Streetsblog estimates that bicycle accident injuries were up 43 percent in New York City just in the week between March 9 and March 15 as the city plunged into the coronavirus crisis. The news site analyzed data from the NYPD to determine that there were 80 bicycle accident injuries during this period, an increase of 24 incidents or 42.9 percent, compared to the same week in 2019 when there were 56 bicycle injuries.
The shocking rise in bicyclist injuries comes as the number of people on the road overall is decreasing because more and more New Yorkers are working from home or have lost their jobs. NYPD statistics also show that the total number of all traffic collisions decreased 33.1 percent compared to the same time period last year.
More Bicyclists on Roadways
Other injuries are down across the board. Drivers are being injured 27.6 percent less and pedestrian injuries are down 17 percent. However, the total number of injuries for bicyclists in 2020 increased by 22 percent compared with the same period last year and one bicyclist was killed by a reckless truck driver.
The rash of bicycle accidents involving drivers and bicyclists can be blamed on two factors, according to the NYPD: Driver inattention and failure to yield. Nearly, 90 percent of crashes involve some form of driver negligence (carelessness) or error, according to NYPD numbers.
A number of these injuries (22 out of 80) occurred in Southern Brooklyn, accounting for a 69 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Also last year, 10 of the 28 bicyclists who were fatally injured on city streets were struck and killed by drivers in Southern Brooklyn. Injuries in the North Brooklyn bureau between March 9 and March 15 are up 77.8 percent, from nine to 16, and by 450 percent (from two to 11 injuries) in the Bronx compared to the same time period last year.
Safety advocates say this new data shows the need for a more comprehensive network of protected bike lanes, especially as more new and inexperienced bicyclists hit the streets to commute to work or take up bicycling for physical exercise in the time of social distancing. Advocates are also concerned that more bicyclists are going to come out to the roadways as the weather get warmer. They say the city must act now to stop this dangerous spike in bicycle accident injuries.
Injuries and Damages
When a larger vehicle strikes a bicyclist or a pedestrian, it is the pedestrian or bicyclist who may suffer catastrophic or fatal injuries. Bicycle accidents have the potential to result in devastating injuries. Some of the common injuries sustained in these types of crashes include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord trauma, broken bones, amputations, internal organ damage, etc. These are all injuries that may require lengthy hospitalization and costly rehabilitation. They may also result in long-term disabilities that prevent individuals from returning to work or pursuing livelihoods.
Injured victims in such cases may be able to seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost income and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. In cases where victims are killed in bicycle accidents, families of deceased victims may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking compensation for damages such as loss of future income, medical expenses, funeral costs, pain and suffering, etc.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a bicycle accident, or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a negligent (careless) driver, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
For over 49 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2020/03/19/nypd-bike-injuries-are-up-43-percent-during-coronavirus-crisis/