When you buy a product,
the expectation is that it
should perform in the way
it was intended to but that is
not always the case. When
damage or injury is caused
as the result of the use of a
defective product, the law
in New York recognizes
that those who manufacture
and/or distribute the
defective product, as well
as those who sell it, may be
held responsible for damages
for the injuries which
result.
Consider the case of the
young teenager who while
using a hair dryer in her
home, sustained severe
third degree burns to her
hands when the product
burst into flames. Her parents
had the foresight to
consult our office shortly
thereafter. Upon consulting
an expert who inspected
the hair dryer, he
advised that the product’s
wiring and/or loose electrical
connections allowed
it to overheat and catch on
fire. We sued the manufacturer,
as well as the neighborhood
store where the
hair dryer had been purchased,
claiming that this
product was defective as it
was improperly or poorly
designed, that there was a
mistake in its manufacture
or assembly, and/or the
manufacturer or distributor
placed the product into
the marketplace without
adequate warnings. Based
upon our expert’s opinion,
we were successful in
achieving a favorable outcome
for our client.
If you find yourself in
a similar situation, the
first thing to do is secure
and safeguard the defective
product. In situations
where the injury occurs
outside your home, for example,
in the workplace, it
is particularly important to
be vigilant and contact an
attorney promptly. A separate
court proceeding may
need to be commenced, as
soon as possible, to compel
preservation of the product
and to direct the person,
or entity, in possession or
control of the product, to
grant access so it can be inspected
and tested before it
is destroyed, altered or disposed
of.
If you believe that you
or a loved one have been
injured by any defective
product, whether a piece
of heavy machinery or a
seemingly harmless household
item, you should consult
an attorney. A timely
phone call could be very
important to protect your
rights.
COURIER L 12 IFE, MARCH 1–7, 2019 M BR B G
Love birds!
Abraham and Leah Serur celebrated their enduring affection for one another — and 65
years of marraige — at the Senior League of Flatbush’s Valentine’s Day bash.
BOAT BAN
sio ordered the party boats to ship off to
Mill Basin after Cymbrowitz and Councilman
Chaim Deutsch (D–Sheepshead
Bay) called for their removal.
But Mill Basinites erupted over
Hizzoner’s decree, staging protests
that stalled that plan and left offi cials
searching for alternative docks ever
since, most recently at the Gateway
National Recreation Area — where the
Feds that operate the park’s marina
in October said they wouldn’t be able
to accommodate the boats by the time
sailing season begins this year, making
their recent banishment from the
Emmons Avenue pier a huge relief to
locals who worried they might return
with nowhere else to go.
But one local cruise operator, who
agreed the booze boats’ noise and
crowding issues needed addressing,
said the new ban is too broad, because
it unfairly punishes smaller tours like
his — which was not among the vessels
DeBlasio banished last year, because it
only hosts events for no more than 150
passengers, and only offers booze with
larger catering packages, unlike other
vessels that pour it more liberally, he
said.
“The city has to react because of
the problems that go with it, so I’m not
faulting anybody,” said Fred Ardolino,
whose New York Cruises company offers
tours and events on his vessel, The
Atlantis. “The last time they did this
they separated The Atlantis from the
rest, because they knew that we didn’t
do booze cruises.”
The veteran skipper said there is
another smaller boat that runs similar
tours from the Emmons Avenue pier,
but described the rest of the cruise operators
that dock there as booze boats.
This newspaper contacted many of
those companies, reps for which did
not respond or declined to comment.
And Ardolino hopes the city will
again spare his ship, claiming he already
booked events for this summer.
“I have three weddings, and I have
half a dozen schools and nursing homes.
People booked it more than a year ago,”
the Gerritsen Beach resident said.
Whether or not Ardolino and similar
operations are exempt from the ban
is up to offi cials with the city’s Department
of Parks and Recreation, which
owns and operates the Sheepshead Bay
marina, and Economic Development
Cooperation, which oversees other
docking locations in the fi ve boroughs,
according to a rep for Cymbrowitz.
“Parks and EDC are responsible for
the regulations, and any questions can
only be answered by them,” said Adrienne
Knoll.
A Parks Department spokeswoman
confi rmed that only fi shing boats can
operate at the Emmons Avenue pier under
the ban, suggesting charter-boat
owners contact the economic agency
to fi nd other ports through its so-called
Dock NYC program.
“Event charters will not be permitted
to operate out of Sheepshead Bay
piers, with the exception of fi shing
vessels. Boaters can reach out to Dock
NYC for information on alternative operating
sites,” said Maeri Ferguson.
Still, the booze-boat prohibition
came as good news to a local civic
leader, who said making exemptions
for certain charters would be unfair.
“How could we say, ‘We’re asking
for all boats to leave except boat A and
B,’ ” said Community Board 15 Chairwoman
Theresa Scavo. “How can you
pick and choose? If it’s good for one it’s
got to be good for everyone.”
But Ardolino — who said his family
has operated boats from the Emmons
Avenue pier since 1947, fi rst as
fi shers then as cruise captains starting
in 1990 — remains optimistic that
offi cials will revise the ban, so locals
who responsibly set sail won’t lose a
beloved form of recreation.
Continued from cover
Photo by Steve Solomonson