A 31-year-old woman was critically injured in a pedestrian accident after being struck by an SUV on the Upper East Side. According to a report on Patch.com, the woman was crossing York Avenue near East 87th Street the night of April 2 in a crosswalk. A 71-year-old man behind the wheel of a large SUV traveling north on York Avenue, collided with the pedestrian, pushing her to the ground and leaving her with major injuries. The driver then swerved into the opposite lane crashing into a yellow cab and injuring its driver, police said.
Ongoing Investigation
Medics rushed the seriously injured women to a local hospital where she remained in critical condition. The yellow cab driver was also hospitalized with neck and back injuries, officials said. The SUV’s driver remained at the scene and was not arrested or issued a summons pending an official investigation. This incident comes just a day after an 84-year-old man was struck by an SUV just a few blocks away. That driver was issued a summons.
Patch reports that since April 2022, the driver of the SUV involved in the April 2 collision had racked up five school zone speed camera violations mostly in Queens. Patch also reports that the Upper East Side has seen 470 car accidents in the past year resulting in three deaths and 570 injuries.
Pedestrian Accidents in Crosswalks
New York City, with its bustling streets and dense population, has long grappled with pedestrian safety, particularly in crosswalks. Crosswalks are designed to provide pedestrians with a designated area to safely cross busy streets, yet they remain a hotspot for accidents. Factors contributing to pedestrian accidents in crosswalks include distracted driving, speeding, failure to yield, and inadequate signage or traffic signals.
The consequences of these accidents can be severe, resulting in injuries ranging from minor cuts and bruises to life-threatening conditions. To address this pressing issue, the city has implemented various measures to enhance crosswalk safety, including under the Vision Zero Program. These include the installation of pedestrian countdown timers, high-visibility crosswalk markings, and traffic calming measures such as speed bumps and pedestrian islands.
Additionally, public awareness campaigns have been launched to educate both drivers and pedestrians about the importance of crosswalk safety and mutual respect on the road. Despite these efforts, pedestrian accidents in crosswalks continue to occur, underscoring the need for ongoing vigilance, enforcement of traffic laws, and infrastructure improvements to create safer streets for all.
The Role of Speed in Pedestrian Injuries
Speed plays a critical role in the severity of injuries in pedestrian accidents. When a vehicle is traveling at a higher speed, the impact of a collision with a pedestrian is significantly greater, increasing the likelihood of severe or fatal injuries. At higher speeds, the stopping distance for vehicles also increases, reducing the driver’’ ability to react and avoid an accident in time.
In accidents involving speeding vehicles, pedestrians are at a higher risk of suffering from traumatic injuries such as fractures, head injuries, spinal cord injuries, and internal organ damage. The force of the impact can propel the pedestrian into the air or onto other vehicles, exacerbating the injuries sustained.
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 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 52 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://patch.com/new-york/upper-east-side-nyc/woman-31-critical-after-hit-land-rover-ues-street-nypd