Joel Adames, 31, and David Fernandez, 40, were killed after they were struck by
a vehicle in Manhattan’s Inwood neighborhood early morning on Aug. 3. According to a report in The New York Times, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred when a sedan traveling north on Sherman Avenue struck another vehicle traveling south. The vehicle that was hit collided with two other parked cars and then the men.
Adames and Fernandez were taken to area hospitals where they died from their injuries. The drivers of both vehicles remained at the scene. However, officials have not identified the drivers or stated if either had been charged in the deaths. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of these two accident victims for their tragic loss.
Traffic Fatalities and Injuries
Based on the news report, the intersection of West 207th Street and Sherman Avenue has been a particularly dangerous location. Over the past five years, 36 people have been injured there including 12 pedestrians and two cyclists, the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives said. In 2021, a 22-year-old motorcyclist was killed on Sherman Avenue three blocks from the intersection at Dyckman Street and a 68-year-old pedestrian was fatally struck in 2017 two blocks away at Academy Street, the group noted.
Neighbors say speeding drivers have been a problem in the area. In 2013, 184 pedestrians were killed on city streets, a number that had dropped to 94 by 2020, according to data from Vision Zero. However, that trend reversed last year when traffic deaths surged to their highest in nearly 10 years with 125 pedestrians killed. As of Aug. 1 this year, 60 pedestrians have been killed throughout New York City. By comparison, 70 had died this time in 2021.
Mayor Eric Adams and the city’s Department of Transportation announced that speed cameras would operate round the clock starting this week after a new state law signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul allowed them to function 24/7. In the past the city’s 2,000 automated speed cameras were authorized to operate only on weekdays between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Compensation for Victims
A New York pedestrian accident victim may be able to seek compensation for damages including medical expenses, lost income and benefits, hospitalization, cost of rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. An experienced New York personal injury lawyer will be able to guide victims’ families through what can be a complex legal process.
In cases where negligence (carelessness) has been involved, families of deceased accident victims may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking compensation for damages such as medical expenses, funeral costs, loss of future income, pain and suffering, and loss of care and companionship.
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.
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.
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.
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 and/or 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.nytimes.com/2022/08/03/nyregion/inwood-ny-car-crash-pedestrian-death.html