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Monday, October 29, 2012

Singer Natina Reed hit and killed by car

Authorities say R&B singer Natina Reed, known as a member of the female group Blaque, was killed after being struck by a car in the Atlanta metropolitan.

Reed was hit by a car late friday while in the roadway at an intersection on U.S. 29 near Lilburn.  Police say the driver called 911 for help, and someone tried to revive Reed on the scene.  She was later pronounced dead at Gwinnett Medical Center.

Blaque's hits included "808" abd "Bring it All to Me" in the late '90's.  Reed also was in the movie "Bring it On".

If you or someone you know was injured after being hit by a car call the experienced personal injury lawyers of Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Cops: Woman accidentally shot self in Nassau County

A woman taking a firearms training course accidentally shot herself in the right thigh yesterday morning at the Nassau County Rifle and Pistol Range in Uniondale, according to Nassau police and a county spokeswoman.

She was taken to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow with a nonlife-threatening flesh wound.

The accident occured about 10:40am when the woman, not a law enforcement officer, was in the process of putting her weapon into the holster.

The course was taught by an outside contractor, and the rifle and pistol range "operates standard safety procedures."

If you or someone you know has been injured due to the negligence of another called the experienced long island personal injury lawyers of Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

MONSTER Energy Drink cited in 5 Deaths

Monster Beverage Corp.'s energy drinks have been cited in the deaths of five people in the past year.

The Food and Drug Administration received five death reports that said the victims consumed Monster drinks, Shelly Burgess, and FDA spokeswoman, said yesterday.

The FDA reports are being used by parents who sued Corona, California based Monster last week, claiming the drinks led to caffeine toxicity that killed their 14-year-old daughter.   


Anais Fournier, died on December 23, 2011 from a heart attack brought on by 'caffeine toxicity' after drinking two 24-ounce Monster cans within 24 hours. 

The FDA reported people had adverse reactions after they consumed Monster Energy Drink, which comes in 24-ounce cans and contain 240 milligrams of caffeine - or seven times the amount of the caffeine in a 12-ounce cola.

The wrongful death suit, filed in California Superior Court in Riverside, said that after drinking two 24-ounce cans of Monster Energy on consecutive days, Anais went into cardiac arrest.

An autopsy revealed the teenager, from Hagerstown, Maryland, died of cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity that impeded her heart's ability to pump blood.


People are asking the FDA to consider caffeine limits on energy drinks after emergency room visits involving such products jumped 1-fold from 2005-2009.

If you ore someone you know has been injured called the experienced defective product attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878

SCHOOL BUS DRIVER ACCUSED OF DWAI - Injures child

A Long Island school bus driver is accused of drinking before driving a bus full of children to a field trip.  He crashed the bus during a field trip in Cold Spring Harbor, injuring a 12-year old passenger.

Cops say James Sommer was taking Plainedge 7th graders and a teacher to the Cold Spring Harbor 
Labs when he backed into a tree limb. The district attorney says he had an open bottle of bourbon in the bus when he was arrested. 

His arrest follows two unrelated incidents this month on Long Island in which school bus drivers were charged with drunken driving.

A girl from the bus accident was taken to Huntington Hospital with minor injuries following the bus accident.


If you or someone you know has been injured in a bus accident call the experienced injury attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878

Construction Worker seriously injured in fall - Syosset, NY

A construction working in Syosset who fell 8 to 10 feet yesterday is in the emergency unit at Nassau University Medical Center.  

The unidentified worker is expected to be admitted to the medical-surgical floor in serious but stable condition.

The police responded to the construction site after getting an emergency call at about 10:49pm.  Fire officials say the worker was taken to the hospital by medivac helicopter.

They say the worker fell off a beam and into a foundation that was being built.  He was airlifted to the hospital where he is listed in stable condition.

The site of the construction injury is located on Jericho Turnpike near Florence Avenue.

If you or someone you know has been injured on a construction site call the experienced injury lawyers of Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Contaminated steroid injection claim 23 victims injury nearly 300

Twenty-three people have now died and more then 280 have been sickened in the nationwide meningitis outbreak tied to contaminated steroid injections produced by a Massachusetts specialty pharmacy, U.S. health officials reported Saturday.


Fungus found in steroid injections produced by this Massachusetts specialty pharmacy matched the fungus linked to the outbreak. The officials said they'd confirmed the presence of the fungus, Exserohilum rostratum, in unopened vials of a steroid produced by the New England Compounding Center.

The vial came from one of three lots recalled by the Framingham-based company last month, officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.

The CDC and state health departments estimate that roughly 14,000 patients may have gotten steroid injections from the three lots, and nearly 97 percent of them have been contacted for medical follow-up.

