Hundreds of bicyclists gathered at Union Square Park last week to ride to city hall together and call attention to bicycle safety issues in New York City. According to a report on Fox5 New York, many participants and safety advocates such as the nonprofit group, Transportation Alternatives, believe that the city should take stronger measures to make bicyclists more visible to drivers and prevent fatal bicycle accidents.
Participants remembered bicyclists who had tragically died in accidents citywide. Fox5 reports that Deja Daniels remembered her 16-year-old nephew, Jaden McLauren, who died six months ago while putting a Citi bike away at its dock in Queens. Tanisha McLean was mourning the loss of her father, 56-year-old Emmanuel Patterson, who was struck and killed by a box truck earlier this month in Brooklyn.
NYC Bicycle Accident Statistics
According to Transportation Alternatives, traffic accidents killed 112 people in the first half of 2023, including a Vision Zero-Era record of 18 bicyclists. New York is also on pace to become the second deadliest year for bicyclists in recorded history. Traffic accidents killed 40 people in Queens — a Vision Zero record for the borough.
Safety advocates also say that drivers of larger vehicles are killing bicyclists on streets that do not have protected bike lanes. Also, 92% of bicyclist deaths in crashes with vehicles involved an SUV or larger vehicles — only one involved a sedan. Of the 14 bicycle crashes involving another type of vehicle, 13 had no protected bike lanes. Safety experts agree that protected bike lanes make streets safer for all users and reduce fatalities by 29% for pedestrians, based on Transportation Alternatives’ findings.
Seeking Compensation for Bicycle Accident Victims
Whether you are riding a bicycle in New York for work, to commute, or just for recreation or exercise, you have a right to be safe. Motorists have a duty of care and responsibility to share the roadway with other vehicles, including bicycles. Bicyclists have the same rights as drivers of other vehicles.
Bicycle accidents have the potential to result in serious and disabling injuries. Some victims are so badly injured that their lives are turned upside down. In some cases, they may not be able to work for an extended period of time because they are recovering from their injuries. Sometimes, such victims are unable to return to work or make a livelihood because of their injuries. Such loss of income can prove financially devastating for the accident victim and their families too. If you are a bicycle accident victim in New York City who has been injured by a reckless or negligent (careless) driver, you can seek compensation for your injuries, damages, and losses.
Injured victims may be able to seek compensation for damages including medical expenses, lost income and benefits, hospitalization, cost of rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. An experienced New York personal injury lawyer will be able to guide victims’ families through what is often a complex legal process.
Families of deceased bicycle accident victims can file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking compensation for damages such as medical expenses, funeral costs, lost future income, and pain and suffering.
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 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 53 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://www.fox5ny.com/news/nyc-cyclists-rally-to-demand-safer-streets-as-fatalities-reach-near-record-levels