New Yorkers love the hustle and bustle of a massive metropolis. Ask a diehard New Yorker if he or she would live anywhere else and the answer is almost always a resounding “no.” New Yorkers are also accustomed to the congestion and the astronomical amount of time it often takes to get from point A to point B. During particularly busy times of the day, you can get to your destination much faster by walking than trying to drive there. Walking, though, can be dangerous in the Big Apple–and not just because of crime. Pedestrian accidents are far more common than many people realize.
For the year 2009, the most recent year for which statistics are available, there were 4,872 non-motorist fatalities across the country, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA. That means that more than 10 people are killed everyday across the country in pedestrian accidents. In one year alone, there were over 15,000 vehicular accidents involving pedestrians in New York City alone. In that same year, 277 people were killed in pedestrian accidents in New York City.
The sheer volume of vehicles on the streets of New York City at any given time certainly contributes to the large number of pedestrian accidents in the Big Apple. On the one hand, traffic in New York City can slow to a crawl, decreasing the chance of a serious accident involving a pedestrian; however, this can create a false sense of security for the walking public. Anyone who has ever walked the streets of New York City knows that traffic patterns can be unpredictable. One minute you are at a virtual standstill and the next traffic takes off as the opportunity presents itself to get moving. Pedestrians can be caught in the middle, with tragic consequences.
Just as the sheer volume of vehicles on the roadways contributes to the likelihood of a pedestrian accident in New York City, the number of people walking the streets also contributes to the chance of an accident. Day or night, any street corner in New York City is typically full of people trying to get somewhere in a hurry, along with visitors who seem to be in no great hurry to get anywhere. The combination of throngs of people and a virtual sea of vehicles makes for a deadly combination.
If you have been injured as the result of a pedestrian accident in New York City, you may be entitled to compensation for the injuries you suffered as a result of the accident. Often, the driver of the vehicle was negligent in the accident, meaning that he or she was responsible in some way for the accident and, therefore, your injuries. Talking on a cell phone, trying to read a navigation device, talking to other passengers in the vehicle, eating, or simply not paying attention to the roadway are all things that could result in a finding of negligence on the part of the driver that collided with you. Just as there are an endless number of scenarios that can result in an accident, there are also an endless number of reasons that could have caused the driver to be negligent.
If you have been injured in a New York City pedestrian accident, make sure that you seek medical treatment immediately. A thorough evaluation should be done by a physician to ascertain what injuries you suffered as a result of the accident. After that, seek the advice of a New York City pedestrian accident attorney to determine what legal options you have as a result of the accident.
If you have been involved in a New York City pedestrian accident and you believe that the driver of the vehicle that collided with you caused the accident, you may be entitled to compensation for those injuries. The pedestrian accident attorneys at Ginarte Gonzalez Winograd LLP, have seven offices conveniently located in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area.
Contact the firm today by calling 888-446-2783 for your free consultation or fill out our online contact form.