The steroid, methylprednisolone acetate, is injected into patients for back and joint pain.   However, the contaminated steroid was also used on patients  for pain in their knees and shoulders. The company has since shut down operations and stopped distributing its products, health officials said.

Meningitis is a potentially fatal inflammation of the lining surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

On Friday, the New England Journal of Medicine published two articles on the outbreak, including a report on what's believed to be the first case in the outbreak -- a man in his 50s with a history of back and joint pain. He showed up at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville complaining of head and neck pain. Despite a series of medical interventions, he died after a 22-day stay at the hospital.

An autopsy revealed the presence of the fungus Aspergillus fumigates. It's the only case of this type of fungus detected in the outbreak so far; all other cases apparently involved the fungus Exserohilum rostratum, the journal said.

At this point, the best treatment seems to be at least three months of antifungal therapy, the doctors who wrote the commentary said.

The FDA said it was advising all health care professionals to follow up with any patients who were given any injectable drug from or produced by the New England Compounding Center. These drugs include medications used in eye surgery, and a heart solution purchased from or produced by the company after May 21.

Health officials said they expect to see more cases of the rare type of meningitis, which is not contagious, because symptoms can take a month or more to appear.

Infected patients have developed a range of symptoms approximately one to four weeks following their injection. People who have had a steroid injection since July, and have any of the following symptoms, should talk to their doctor as soon as possible: worsening headache, fever, sensitivity to light, stiff neck, new weakness or numbness in any part of your body or slurred speech, the CDC said.

Infected patients must receive intravenous drugs in a hospital.

Buttafuoco & Associates is now accepting meningitis cases caused by this contaminated steroid.  If you or someone you know have suffered injury due to a defective drug call the experienced Attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878.

Drunk Driving caused more Deaths then War in Iraq/Afghanistan

In the wake of the tragic death of Nassau County Police Officer Joseph Oliveri,  drunk driving is once again at the front of all our minds.  It appears that driving while intoxicated is the root cause of this tragedy.  One thing is clear...the carnage drunken driving causes has to be curtailed.

The nation has lost 6,500 service members to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the decade since we began fighting there.  In that same span of time we have lost more then 120,000 lives in accidents where a driver's blood-alcohol level was at or exceeded the .08 limit, more than 700 of these accidents on Long Island.

If we believe putting alcohol-interlock devices in every car would go too far, then we must go further ourselves.  Innocent victims killed by drunken driving have far more right to their lives than motorists have to drive without proving their sobriety.

If you are someone you know have been injured due to a negligent drunken driver call the experienced car accident attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878.

Plane Crashes in Suffolk County on the rise

Investigators began examining the wreckage of a single-engine airplane (1946 two-seat Globe Swift GC-1A) that crashed into Moriches inlet on Saturday afternoon.  Two men were killed.  Cyril McLavin, 51 of Fresh Meadows, Queens and Andrew Messana, 72, of Bayside, Queens, were in the cockpit when the plane sputtered and plunged into waters not far from East Moriches' Spadaro Airport, where it had just departed.

Susan Spadaro's father, Bart Spadaro, said that the plane had spent months undergoing a full inspection and rebuilding, and departed from the small airport minutes before it crashed.

Suffolk County offers more opportunities to fly using visual flight rules without communicating with air  traffic controllers, Mike Busch said (an aviation writer).  Suffolk is far away from the complicated air space surrounding LaGuardia and Kennedy.

Saturday's fatal crash is the third small-plane crash with deaths or injuries since August.

Spadaro Airport is a popular destination for recreational pilots because it is low-key, lacking a control tower and widely known as hassle free to land at and leave from.

Experts would not speculate on what caused Saturday's crash, but said there are hazards associated with small planes on Long Island, including flying over water.

RECENT CRASHES
Aug. 26 - An M2OC Mooney crashed at East Hampton Airport.  Bystanders rescued the pilot and his passenger, who were hospitalized.

Aug. 19 - A Socata TB10 taking off from Brookhaven Calabro Airport crashed in a Shirley residential area.  A Goshen couple died, and another man was critically injured.

If you or someone you know has been injured or died in a airplane crash call the experienced airplane crash attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Court: Cellphone, tumor tied

Italy's top court has ruled that a businessman developed a benign brain tumor because he held a cellphone to his ear for hours daily for his job and deserves worker's compensation.

Innocente Marcolini, whose face is partially paralyzed, argued that using his cell and portable phones six hours a day for 12 years while dealing with clients caused the tumor on his trigeminal nerve in his head.

His lawyers presented doctors who testified that excessive cellphone use increases risk of such tumors.

