NYC PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS CONTINUE TO CLIMB IN THE SUMMER, 2022
Our NYC pedestrian accident lawyers discuss some of the recent events in which pedestrians were hit by cars across New York City. Our leaders are starting to take notice of the problem and Danny Harris of Transportation Alternatives recently said that New York City has an unprecedented crisis of traffic violence on our streets, which has been growing for four years. NYC Mayor Eric Adams plans to ask State lawmakers for tougher laws for people who flee the scene of an accident, including license suspensions for those who drive recklessly or flee the scene of an accident. Unfortunately, our NYC accident lawyers know that this is unlikely to make a difference because fleeing the scene of an accident is already a misdemeanor and the reality is that most drivers in hit and run accidents are never identified.
There were two serious motor vehicle accidents on June10, 2022. First, there was another fatality in which a man on a scooter was hit by a van and on the same day a Queens man was hit by a car that fled the scene of the accident and left the pedestrian with serious injuries to the point that he had to be hospitalized. On May 2, 2022, a drunk driver hit a pedestrian who was crossing Houston Street in Manhattan, and then hit another vehicle. The Manhattan pedestrian that was hit by the drunk driver had to be hospitalized with life threatening injuries as a result of the collission. The driver is now facing charges for driving while intoxicated. Even professional drivers have been involved in morally repugnant accidents and a MTA bus operator was arrested after fleeing the scene of an accident in Staten Island, which left a pedestrian dead.
The early summer months of 2022, proved to be especially cruel as several children were injured while crossing the street by careless drivers. On May 26, 2022 a toddler was hit by a car, when a jeep plowed into her and her mother while they were crossing a street in Staten Island. On June 8, 2022, a twelve year old girl was hit by a vehicle while crossing the street in the Bronx, and the driver fled the scene of the accident. In another tragic incident, a box truck hit a male pedestrian on May 9, 2022, at East 89th Street and Second Avenue around 4:40 a.m. On May 5, 2022, a bronx teen was struck and killed by a delivery driver, who made a left hand turn at an intersection in Morris Park, while the 16 year old was crossing the street.The driver involved in the incident is now facing criminal charges for his conduct. Again on June 25, 2022, a child was left in critical condition and another person was killed when a speeding vehicle lost control and jumped on the sidewalk and ran into a crowd, ultimately hitting a building. Our NYC pedestrian accident lawyers know that all of these accidents have a common thread, which is that these drivers failed to comply with New York Vehicle and Traffic Law 1146, which requires all drivers to exercise due care in operating their vehicles so that they don't hit a pedestrian. Likewise, these drivers violated New York Traffic Rules and Regulations, which gives a pedestrian crossing the street, the right of way over turning vehicles.
In New York City, sometimes pedestrians are not even safe when they are standing on the sidewalk. On June 20, 2022, at 29th Street and Broadway, a taxi cab jumped the curb, and hit 10 pedestrians with several of them sustaining injuries that required them to be treated at Bellevue hospital. Witnesses to the incident state that the taxi made a turn really fast and apparently lost control of the vehicle. Our Manhattan pedestrian accident lawyers know the New York Vehicle and Traffic Law 1180 requires that vehicles not be driven at an unsafe speed and unless otherwise posted the New York City speed limit is 25 mph. Immediately after jumping the curb, the taxi ran over a cyclist and pinned two pedestrians against a wall. One of the pedestrian's leg was completely severed. Our NYC pedestrian accident attorneys have handled numerous catastrophic injury cases and know that these taxi companies often have inadequate insurance coverage to compensate the victims who sustain these types of serious injuries, so our pedestrain accident attorneys always investigate Supplemental Underinsured Motorist coverage in these scenarios. If you own a car or live in the same household as someone who owns a car, you can look to your own insurance limits if you are injured by someone with lower insurance limits.
In an unusual pedestrian accident, a Brooklyn man ran over his own wife on June 24, 2022 in the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn. Witnesses said that the two had been arguing prior to the accident, at which point the husband tried to drive away. WItnesses said that the wife tried to open the door, apparently to continue the argument, while the husand was driving away and she fell and the car ran over her. At this point, it is still unknown whether he intentionally ran her over or whether he was trying to get away from her and she got infront of the vehicle. So at this point, it remains unclear whether this was simple negligence or vehicular assault. However, a police investigation showed that the man had been drinking prior to the altercation, so he was arrested and is now facing drunk driving charges.
A Mr. Softee truck ran over an eleven year old boy who was riding on his bicycle in the East New York Section of Brooklyn on June 25, 2022. It turns out that the Mr. Softee operator should not have been driving in the first place, because he had a suspended license.
In Canarse, on June 25, 2022, there was a pedestrian fatality in which a 60 year old man was hit by a car while crossing the street, and the vehicle fled the scene of the accident and left the elderly man in the street to die.
As of the end of August, 2022, there have been 67 pedestrian fatalities involving motor vehicles.
