New York City Tourist Accident Lawyer
Every year, New York City receives many tourists and foreigners coming to see our great City and everything that the “Big Apple” has to offer. Many tourists and foreigners visit the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, the Museum of Modern Art, Broadway, and maybe even a high-end shopping store or two. In 2007, the city received 46 million visitors, according to New York City & Company-the official marketing and tourism organization for New York City. But unlike native New Yorkers, visitors to our great city aren’t quiet as seasoned. They often lack awareness regarding the hot spots for danger or places to generally avoid. Penn Station, for example has one of the highest crime rates of all subway stations in New York. Slips, falls, stabbings, robberies, taxi accidents and construction accidents are just a few of the catastrophes that a tourist or foreigner is at risk for. If you are a tourist or foreigner in New York that has been injured in an accident, come to the law firm that speaks your language. The language of justice. We have over 37 years of experience assisting tourists and foreigners with their accident and injury claims. Our dedicated team of tourist and foreigner accident lawyers will fight to recover the maximum amount of compensation that you deserve.
Have you or someone you know been injured while visiting New York City?
As native New Yorkers, and experienced tourist and foreigner accident lawyers, we know the city streets, trains, buses, and taxis all too well. Yet, some foreigners and tourists are coming from areas where a taxi may not even exist. Just being in the City with so much going on at the same time can be totally unchartered territory for many tourists and foreigners. According to the New York newspaper AM New York- of the total 9,736 taxi accidents in 2006 – 8,146 resulted in injury. 29 of those resulted in deaths. Tourists rushing on the subway lines to make it to their next destination, may trip and fall, or get stuck in the subway doors. Some out-of-towners even get attacked on the subway, because they’re seen as easy targets. In one case during 1990, the New York Times reported that a tourist from Utah was stabbed to death while trying to protect his family from a gang that had attacked and robbed them in a midtown subway station.
Ironically, many of the great buildings that comprise the city and serve as huge tourist attractions, were actually built by foreigners. Today the trend continues. Foreign workers are a huge source of labor for builders and developers. In 2005, there were 29 fatal construction worker accidents involving victims falling to their deaths. The previous year, the statistic was only 9 by comparison. Richard Mendelson, OSHA’s area director for Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, said the “dramatic increase” in fatalities was preventable. “These are all needless, excess deaths in the city,” he told the Building Trades Employers’ Association, an umbrella group for the city’s largest contractors and construction managers. “And they put workers at risk, they put the public at risk, they really put the industry at risk, because employers who cut corners ultimately suffer not only lawsuits, but also OSHA enforcement and city enforcement.”
Did you know that regardless of your legal status, you have basic rights? For example, The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA Act) makes employers responsible for protecting all working men and women in this nation-regardless of immigration status. In responding to immigrant worker deaths, the Agency is extremely aware that workers may be afraid to come forward and report safety hazards for fear of being fired and deported. OSHA routinely pledges to protect the identity of informants, valuing safety first. In addition, OSHA informs all workers of their rights under the OSHA law, including the whistleblower protection provisions under section 11(c), which forbids employers from discriminating against or discharging workers for making safety and health complaints under the Law.
Whether you are a first time visitor to New York or a foreigner here on a more permanent basis, New York City travel guide, Heather Cross has some great safety tips that you can follow.
- Avoid drawing attention to yourself as a tourist: don’t stand on street corners looking at maps and do your best to walk confidently, as this will deter many criminals.
- Be aware of your surroundings.
- In crowded subways, keep your wallet in your front pocket, rather than the rear, and keep your purse closed and held in front of you or on the side.
- Don’t flaunt jewelry, cameras or cash in public. If you need to organize your wallet, duck into a store.
- Use caution when using ATMs and don’t carry too much cash around with you — most places accept credit cards and there are ATMs everywhere.
- After dark, stick to main streets if you don’t know where you are going.
- If you feel uncomfortable or lost, approach a police officer or a friendly store owner to get your bearings or directions.
- When in doubt of your destination or the safety of a neighborhood, take a cab, especially late at night.
- Many business districts are desolate at night — keep this in mind when deciding whether to walk or take a cab.
- If taking the subway late at night, stand near the “During off hours trains stop here” sign or in view of the Metro-Card booth. Ride in cars with more people and preferably in the conductor’s car (you will see him look out the window of the train when it stops).
- Call 911 (24 hours a day/7 days a week) when all else fails and you need emergency help. Otherwise call 311 for general information.
Experienced NYC Tourist Accident Lawyer
Have you or someone you know been injured while visiting New York City? If so, contact a New York City Tourist Accident Lawyer at Michael Gunzburg, P.C. today!
Michael Gunzburg, P.C. welcomes tourists and foreigners to our great City with open arms. Our law firm is made up of people with diverse backgrounds and we speak several languages. For a free initial phone consultation, call us today at 212-725-8500.
