There were two pedestrian accidents in Manhattan over the last week, one fatal and one resulting in serious injury. According to news reports, in one incident, a 73-year-old pedestrian was struck and killed by an Academy Bus, a charter bus, on Manhattan’s West Side. The accident happened at the intersection of 34th Street and 10th Avenue. The empty bus was on its way to the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Police say the bus driver was not aware he had hit someone, but stopped a few blocks away.
In another incident on Nov. 1, a pedestrian was hit by a vehicle along 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue and left in critical condition. Based on news reports, the vehicle that struck this pedestrian near a crosswalk has since been identified as a cab. The victim was transported to the hospital with major injuries. The investigation into this accident is ongoing.
Pedestrian Accidents in NYC
Statistics show that pedestrian accident fatalities have dropped significantly in New York City. However, the overall numbers remain high and highlight a definite area of concern. According to the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT), 101 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents in 2017. Hundreds of individuals are also seriously injured in pedestrian accidents each year in the city and many more suffer injuries that result in considerable medical expenses.
There are a number of reasons why New York City has among the highest number of pedestrian accidents in the nation. One of the primary causes pedestrians get injured in New York City is due to negligent motorists. Drivers who operate while under the influence of alcohol or while distracted often lead to devastating pedestrian accidents.
Pedestrians also get severely injured or killed when they are struck by motorists who fail to yield the right of way to them at crosswalks or intersections. New York law requires motorists to come to a complete stop at crosswalks and proceed only when pedestrians have crossed the street, and it is safe.
If You Have Been Injured
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident, it is important that you take several steps in order to protect your rights. First, it is crucial that you seek prompt medical attention, treatment and care. Even if you don’t believe you have been injured, it is important that you go to the emergency room or get checked out by your physician soon after the accident. Make sure that you file a police report and obtain a copy of the report for your records. Your pedestrian accident lawyer can also obtain this report for you.
Collect as much information as possible from the scene of the crash. This information should include names and contact information of everyone involved, insurance details for the driver or drivers involved in the collision, photos and/or videos of the crash scene, license plate, and contact information for anyone who may have witnessed the accident. If you have been injured and are unable to gather these details, ask a family member or friend if they can do this for you.
These types of information and evidence will be extremely valuable during the claims process. Do not share the details of the crash with anyone other than your personal injury lawyer. Stay away from social media. Do not post anything online because any statements you make or the photos/videos that you post online can be used against you, and may jeopardize your pedestrian accident case. It is also important to remember that you have the right to file a pedestrian accident lawsuit even if you were not in a crosswalk at the time of an accident.
Contact an Experienced Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident or if you have lost a loved one in an auto, truck, van or bus 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.
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 and 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
Sources: https://abc7ny.com/pedestrian-struck-killed-by-bus-on-west-side/4613529/
https://pix11.com/2018/11/01/pedestrian-struck-critically-injured-in-midtown-police/