Child and pedestrian fatalities rose across New York City in 2024, according to a study released last week. According to a report on AMNY.com, traffic accidents killed 253 New Yorkers. That amounts to one person every 35 hours. This is based on the new data reviewed by transportation safety groups Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets.
What the Numbers Show
The distressing data shows a shocking 21% increase in pedestrian accident deaths from 2023 to 2024. Child fatalities rose 33% in 2024 — from 12 in 2023 to 16 in 2024 — tied with 2022 as the worst year for child deaths under Vision Zero, which is the city’s ongoing traffic safety initiative that aims to eliminate traffic deaths. The new data follows a report from the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) showing that speed cameras in the city have helped reduce the number of major crashes.
The report noted that streets with speed cameras installed in 2022 saw 14% fewer injuries and fatalities compared with locations without cameras. Despite the increase in fatalities, Transportation Alternatives said the speed camera program has shown “remarkable success” when it comes to changing the behavior of the most reckless drivers who violate traffic laws. According to the group, speed camera violations dropped by 30% since 2022 when the camera system went online 24/7. However, safety advocates said, too many pedestrians and bicyclists are still dying on city streets without critical safety improvements such as protected bike lanes that could help prevent these tragedies.
Negligent (Careless) Drivers and Speeding Laws
There is also a push from parents, elected officials and other New Yorkers for stricter laws for reckless drivers, particularly speeders. Last year, an 8-year-old boy in Queens was struck and killed by a reckless driver who was arrested and charged with speeding, criminally negligent homicide, failure to yield to a pedestrian and failure to exercise due care.
Advocates also hope that Sammy’s Law, which allows the city to lower the speed limit to 20 mph in certain areas, and congestion pricing can be effective when it comes to improving pedestrian safety. The Department of Transportation began lowering speed limits in some locations after the passage of Sammy’s Law, named after 12-year-old Sammy Cohen Eckstein who was struck and killed by a driver in Brooklyn in 2013.
Compensation for Victims and Families
Injured victims of pedestrian accidents and bicycle accidents can seek compensation from at-fault parties for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost wages and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families that have lost loved ones in pedestrian accidents can seek compensation for damages such as medical and funeral costs, pain and suffering, lost future income, etc.
Pedestrian accident victims and their families should remember that they can seek compensation for injuries or losses in collisions even if the victim was not walking in a marked crosswalk and even if the driver involved in collision was not charged. Our law firm recovered the full one-million-dollar insurance policy for a girl who was not in the crosswalk when a motor vehicle hit her.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident or bicycle accident, or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a negligent (careless) driver, the experienced 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. We 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. 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.amny.com/news/pedestrian-fatalities-nyc-speed-cameras/