New York, New York - July 16, 2009 - Three workers, including a
father and son, were killed on June 29, 2009 in a gruesome personal
injury accident at a privately operated waste transfer plant in
Jamaica, Queens. All three apparently suffocated after falling into a
manhole-sized, 18-foot deep well filled with four feet of liquid sludge
and deadly hydrogen sulfide gas. The first man fell by accident while
trying to vacuum the putrid well. The other two men died, one after
another, in attempted rescues with a rope and ladder. All died after
being overcome by the toxic fumes, a common byproduct of decomposing
garbage.

Questions were immediately raised by New York personal
injury attorneys about the lack of worker training for this dangerous
job. Preliminary evidence indicates that all three men were probably
unaware of -and untrained in- the danger. New York personal injury
attorneys also note that the tragedy was not purely accidental in that
safety violations, including the lack of proper equipment, were also
undoubtedly avoidable factors.

\"What makes this tragedy worse is
that the errors leading to the deaths could have been prevented\" says
New York personal injury attorney David Perecman.

Harel Dahan, a
subcontractor on the site, was the first to be overcome by the high
concentration of deadly gas collecting in the narrow shaft. His father
Shlomo Dahan, was the second to succumb after he descended into the vat
in an attempt to save his incapacitated son. The last man, Rene
Francisco Rivas, an employee of the recycling plant, suffered the same
toxic fate at the bottom of the well while trying to help the first two
men.

The three workers were found face down in the murky water at
the bottom of the hole. A firefighter trained to work in confined
spaces recovered the bodies. He wore a breathing apparatus and
protective clothing.

Also of interest to New York personal injury
attorneys are the records from the most recent federal Occupational
Safety and Health Administration inspection of the commercial plant
that was conducted earlier this year. These records show that OSHA
cited several serious violations at the plant including unsafe floor
and wall openings and holes, and inadequate respiratory protection and
medical services, among other problems. The company was directed to pay
thousands of dollars in penalties In connection with those violations.

In
2006, the same facility had been fined the sum of $1,500 by OSHA after
a personal injury case in which a worker was crushed to death when the
driver of a Caterpillar tractor accidentally rolled over him.

\"These
kinds of accidents have been happening all too often. It appears that
profit considerations too often may be leading to potentially dangerous
and, in the most unfortunate personal injury cases, fatal consequences\"
says Perecman, a New York personal injury attorney who sees a pattern
becoming all too familiar.

About David Perecman and The Perecman Firm, PLLC:

For
the past 25 years, the New York personal injury attorneys, construction
accident, auto accident and medical malpractice attorneys at The
Perecman Firm, PLLC have championed all types of cases for personal
injury. David Perecman, founder of the Firm, is the past Secretary of
the New York State Trial Lawyers Association (NYSTLA) and a chair of
its Labor Law Committee. Mr. Perecman’s achievements have brought him
recognition as an Honoree in the National Law Journal’s Hall of Fame,
in New York Magazine’s \"The Best Lawyers in America\" and The New York
Times Magazine \"New York Super Lawyers, Metro Edition\".

The Firm
has recovered millions of dollars for its clients. Among the more
recent victories, Mr. Perecman won a $15 million verdict* for a
construction accident, a $5.35 million dollar verdict** for an
automobile accident, and a $40 million dollar structured settlement for
medical malpractice.

*later settled while on appeal for $7.940 million
** later settled for $3.5 million
\"Lawyer Advertising\"
\"Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome\"