A 63-year-old man was fatally injured in a pedestrian accident in Brooklyn early
morning on Oct. 30 when he was struck by the driver of an SUV, who officials say, was traveling at a high rate of speed. According to Streetsblog.org, the fatal hit-and-run collision occurred at the intersection of Atlantic and Nostrand avenues. Officials say the pedestrian was attempting to cross the street when the SUV that was heading west on Atlantic Avenue, hit him.
The victim, who lived two blocks from the crash scene, suffered severe body trauma and was transported to an area hospital where he died. The driver fled the scene and has not yet been apprehended.
Pedestrian Safety Issues
Streetsblog refers to the section of Atlantic Avenue where this horrific crash occurred as a “speedway” where the city has made little effort to rein in drivers. The site reports that in 2014, the city had promised to make some pedestrian safety improvements at the nearby intersection of Atlantic and Franklin avenues. However, those were not made.
Traffic accidents have continued to occur in this neighborhood. According to city records, in 2016, there were 402 reported crashes on that 1.5-mile stretch injuring seven bicyclists, 11 pedestrians and 122 motorists. In 2019, before the pandemic, there were 450 reported crashes (about 12% more) injuring 12 bicyclists, 21 pedestrians and 116 motorists.
On the same day as this collision, Oct. 30, another pedestrian was killed by a hit-and-run driver near Broadway and W. 262nd Street. This year remains the deadliest year of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration’s seven-plus year effort to make roadways safer with the Vision Zero initiative. According to the Department of Transportation, 218 people have been killed on city streets this year including 94 pedestrians and 28 bicyclists and other electric mobility users.
A number of pedestrian accidents are caused by drivers’ negligence (carelessness) — examples of which include impaired driving, distracted driving, and failing to yield the right of way to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Speeding has also caused a number of recent pedestrian, bicycle and car accidents across the city resulting in catastrophic injuries and fatalities. Leaving the scene of an injury or fatal collision (hit-and-run) is against the law.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
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 lost future income, medical and funeral costs, pain and suffering, etc.
A victim who has been injured by a hit-and-run driver should remember that he or she can seek compensation through the uninsured motorist clause of their auto insurance policy (even though the driver has not been identified) or through a quasi-state agency if there is no motor vehicle in the victim’s household. Victims and their families in such cases should retain an experienced personal injury lawyer right away to help protect their legal rights. A family who has lost a loved one in a hit-and-run crash may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking compensation as well.
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 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.
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.
For 50 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. 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 and/or medical malpractice 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
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Source: https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2021/10/23/frantic-atlantic-another-pedestrian-killed-on-deadly-brooklyn-speedway/