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Pedestrian Accidents
We Have the Best Personal Injury Attorneys in New York
While New Yorkers love to walk, New York City is not the safest place for pedestrians. If you or a loved one has been involved in a pedestrian accident in or around NYC, you might be entitled to receive compensation. In any such case, seeking advice from an experienced personal injury attorney might be in your best interest.
Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents
There are a few common causes that account for a large majority of all pedestrian accidents.
- Failure to yield. This includes a motorist failing to yield to a pedestrian, or a motorist failing to yield to another motorist who has stopped for a pedestrian crossing a street.
- Crosswalk/intersectional accidents. These take place when motorists fail to yield right of way to pedestrians at crosswalks, intersections, and driveways.
- Accidents while reversing. This commonly involves a motorist failing to see a pedestrian while reversing a car in a parking lot or an alley.
What Drivers Should Do
Prevention, as the saying goes, is better than cure, so it’s best for motorists to exercise due caution when they’re behind the wheel. Other than yielding to pedestrians at intersections and crosswalks:
- Don’t block crosswalks
- Follow speed limits
- Don’t jump traffic signals
- Pass stopped vehicles carefully
- Be watchful in residential areas
- Don’t use your phone
- Don’t eat or drink
- Make right turns on red with care
What About Pedestrians?
As is the case with motorists, it’s in a pedestrian’s best interest to follow a few simple guidelines.
- Use intersections and crosswalks
- Use pedestrian pushbuttons
- Look on all sides before crossing
- Use sidewalks where available
- Don’t use your phone
- Address poor visibility
- Make eye contact with motorists
- Don’t step into moving traffic
- Remain watchful at all time
What Numbers Say
Data released by the New York State Department of Health indicates that pedestrian injuries make it to the top 10 causes of injury-related admissions and deaths across almost all age groups. Each year, hospitals witness over 3,000 pedestrian admissions. While motor vehicles injure more than 15,000 pedestrians every year, around 300 pedestrians lose their lives.
What the Law Says
New York State laws imply that pedestrians need to obey traffic signals when crossing streets. Motorists have to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks in the absence of traffic signals, to pedestrians who use metallic or white canes when approaching crosswalks or intersections, and to pedestrians who use guide dogs. Motorists must also yield to pedestrians when entering or exiting buildings, driveways, alleyways, or private roads.
How We Can Help
If you’ve been a victim of a pedestrian accident in or around New York, our highly experienced team of personal injury attorneys might be able to claim damages that can help cover your medical expenses and other costs. We have handled several pedestrian accident cases, and we’re more than willing to take your case to court, should the need arise.