislation, saying that there is really no need for the law, because ...

Distracted Driving in Texas: Teens Call For Stricter Laws

2012-11-30
After a person is injured in a motor vehicle accident, the first task is to secure medical treatment for immediately apparent injuries and diagnose the full extent of other problems such as back injuries and head injuries. Next, an injury victim may benefit from discussing the wreck with a personal injury lawyer to assess the reasons why the car accident happened. One cause of car and truck accidents that has received increasing attention over the past decade is distracted driving. While Texas has lagged somewhat behind other states in passing statewide cell phone and ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

U.S. uterine cancer incidence and mortality rates expected to significantly increase by 2050

Public take the lead in discovery of new exploding star

What are they vaping? Study reveals alarming surge in adolescent vaping of THC, CBD, and synthetic cannabinoids

ECMWF - delivering forecasts over 10 times faster and cutting energy usage by 1000

Brazilian neuroscientist reveals how viral infections transform the brain through microscopic detective work

Turning social fragmentation into action through discovering relatedness

Cheese may really be giving you nightmares, scientists find

Study reveals most common medical emergencies in schools

Breathable yet protective: Next-gen medical textiles with micro/nano networks

Frequency-engineered MXene supercapacitors enable efficient pulse charging in TENG–SC hybrid systems

Developed an AI-based classification system for facial pigmented lesions

Achieving 20% efficiency in halogen-free organic solar cells via isomeric additive-mediated sequential processing

New book Terraglossia reclaims language, Country and culture

The most effective diabetes drugs don't reach enough patients yet

Breast cancer risk in younger women may be influenced by hormone therapy

Strategies for staying smoke-free after rehab

Commentary questions the potential benefit of levothyroxine treatment of mild hypothyroidism during pregnancy

Study projects over 14 million preventable deaths by 2030 if USAID defunding continues

New study reveals 33% gap in transplant access for UK’s poorest children

Dysregulated epigenetic memory in early embryos offers new clues to the inheritance of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

IVF and IUI pregnancy rates remain stable across Europe, despite an increasing uptake of single embryo transfer

It takes a village: Chimpanzee babies do better when their moms have social connections

From lab to market: how renewable polymers could transform medicine

Striking increase in obesity observed among youth between 2011 and 2023

No evidence that medications trigger microscopic colitis in older adults

NYUAD researchers find link between brain growth and mental health disorders

Aging-related inflammation is not universal across human populations, new study finds

University of Oregon to create national children’s mental health center with $11 million federal grant

Rare achievement: UTA undergrad publishes research

Fact or fiction? The ADHD info dilemma

[Press-News.org] Are Changes Coming to the Way the NYPD Investigates Auto Accidents?
Recent proposals by city lawmakers would revamp the way in which the New York Police Department investigates auto accidents.