Numerous large scientific studies have failed to find a casual link between cellphones and brain tumors.

If you or someone who know has suffered serious injuries due to a defective product call the experienced lawyers at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878.

Sunscreen recall: Banana Boat spray-ons can catch on fire

Energizer Holdings, the maker of Banana Boat sunscreen, is recalling about 500,000 defective product bottles of spray on lotion after reports surfaces that a handful of people have actually CAUGHT ON FIRE after applying the product and coming in contact with an open flame.

Makers of product think the problem is caused by UltraMist's spray valve, which is over applying the product.  As a result the lotion is taking longer to dry thereby raising the flammability risk, says the company responsible for the Banana Boat Sunscreen Recall.

"If a consumer comes into contact with a flame or spark prior to complete drying of the product on the skin, there is a potential for the product to ignite." the company said.

Of the several reported cases, one involved a man standing near a barbecue grill, the other a woman working with welding equipment.  Both cases resulted in second and third degree burns.

If you or someone you know has been injured due to a defective product call the experienced attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Police Officer Joseph Olivieri fatally hit on LIE

A Nassau County highway police officer was struck and killed while investigating a car accident on the Long Island Expressway (LIE)  in North Hills early on Thursday morning, police said.

Police Officer Joseph Olivieri, 43, was a 13-year Nassau County veteran.  He was fatally struck at about 5 a.m., as he was assisting the driver of one of three cars involved in an accident on the eastbound lanes of the LIE.

If you or someone you know has been hit by a car and injured call the experienced personal injury lawyers of Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878.

14-year-old girl on bicycle struck by a car in Cutchogue

A 14-year-old girl from Cutchogue was riding her bicycle when she was suddenly hit by a car.  She was taken to the hospital Saturday morning after the accident, Southold Police said.

Emily Gatz was struck by Henry Oman, 74, both from Cutchogue, as he was traveling south on Skunk Lane at about 9 a.m., police said.  Ms. Gatz was taken by Cutchogue Fire Rescue to Eastern Long Island Hospital (ELIH) for treatment of an ankle injury, according to the report.

According to Police, Mr. Oman was recently involved in another accident with a pedestrian in Southold. Just last month on Sept. 25, he struck a 72-year-old Southold man who was crossing Main Road near the IGA store, police said. Mr. Oman, who was turning east onto Main Road from Youngs Avenue, claims he did not see the man due to sun glare.

If you or someone you know has been injured due to the negligence of another call the experienced Personal Injury Lawyers of Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878.

School Bus involved in massive Four-Car Accident

A school bus, having no students on board at the time, was involved in a four-vehicle collision in Holtsville on Wednesday morning.

The driver of a Ford F250 was taken to a hospital with injuries, police said. The extent of the injuries sustained by the driver was not immediately known.

The four-car accident, which was reported at 9:26 a.m., occurred at the intersection of North Ocean Avenue and Expressway.

If you or someone you know has suffered injuries due to a vehicle accident call the experienced Long Island Car Accident lawyers at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Black SUV crashes into divider on LIE

At approx. 9am this morning a black SUV veered off of the LIE and crashed into two dividers just short of the service road.

The car was traveling westbound on the Long Island Expressway a few exits short of Rt. 110 when it lost control of the car in the wet conditions and smashed into the side of the road.

Traffic was backed up for several miles as police authorities attended to the accident.




If you or someone you know has suffered serious injuries in a car accident call the experienced lawyers at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878.

Tuesday, October 09, 2012

Fatal Car Accident Statistics on Long Island

With stretches on Long Island roads grossly nicknamed "Blood Alley" two things are clear:
1)  Drivers are more aggressive
2)  Long Island roads are unsafe.

Robert Sinclair, spokesman for AAA New York said "The Southern State Parkway is the exemplar of the poorly engineered roads typical of our area.   It's lanes are too narrow, the road is too twisty and too hilly.  The on and off ramps are too short to allow for adequate acceleration and braking."

The Southern State Parkway is more deadly than the other state parkways in the county according to the fatal crash database maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.


Long Island Fatal Car Accident Statistics between 2008-2010
  • Southern State Parkway: 15 fatal accidents
  • Wantagh Parkway: 13 fatal accidents
  • Northern State Parkway: 8 fatal accidents
  • Meadowbrook Parkway: 6 fatal accidents

If a friend or loved one has been in a fatal accident call the experienced car accident lawyers at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878

4 Teens DEAD on Parkway - driver only had Permit

A 17-year-old driver lost control on the Southern State Parkway at 3:40am and slammed into several trees.

Joseph Beer, of Richmond Hill, Queens, survived the crash that killed his four passengers after they were ejected rom the 2012 Subaru Impreza when it failed to negotiate a westbound curve on the parkway between exit 18 (eagle avenue) and exit 17 (Hempstead Ave).

