Craig Rosenbaum | August 28, 2018 | Workplace Injuries

New York is the home of many different career paths that can be both fruitful and dangerous. With the amount of construction workers, subway operators, and taxi drivers we have, there are plenty of moments where a resident could have a serious injury that requires compensation.

Thankfully, the recent advancements in technology have made these dangerous fields much safer to work in. More companies are installing devices or increasing precautions to ensure that their workers do not have a costly accident. However, motor vehicle accidents (MVA) have shown no signs of slowing down for workers in recent years. A recent study by the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) shows that one of the biggest threats workers face is distracted driving.

Two differing paths

The NCCI study compares how the frequency of workers compensation claims changed from 2011 to 2016. They found that the frequency for claims on MVAs increased by 5 percent while the rest have decreased by 17.6 percent. The majority of MVA claims unsurprisingly came from jobs that primarily focus on motor vehicle usage such as truckers and taxi drivers. They also determined that MVA claims have a much higher cost and fatality rate than the other work compensation claims.

While there have been more drivers within the recent years, the NCCI believes that the increase in smartphone usage is one of the main reasons for more MVA accidents happening. They cite the National Safety Council’s publication that at least 27 percent of crashes were caused by cell phone usage and that 81 percent of cell phones are now smart phones.

New York driving difficulties

In the recent years, New York has made a successful effort to decrease the amount of MVA injuries and fatalities by providing higher enforcement to the streets and stricter distracted driving laws that punish anyone that has a phone in their hand.

However, New York is still one of the most traffic heavy cities in the country. There are numerous jobs that require workers to operate motor vehicles in this area, and the law does not stop everyone from taking out their smartphones during their drive. If you find yourself injured by a distracted driver on or off the clock, you should seek professional assistance from an attorney that specializes in personal injury.

Contact Our Personal Injury Law Firm in New York City

If you’ve been injured in an accident in Manhattan, NY, and need legal help, contact our New York City personal injury lawyers at Rosenbaum & Rosenbaum, P.C. to schedule a free consultation.

Rosenbaum & Rosenbaum, P.C.
100 Wall St 15th Floor
New York, NY 10005
(212) 514-5007