Nilsa Cruz, 66, was killed in a Staten Island pedestrian accident after she was struck by a pickup truck. According to a report in the Staten Island Advance, Cruz and two other women, ages 51 and 29, were crossing Castleton Avenue the evening of Dec. 18 when they were hit by a westbound pickup truck. Police said Cruz initially complained of stomach pain, but suffered internal injuries and later died at Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton.
The 51-year-old woman complained of head pain and the 29-year-old woman said she was experiencing back pain, police said. Both women were listed in stable condition when they were transported to the hospital. No charges have been filed in this case pending an official investigation. We offer our deepest condolences to the family members of Nilsa Cruz for their tragic loss. We wish the two other victims the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
Pedestrian Accidents and Internal Injuries
Pedestrian accidents tend to result in internal injuries as victims, unlike drivers or passengers, are not shielded by devices such as seat belts, airbags or the vehicle’s frame, etc. When a car, truck or van, etc. hits a pedestrian, the force of impact is transferred directly to the body, which can damage internal organs even if there are few visible injuries. The initial impact may injure the legs or torso, and the secondary impact — when the person hits the ground or another object — can cause head trauma, internal bleeding or even organ damage. Vital organs such as the brain, lungs, liver and spleen are especially vulnerable to sudden force and rapid movement inside the body.
Internal injuries in pedestrian accidents are especially dangerous because they are not always immediately visible. Even if a person feels “fine” after being hit by a vehicle, they might not be aware of what is happening inside the body. Injuries such as internal bleeding, organ damage or head and brain trauma can develop slowly and worsen over time without clear early symptoms.
Also, adrenaline after an accident can mask pain, making injuries easy to overlook. A delay in treatment can allow conditions like bleeding or swelling to become life-threatening. Getting medical help right away allows doctors to run tests such as scans or X-rays, which can detect hidden injuries before they become more severe.
Prompt medical care also creates an official medical record, which is important for follow-up treatment and recovery planning. Most importantly, early diagnosis and treatment can prevent long-term complications and save lives. This is why seeking immediate medical attention after a pedestrian accident is a critical step.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a bicycle accident or pedestrian 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. It is in the best interest of injured victims and their families in such cases to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer before contacting the people responsible for the injuries, and definitely before contacting or communicating with any insurance company, or their lawyers, investigators, or adjusters.
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.
For over 54 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 recovered $1,500,000 for a lady who was hurt by a bus.
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). 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. Also, we got a $1,400,000 verdict in a motorcycle accident.
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