Four people, who were trainees with the Doe Fund that helps rehabilitate former homeless men and women in New York City, were injured while working in the Upper East Side. According to an ABC news report, the victims, all men in the 30s or 40s were on the street at the corner of Third Avenue and East 85th Street and getting their assignments for the day when a school bus jumped the curb and struck them. The men suffered serious but non life-threatening injuries.
Another worker managed to jump out of the way and escape injury. The bus driver remained at the scene and was issued a summons for failure to yield to pedestrians. Based on the news article, the driver had stated that his brakes failed and that he was unable to stop. One of the workers told ABC he was upset that the bus driver was able to leave the scene without taking a Breathalyzer test. There were no students on board the bus at the time of the accident. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who was injured in this crash.
Causes of Pedestrian Accidents
Investigators have to look into a number of factors that may have played a role in these types of accidents where a driver loses control of his or her vehicle and strikes pedestrians, including:
• Impaired driving: When a motorist operates under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, there is a heightened risk of crashing and injuring others on the roadway. Under New York laws, it is illegal to operate a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or higher.
• Excessive speed: Driving above the speed limit or at a dangerous rate of speed is a common cause of many pedestrian accidents in New York City. The higher the speed, the more violent the impact, and risk of greater injury to the pedestrian.
• Distracted driving: Drivers who are distracted by their cell phones or other gadgets also cause these types of accidents.
• Failure to yield: A number of pedestrian accidents in the city occur because drivers fail to yield the right of way to pedestrians. This may result in devastating crashes and injuries.
• Mechanical malfunction: In this particular case, according to the article, the bus driver blamed failed brakes for his inability to control the vehicle. In such cases, officials will look into whether there was a mechanical failure and what caused it. Was it defective brakes or lack of proper vehicle maintenance?
Injuries Suffered in Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrians often suffer catastrophic or even fatal injuries when they are struck by vehicles. Some of the common injuries sustained by pedestrian accident victims include multiple broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, other neck and back injuries and injuries that might seriously damage ligaments, muscles and joints, etc. Pedestrian accidents have the potential to result in permanent injuries or disabilities for victims. In some cases, victims may never be able to return to work or even earn a livelihood.
Pedestrian accident victims may be able to seek compensation for the injuries, damages and losses they have sustained. Injured victims can seek compensation 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. A skilled pedestrian accident lawyer can help evaluate the nature and extent of the damages as well as identify the liable parties. Please remember, you may be eligible to receive compensation even if you weren’t in a crosswalk, sidewalk or in an area designated for pedestrians when you were hit.
Compensation for Victims
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a reckless driver or due to someone else’s negligence, 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.
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 cases in 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: http://abc7ny.com/traffic/4-injured-when-school-bus-jumps-curb-on-upper-east-side/1752093/