Edelman & Edelman, P.C.'s Blog

Is the disregard of potential allergies cause for legal action?

On behalf of Edelman & Edelman, P.C. on Tuesday, November 6, 2018.

Awareness of food allergies has increased in the past decade, as the problem impacts more people across a broad range of settings. Food allergies are an important consideration for schools, restaurants, airlines, sports venues, corporate kitchens and any other setting where food preparation and the public converge.

The severe consequences of not paying close enough attention to food allergies was realized when a 15-year-old girl with a sesame seed allergy ate a sandwich purchased from the chain Pret A Manager at Heathrow Airport in London and died hours later of cardiac arrest on a flight to Nice.

Workers' comp: why it may limit your compensation

On behalf of Edelman & Edelman, P.C. on Thursday, November 1, 2018.

Anyone who has suffered a serious on-the-job injury while working construction knows just how devastating it can be. Not only are victims unable to work, but they must also contend with mounting debt -- especially if they need extensive medical treatment.

While you may be tempted to seek workers' compensation benefits to cover your expenses, it is important to remember that you may be entitled to much more, particularly if your injuries were caused by a third party. This is why you need to make sure you take the correct steps in order to protect your rights.

The cost of wrongful convictions: 20,000 lost years, and counting

On behalf of Edelman & Edelman, P.C. on Friday, October 5, 2018.

According to a recent report, The National Registry of Exonerations has finally hit a terrible milestone: victims on wrongful convictions who were later exonerated for crimes they didn’t commit have now lost more than 20,000 years behind bars.

Specifically, the Registry — which is a joint project involving the University of Michigan Law School, Michigan State University College of Law and the University of California Irvine Newkirk Center for Science & Society — indicates that exonerated individuals have spent a total of 20,080 years wrongfully imprisoned.

NY Scaffolding Law: 3 things all construction workers should know

On behalf of Edelman & Edelman, P.C. on Tuesday, October 2, 2018.

Quite simply, New York has some of the best worker protections laws in the United States. In fact, unlike other states, New York even has a law that is specifically designed to protect construction workers who spend their days working high atop scaffolding.

Aptly named the “Scaffolding law,” New York’s Labor Law §240 requires general contractors and property owners to provide construction workers with proper safety equipment — including scaffolding — when the workers are constructing, demolishing, painting or merely cleaning a building. If the owner or contractor fails to fulfill this duty, and a worker is injured in a fall as a result, the owner or contractor may be liable.

NYC construction is booming — and construction deaths are spiking

On behalf of Edelman & Edelman, P.C. on Wednesday, September 5, 2018.

There is no other way to put it, construction is booming in New York City. In fact, according to the city Department of Buildings (DOB), there were 168,243 construction permits issued last year, which is an all-time high.

The unfortunate downside of this recent boom, however, is that construction accidents are also increasing dramatically. Indeed, a recent report by the New York Post found that construction-related deaths in New York City have doubled, not to mention that injuries have also spiked 17 percent.

An intro into New York lead paint laws

On behalf of Edelman & Edelman, P.C. on Tuesday, August 28, 2018.

Earlier this summer, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) found itself marred in controversy when federal prosecutors filed a complaint claiming the agency woefully failed to comply with several crucial lead-paint regulations.

While this lead-paint debacle surprised many, it also served as a wake-up call for many New York residents — particularly those with children. Given that dust from lead paint is the most common cause of lead poisoning among children, New York parents need to familiarize themselves with the laws and regulations that govern lead paint here in New York.

Does my building have lead paint? Maybe.

On behalf of Edelman & Edelman, P.C. on Wednesday, August 22, 2018.

Earlier this summer, the New York City Housing Authority — otherwise known as NYCHA — came under fire when federal prosecutors filed a complaint claiming the agency failed to comply with several important lead-paint regulations. In fact, the federal government went as far as to accuse housing officials of misconduct and outright lies when managing the nation’s largest public housing system, which serves at least 400,000 New Yorkers.

While NYCHA ultimately admitted that it failed to meet its obligations to inspect for hazardous leads, according to a New York Times report, this admission has done little to reassure much of the public that this grave problem will be rectified soon.

Will prosecutorial misconduct commission become a reality in NY?

On behalf of Edelman & Edelman, P.C. on Monday, August 13, 2018.

Even though the legislative session may be over in New York, there are still some bills waiting for Gov. Cuomo’s signature, including one that seeks to create a commission charged with investigating allegations of prosecutorial misconduct.

This particular bill — otherwise known as Senate Bill S2412D — was sent to the Governor’s desk on August 8, and many groups, including several past victims of wrongful convictions, are urging him to sign it.

Construction deaths are up, so why are OSHA fines so low?

On behalf of Edelman & Edelman, P.C. posted in Construction Accidents on Tuesday, July 24, 2018.

As we've discussed in recent months, a damning report from the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) has found some distressing - and deadly - trends in the construction industry in New York. According to the report, entitled Deadly Skyline, New York construction fatalities have increased by almost 30 percent in the last five years, with a record-breaking 71 construction worker deaths reported in 2016 alone.

This alarming upward trend begs the question: what can be done to stop it? One solution proposed is to increase enforcement of existing construction laws and compliance, a job often done by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). However, OSHA seems to have abandoned its post, at least according to the NYCOSH report. The question then becomes: why?

Victim of wrongful conviction free after more than two decades

On behalf of Edelman & Edelman, P.C. on Monday, July 16, 2018.

A 41-year-old Brooklyn man is now free after spending more than two decades in prison for a crime he claims he didn’t commit.

This particular case is merely the most recent overturned conviction in a long line of cases involving retired NYPD Detective Louis Scarcella. According to a recent report by the Daily News, the Brooklyn district attorney’s Conviction Review Unit (CRU) has already overturned nine cases linked to Scarcella, with 30 more cases yet to review.