New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed a legislative package to enhance street safety laws. According to news reports, these new laws aim to curb traffic-related deaths and hit-and-run collisions. Governor Hochul said in a statement that the “new laws will help prevent senseless tragedies and injuries by cracking down on erratic and irresponsible driving.”
Laws That Can Help Save Lives
Two new mandates in this legislative package will allow communities to reduce
speed limits to 25 mph and heighten fines for leaving the scene of a car accident. Several recent studies have shown that faster driving speeds result in more serious injuries and fatalities for pedestrians. Under current law, the speed limit in a city or town may not be set lower than 30 mph. Public officials have said neighbors in communities throughout the state have expressed a desire to lower speed limits and help reduce the number of traffic fatalities and severe injuries that occur due to speeding accidents.
Hit-and-run collisions are becoming increasingly common in New York City and these types of crashes can be extremely dangerous because victims are left in the street without immediate medical care and attention. The new legislation will increase the fines and penalties for hit-and-run drivers. Advocates say giving cities and towns the flexibility to lower vehicle speed limits on their streets is a major milestone in reducing car accidents.
Earlier this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that traffic deaths during the first half of 2021 had increased 18.4% since the first half of 2020 in spite of many New Yorkers working from home due to the pandemic. Statistics from New York City show that traffic fatalities increased 44% during the first three months of 2022, the most fatal beginning to any year since 2014.
Compensation for Injuries
Victims who have been injured in car, bicycle or pedestrian accidents may be able to seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost income and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families of deceased accident victims may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking compensation for damages such as lost future income, funeral costs, medical expenses, pain and suffering, etc.
If a hit-and-run driver has injured you, please remember that you can seek compensation through the uninsured motorist clause of your 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. 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 car accident, or if you have lost a loved one in a motor vehicle accident caused by a negligent or 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 over 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 $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 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.news10.com/news/governor-hochul-signs-new-street-safety-laws/