A 46-year-old man was killed in a bicycle accident the morning of Sept. 2 after he was struck by a van. According to a report on Streetsblog.org, NYPD officials said the 40-year-old van driver and the bicyclist were both heading north on Union Avenue when the van driver struck the bicyclist just south of Lynch Street. Video of the incident, which was obtained by Williamsburg News, shows a black van traveling at a high speed after striking the bicyclist.
The driver then crashed into an unoccupied vehicle just north of Lynch. The bicyclist was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. No arrests were made pending an ongoing investigation. According to city data, this was the 17th bicyclist accident fatality in New York City this year. Traffic accident fatalities between Jan. 1 and Aug. 25 in 2024 are up nearly 2% compared to last year, NYPD data show. Over this period, 24,707 people were injured in crashes, which amounts to about 105 per day. We offer our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased bicyclist for their tragic loss.
Bicycle Versus Van Accidents: Common Causes
Van collisions with bicyclists often stem from driver negligence (carelessness):
- Blind spots: Vans, particularly older models, have substantial blind spots. Drivers who fail to check these areas before changing lanes or making turns can collide with cyclists who are in these blind spots.
- Failure to yield: Van drivers may neglect to yield the right-of-way to cyclists at intersections or crosswalks. This oversight can lead to dangerous situations, as bicyclists, who often have less visibility and protection, are caught off guard by a van’s sudden movement.
- Speeding: Excessive speed reduces a van driver’s ability to react to unexpected obstacles, including cyclists. When van drivers exceed speed limits, their stopping distance increases, making it difficult to avoid collisions with bicyclists who might be moving more slowly.
- Distracted driving: Distractions, such as using a phone or adjusting in-vehicle controls, can affect a van driver’s attention to the road. A distracted driver might not notice a cyclist approaching or even fail to see them when performing maneuvers like turning or merging.
- Aggressive driving: Aggressive driving behaviors, such as tailgating or cutting off bicyclists, create dangerous conditions. Van drivers who engage in these practices may force cyclists into hazardous situations or direct collisions.
Dangers Posed by Excessive Speed
Speeding drivers significantly increase the dangers posed by their vehicles to bicyclists. When vehicles travel at high speeds, their stopping distances increase, making it much harder for drivers to react in time to sudden obstacles, including cyclists. High speeds also reduce the time a driver has to assess and respond to a cyclist’s presence, which can lead to collisions if a driver doesn’t notice a cyclist in their path. Additionally, at higher speeds, the impact force of a collision is more severe, increasing the likelihood of serious injury or fatality for the cyclist. Reducing speed limits in areas with high bicycle traffic helps to mitigate these risks, making the roads safer for everyone.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a bicycle accident or pedestrian accident, or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a negligent (careless) driver, the experienced New York bicycle accident lawyer 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 52 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 $2,000,000 in a hit-and-run accident, 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.
We also obtained $295,000 out of a $300,000 insurance policy in compensation for the victim of a bicycle dooring accident (where a car door opens into the path of a bicyclist). 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, lead poisoning and medical malpractice cases including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy 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/2024/09/02/cyclist-killed-by-van-driver-in-williamsburg