A 3-year-old child who was crossing the street with her mother was killed in a Harlem pedestrian accident the night of July 11. According to a CBS News report, the fatal crash occurred at the intersection of Lenox Avenue and West 135th Street. NYPD officials said a 37-year-old woman was crossing the street with her 3-year-old daughter and was pushing her two other children, a 2-year-old boy and a 4-month-old boy, in a stroller when the driver of an SUV struck her.
The SUV hit the pedestrians as they were walking in a crosswalk, officials said. They said the driver, a 40-year-old man, got out of the vehicle, picked up the child and carried her to Harlem Hospital, which was right across the street. But, the child succumbed to her injuries. The 2-year-old boy sustained non-life-threatening injuries and the infant was not injured. The driver is not facing charges pending an official investigation. We offer our deepest condolences to the family that has lost a child. They will be in our thoughts and prayers.
Deadly City Streets
NYPD officials say that they are investigating more deadly crashes involving pedestrians in 2024 than 2023. This year, more than 4,500 pedestrians have been injured compared to 4,300 during the same period last year, which is a 5% increase. Of those injured pedestrians, 64 were killed between Jan. 1, 2024 and July 10, 2024. During the same time last year, 49 pedestrians were killed.
Transportation Alternatives, the nonprofit that advocates for traffic safety, also tracks the number of pedestrians injured in crashes. The group says crashes have increased since the Vision Zero initiative was launched a decade ago. Last month in Queens, a hit-and-run driver rammed into two sisters outside a school, killing one and seriously injuring the other. The driver was ultimately found and charged, cops said.
Rights of Pedestrians in Crosswalks
New York City has laws and regulations that are meant to protect pedestrians as well as reduce the number of crosswalk accidents. City law mandates that vehicles must yield the right of way to pedestrians at crosswalks, whether marked or unmarked. This means drivers are required to stop or slow down to allow pedestrians to cross safely.
The city has reduced speed limits to 25 miles per hour on most streets to minimize the impact of accidents and increase reaction times for drivers. Lower speeds significantly decrease the severity of injuries in the event of a collision. The city also launched the Vision Zero program in 2010 that aims to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries. This plan includes redesigning streets, enforcing traffic laws, and educating the public about road safety. Vision Zero has led to the installation of pedestrian countdown signals, expanded crosswalks, and the implementation of pedestrian plazas.
Injuries and Compensation
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 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 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 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://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/harlem-child-killed-struck-by-car/