Pedestrian Safety Still an Important Issue

Tragedy struck a group of pedestrians on a Bronx sidewalk on October 6, when a police SUV responding to a reported car theft on Westchester Avenue collided with another car and careened toward a sidewalk, according to NBC News. The police SUV struck a group of six pedestrians standing on the sidewalk, including a 5-year-old child. Several people were critically injured.

This incident is a sad reminder of how often pedestrians are at risk of injury. The New York pedestrian accident lawyers of David Resnick & Associates, PC review some critical information about pedestrian accidents, how to stay safe, and what to do if you are hit by a motor vehicle.

How Pedestrian Accidents Happen

Pedestrian accidents are a major concern in New York, and hundreds of people are killed in our state each year in these accidents, according to the New York State Department of Health. Some of the most common causes of pedestrian accidents include:

• Distracted driving
• Distracted walking
• Failure to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians
• Aggressive driving
• Speeding
• Failure to check for pedestrians when making a turn or backing up
• Poor lighting

What You Can Do to Stay Safe

The New York Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee urges pedestrians to:

• Use sidewalks whenever available.
• Obey traffic signals and traffic officers.
• Remember they have the right-of-way at crosswalks without traffic signals or officers.
• Look both ways before beginning to cross.
• Yield the right-of-way to vehicles if there are no crosswalks, signs, signals, or officers present.
• Refrain from walking on expressways or interstate highways.
• Remain vigilant when walking across or alongside a road, even when they have the right of way.

Who Is Responsible for a Pedestrian Accident?

The following parties may be responsible for a pedestrian accident:

• A negligent driver – Often, a negligent driver is responsible for a pedestrian accident. Negligent behavior includes speeding, failing to yield to pedestrians, or driving while distracted.
• The vehicle’s manufacturer – The manufacturer could be responsible if a pedestrian accident occurs because of a vehicle defect.
• A government entity – If a pedestrian accident occurs because of a problem with a crosswalk, traffic signal, poorly designed road, or lack of maintenance, the government responsible for the road may be liable.
• The pedestrian – Pedestrians are also sometimes to blame for traffic collisions. For example, a pedestrian who did not use a crosswalk and stepped into the road without checking for oncoming cars could be at fault for a resulting collision.

Contact David Resnick & Associates for Help with Your Pedestrian Accident

If you were injured in a pedestrian accident, contact David Resnick & Associates, PC immediately. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and accident-related losses. However, pursuing compensation on your own can be difficult, especially while you are still healing. Let us help you demand the money you need to put your life back together. Contact us today for a free consultation with a pedestrian accident lawyer in New York.

Author: David Resnick

Founder of David Resnick & Associates, P.C., a New York personal injury law firm in charge of providing exceptional and personal service to each of our clients in various areas including car accidents, slip and fall, wrongful death, construction accidents, and premises liability. David Resnick founded the firm in 1998 after working in large law firms where he saw a need for greater client communication and more personal care.