A 53-year-old man suffered fatal injuries in a car accident at a Queens street
intersection after officials said a speeding driver struck his vehicle. According to a report in the New York Daily News, the victim was driving a sedan north on 144th Street in South Jamaica when he was T-boned by another vehicle that was eastbound at the intersection of Foch Boulevard early morning on June 13.
Police said the driver of the other vehicle, who had been speeding when he struck the victim’s car, abandoned the wrecked vehicle and fled on foot. Neighbors tried to help the victim who was critically injured. Paramedics rushed him to a local hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family.
Increase in Speed-Related Crashes
Car accidents, especially those involving speeding and reckless driving, have increased in not just New York City, but also nationwide. The nonprofit National Safety Council (NSC) estimated in a report issued in March that 42,600 people died in car accidents in 2020, which is an 8% increase over 2019 and the first such increase in four years.
Also, the fatality rate per 100 million miles driven spiked 24%, the largest annual percentage increase since the NSC began collecting this data in 1923. Officials and safety advocates around the country have observed that even though traffic now is getting close to pre-pandemic levels, the unsafe behavior on the roads is continuing, especially with drivers violating speed limits and driving recklessly.
Speeding is extremely dangerous because it significantly raises the odds of being involved in a car accident. It requires quicker reaction time from the driver because speeding cars cover more ground than a car traveling at a slower rate of speed. It requires longer braking distance for the same reason. Speeding increases the risk of losing control of the vehicle.
Greater speed also increases the severity of the crash. Cars traveling faster have more kinetic energy. So, when they collide with another vehicle, the damage is much more and the injuries to vehicle occupants can be much more severe. Some of the common injuries suffered in head-on and T-bone collisions include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord trauma, broken bones, internal organ damage, etc. Many of these injuries can prove fatal.
Crashes Caused by Reckless Drivers
Driving without a regard for others’ safety is one of the main reasons car accidents occur. Speeding, distracted driving and impaired driving – cause or contribute to a vast majority of fatalities and injuries in the United States. Drivers who breach their duty of care to others are said to be negligent (careless) and can face criminal charges, penalties, and be held financially responsible for the injuries, damages and losses they cause to victims and their families.
Injured victims of car 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.
Pedestrian accident victims and their families should remember that they may be able to seek compensation for injuries or losses in collisions even if the victim was not walking in a marked crosswalk and even if the driver has not been 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 car 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 nearly 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
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-queens-hit-and-run-fatal-crash-20210613-ldkffrd7nret5l2nzsuq4qwohy-story.html