One out of every four personal injury claims settled by New York City in 2021 involved a car accident and a police officer was behind the wheel in most of those crashes. According to Curbed.com, the City Comptroller’s Office issued a report stating that the New York Police Department is responsible for both the largest number of crashes and the largest dollar amount of settlements.
Injury Settlements Involving City Vehicles
During the 10-year period covered in the report, the city settled $246.8 million in NYPD-related crash claims, which accounts for more than one-third of the total for all city vehicles. In all, the city has spent nearly $654 million over the last 10 years to settle car accident claims involving its fleet of vehicles.
While the number of crash claims was lower in 2021 than it was in 2012, the price of the payouts was higher, reaching $130.1 million. The size of the payout was correlated to the vehicle size. It is interesting to note an increase in the share of SUVs within the NYPD fleet, which now account for 18% of the agency’s vehicles, a number that has far outpaced the city’s other fleets.
In addition to lives saved and injuries prevented, the report found that if the city reduced its crash claims by just 20%, it would save $25 million per year. This data also offers an interesting look at the city’s Vision Zero agenda not just as a transportation policy, but also a matter of fiscal policy in a time when core city services and programs are experiencing budget shortfalls.
Filing an Injury Claim Against a Government Entity
Here are just some examples of personal injury cases brought against governmental entities in New York:
• If you were in a motor vehicle accident involving a government-owned vehicle such as a police cruiser, fire truck or city truck.
• Injuries that occur as a result of a collision with a public bus, railroad or mass transit vehicle.
• Injuries caused as a result of negligence (carelessness) at a public hospital or facility operated by a governmental entity.
• Injuries suffered at a public school, college or other government-run institution.
• Accidents and injuries that occur as a result of dangerous conditions on government property including, but not limited to, playgrounds, parks, parking lots, etc.
When you have a personal injury claim or wrongful death claim against a governmental entity in New York, you often have 90 days to file a notice of claim against the entity. If you miss this deadline, you may lose your right to secure compensation.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
Injured victims of negligent (careless) drivers 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 car accidents can seek compensation for damages such as lost future income, medical and funeral costs, pain and suffering, etc. Please remember that you also have the right to seek monetary compensation for your losses as a passenger in a vehicle at the time of your injury crash.
If you have been injured in a car accident or pedestrian accident, or if have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a negligent (careless) driver, you should consult the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm who will help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
For over 51 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. 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.curbed.com/2023/02/nypd-vehicle-crash-taxpayer-settlement.html