Beer was taken to Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola where he was treated for injuries.

A neighbor said the sound of the accident was like "an explosion" - so loud that it awakened him.

This stretch of Southern State Parkway is notorious for being the scene of fatal car wrecks for nearly three decades.    So much that it has been called "Blood Alley".

Robert Sinclair, spokesman for AAA New York said "The Southern State Parkway is the exemplar of the poorly engineered roads typical of our area.   It's lanes are too narrow, the road is too twisty and too hilly.  The on and off ramps are too short to allow for adequate acceleration and braking."

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident call the experienced attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878.


Monday, October 08, 2012

Bethpage school officials to monitor air


In response to continued concerns from area residents a new report claims the Air quality in Bethpage High School, which is next to a toxic waste site, is within state standards for chemical contaminants....but researchers recommend continued testing.
Recent sampling found chemicals present in soil under the school that can affect the central nervous system and may cause cancer.  The report claims that plastic sheeting installed as part of an asbestos treatment is keeping the air quality under control.
Here's the primary question Bethpage residents have: "What about the areas around the school that do not have plastic sheeting installed?"
The toxic plume is a major problem for Long Island.  Water supplies are being threatened, air quality is diminishing and people are getting sick.
Could this be the next Chernobyl?
If you or someone you know may have suffered injury due to the negligence of another call the experienced attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878.

Yonkers Man hit by LIRR Train in Amityville

MTA police are investigating how a Yonkers man apparently was hit by a Long Island Railroad train in Amityville early yesterday.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokeswoman Marge Anders said the engineer of an eastbound train pulling into the Amityville station about 2 am noticed Michael Pineda, 23, lying between a running rail and the electrical third rail about 200 feet west of the station.  The engineer was able to stop the train before it reached Pineda.

Pineda was taken to Nassau University Medical Center with injuries "that were consistent with having been struck by a train," Anders said.  He was undergoing surgery yesterday and is listed in stable condition and is expected to survive, she said.

Anders said police are trying to determine which train might have hit the man and how he got near the tracks.

If you or someone you know has been injured on a train platform, train tracks or on the train contact the experienced lawyers at Buttafuoco & Associates 1-800-669-4878

Thursday, October 04, 2012

School Bus Driver Crashes Into House - Charged with DWI

According to authorities, a school bus driver passed out behind the wheel and crashed into a house on Long Island while children were aboard.  The driver, Frederick Flowers, 66, has been arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated, police said. 

He was leaving a Catholic elementary school, St. Edward the Confessor School, Wednesday afternoon when he had what fire officials initially referred to as a "medical emergency of some kind" and veered into the house on Teibrook Avenue at about 3:15 p.m., authorities said.

The five children on the bus ranged in age from 5 to 8, but none was injured, police said.

According to a hospital spokesperson, Flowers remains hospitalized in serious but stable condition at Nassau University Medical Center.

The Massapequa Park man was charged with five counts each of aggravated driving while intoxicated under Leandra's Law, endangering the welfare of a child, reckless endangerment and two counts of driving while intoxicated. He will be arraigned in his hospital bed Thursday afternoon.

Flowers worked for the First Student bus company of Freeport, according to Nassau County police. The school where he drove to pick up kids said there had been no previous issues with the driver.
"There were no indications of any problems with this driver," said a school spokesman. "There were no problems before the crash."

Homeowner Dan Percell, whose house Flowers crashed into, called the situation "disgusting."
"His job was to make sure the kids got home safetly," Percell said.

Percell's wife Christina had been at the bank with her daughter when the incident happened. She returned to find her house of 15 years destroyed.

"We got out of the car, and we see that there's a school bus in the garage," she told NBC 4 New York. "Totally, totally shocked."

If you, or someone you know, has been injured due to the negligence of a Bus Driver called the experienced Attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates right away at 1-800-669-4878.

Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Nassau County police officer hit by car and taken to hospital


LAWRENCE, NY - A nassau county police officer was struck by a car and rushed to Nassau University Medical Center.  A spokesman says the accident happened on the Nassau Expressway in Lawrence on Tuesday at about 11:30am.

The Unidentified officer was struck just north of the Atlantic Beach Bridge.  There was no immediate information on the officer's condition.

Police said it was not known if the driver stopped after the accident.

The expressway was closed in both directions.

The attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates have record settlements for Police Officers seriously injured;  including a $14.8 Million settlement for a police officer paralyzed on an ATV.

If you or a police officer you know has been seriously injured call the experienced Police Officer attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates at 1-800-669-4878