Gov. Kathy Hochul has proposed a package of new measures as part of her State of the State address to improve pedestrian safety statewide while at the same time also approving a measure to push for local government backed projects that use safer road designs. According to a news report, the proposals and new law come at a time when pedestrian safety is a serious concern across the state. The governor’s office says about 300 pedestrians are killed and 15,000 are injured by motor vehicles each year.
Funding for Pedestrian Safety Projects
The trend is not unique to New York State. Nationwide, fatal pedestrian accidents have hit a 40-year high. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), drivers struck and killed about 7,485 pedestrians in 2021, the most pedestrian deaths in a single year in four decades that averages at about 20 deaths each day. The study also provided a shocking new statistic — the percentage of speeding-related pedestrian crashes involving children ages 15 and younger more than doubled in the previous three years.
State Assemblywoman Pat Fahy, along with Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Tim Kennedy, supported a law that would expand the use of “complete streets” designs and boost state funding for those projects. Hochul signed that measure which became law at the end of 2022. The law is expected to create not only more pedestrian-friendly paths and walkways, but also bike areas and improved curb cuts. In addition, Fahy said, the law will empower local governments to pursue more of these projects by reducing their cost burden and increasing the state’s share of funding for these projects.
Hochul has said she wants to allow New York City to control its own speed limits, a long-sought move by officials there as well as traffic safety advocates who are also pushing the governor to do more including mandating that vehicles have intelligent speed assistance and similar safety features in new cars. Safety advocates are also asking for a new law that would require drivers to pass bicyclists at a distance of at least 3 feet.
Seeking Compensation for your Injuries
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.
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 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 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
For over 51 years, our skilled attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims. 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 $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.
We also obtained $295,000 out of a $300,000 insurance policy in compensation for the victim of a bicycle dooring accident (where a car door opens into the path of a bicyclist). 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.
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1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
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Source: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/ny-state-of-politics/2023/01/13/how-pedestrian-safety-could-improve-in-new-york