Don’t Be a Victim Twice!
Call 1-800-VICTIM2 (842-8462)
get in touch

Cab Hits Pedestrian, Victim Critical

A livery cab driver was arrested last month after he ran into a pedestrian in a crosswalk in Brooklyn. The cab driver, a seventy-nine-year-old man, hit the pedestrian, a sixty-five-year-old man, in a crosswalk at Nostrand Avenue and Quentin Road in Marine Park. The victim had been on his way to a synagogue nearby, where he works as a caretaker, when the crash happened. He was taken to Kings County Hospital and was said to be in critical condition.

Driver Immediately Ticketed

The driver stayed at the scene but afterward was handcuffed and taken to a local precinct house where he was ticketed for failure to yield to a pedestrian and failure to exercise due care, after which he was released. The first charge carries a penalty of $150 and three points on a drivers license, while the second charge—because a serious injury was caused—can include a fine of $750, up to fifteen days in jail, and a license suspension.

There have not been any follow-up reports on the victim’s condition, but we hope he’s on the road to a full recovery.

Pedestrian Accidents Common

In a city like New York City, with millions of people and vehicles sharing streets in a dense urban environment, it’s no surprise that pedestrians and cars come into conflict. In 2014, the latest year with full reporting, there were more than 10,000 pedestrian-car crashes in the city.

On average, about two people on foot are killed by a motor vehicle each week somewhere in the city. But the city has been making great strides in improving traffic safety overall, especially since it adopted the Vision Zero initiative a few years ago. Pedestrian deaths were up slightly in 2016 (to 144, from a record low of 139 in 2015), but total traffic fatalities fell to 229. That makes the most recent three years the safest streak since records began in 1910.

Cabs No Exception to the Rule

There are more than 13,500 licensed cabs on the NYC’s streets. Each day they combine to make more than 474,000 trips, with each cab traveling an average of 180 miles in an eight-hour shift. Annually, cabs are involved in about 36,000 crashes. Most of these crashes don’t involve pedestrians, but it’s easy to find reports of many that do. A Brooklyn girl was struck by an Uber driver in January. In December, another livery driver struck two pedestrians. In November, a runaway cab smashed into an Upper East Side deli, injuring one of the workers there.

This kind of crash doesn’t happen every day, but they do happen. Cabs, of course, aren’t the only type of vehicle that pedestrians need to look out for, but they make up a significant share of the city’s crash total.

Brooklyn Car Accident Lawyer

After a motor vehicle crash, victims may face a long list of expenses, from car repairs to lost wages and income to ongoing medical expenses which may continue for years. It’s critical that victims get compensation from those who caused the crash, and the most effective way to do this is to work with an experienced and dedicated legal team.

At Greenstein & Milbauer, we understand car accident cases, and we give every client a free consultation to discuss theirs. Call us at 1-800-VICTIM2 (842-8462) or contact us online through the form below to schedule yours.

Start live chat with our team?