Court upholds verdict that City at fault for man who drowned in pool

Parents of deceased son win damages against the City. On July 13, 2011, Bohdan Vitenko drowned in Lyons Pool in the Tompkinsville section of Staten Island. Lyons pool is owned and operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Vitenko, then 21-years old, was exercising in the pool with his friend Jonathan Proce for an extended period of time. The Olympic-sized pool measured 165 feet by 100 feet. It was 3.5 feet … <Read More>


City Defeats Bike Rider’s Claim

On June 2, 2016, Peter Deutch was riding his bicycle North-bound on East Drive in Central Park, Manhattan. East Drive is a three-lane roadway in Central Park with the left lane reserved for pedestrians, the middle lane designated for cyclists, and the right lane for motor traffic. Deutch collided with a flatbed truck owned by Hellman Electric Corporation that was driving directly to his right in the motor traffic lane. Deutch fell under the truck’s … <Read More>


City and Independent Contractor Liable

The court found the defendants were owners of a construction site where a fatal accident occurred, and could not use a provision of the workers compensation law to bar the decedent estates claims. Halmar International owned a construction site located in Maybrook, New York. The site was being used for the construction of a concrete mockup of an aqueduct in preparation for construction work on an aqueduct in Gardiner, New York. On December 2, 2013, … <Read More>



Pre-K Provider Loses Contract Extension

The Department of Education refused to renew a Universal P-K contract due to health and safety violations. The New York City Department of Education contracted with the Modern Organization & Human Development Center to provide Universal Pre-K services at 4718 Farragut Road, in Brooklyn.


City not liable for tree root injury

Man tripped on a sidewalk that was raised because of growing tree roots. On March 5, 2017, Konstantinos Gallis tripped and fell on a raised part of a sidewalk adjacent to 23-21 33rd Road, Queens. Tree roots had raised the sidewalk and allegedly caused the trip.