New York City could soon lower speed limits to 20 mph on most of its streets with Sammy’s Law moving forward, which safety advocate say, could save many lives. Pix11.com reports that Sammy’s Law, which Gov. Kathy Hochul secured in the FY2025 state budget last week, is named after Sammy Cohen Eckstein, a 12-year-old boy who was fatally struck by a car in Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood in 2013. NYC Crash Mapper, which uses city data to track injury and fatal crashes, shows that the Park Slope neighborhood alone has seen seven pedestrian deaths in the last decade.
Dangerous Areas for NYC Pedestrians
The dubious distinction of being the deadliest neighborhood for pedestrians in New York City however goes to Borough Park, Brooklyn, which in 2023, had six deadly pedestrian accidents involving trucks and cars. Borough Park is followed by the Upper West Side, East Harlem, Williamsburg, Flushing Ozone Park and Woodside when it comes to traffic accidents that make these neighborhoods deadly for pedestrians.
Each of those neighborhoods saw three pedestrian accident fatalities last year. When it came to boroughs, Queens had the highest number of pedestrian deaths in 2023 at 31 fatalities followed by Brooklyn with 26 and Manhattan with 19. Bronx had 12 pedestrian deaths in 2023 and Staten Island saw four. However, over the last 10 years, Brooklyn has seen the most pedestrian deaths. Also, over the last decade, citywide, more than 1,400 pedestrians have died in crashes. More than 400 of those deaths were in Brooklyn, according to city data.
In 2014, the city put pedestrian safety as one of its top priorities and unveiled a program called Vision Zero with the ambitious goal of eradicating traffic deaths and injuries through public education and improvements to city infrastructure. A representative of the New York City Department of Transportation said in February that drivers are by far the largest threat to pedestrians and that speed is the leading cause of fatal pedestrian crashes. Last week, a driver accused of speeding through a Queens crosswalk and killing an 8-year-old boy was indicted in connection with the March 13 crash. Safety advocates say Sammy’s Law will have a real impact because lower speed limits will save lives.
Compensation for Victims
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 medical and funeral costs, pain and suffering, lost future income, etc.
Pedestrian accident victims and their families should also 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.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident or bicycle accident, or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a negligent (careless) driver, the experienced 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 53 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. We 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://pix11.com/news/transit/what-are-nycs-deadliest-neighborhoods-for-pedestrians/