Of everyone on the road, pedestrians are the most vulnerable due to having no physical protection from vehicles. Even a low-speed collision can cause severe injuries and death: pedestrians make up about half of all motor vehicle accident fatalities in New York City. Even if a pedestrian obeys all traffic signals and only crosses intersections at designated crosswalks, accidents can happen. If you’ve been the victim of a pedestrian accident due to the negligence of a motor vehicle driver or motorcyclist, you may be eligible for compensation and a lawyer at Singh & Rani LLP can help assuage anxiety and stress around what can be a daunting process.
What are New York City’s traffic laws regardingpedestrians?
In New York City, pedestrians have the right-of-way in crosswalks. In an accident, pedestrians can take legal action against the driver-at-fault, who would be responsible for covering damages and costs such as medical expenses, loss of earnings due to physical and mental impairment. New York is a “pure comparative negligence” or“pure comparative fault” state, which means that you have the right to pursue compensation from the other party even if you share responsibility for the injury. However, the percentage of your fault reduces damages awarded.
What are some common causes of a pedestrian knockdown?
According to TheNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), causes of pedestrian knockdowns include turning left or right onto a pedestrian’s path without yielding the right of way, failing to signal when turning or changing lanes, driving under the influence or while sleep deprived, ignoring traffic signals and signs, speeding, being preoccupied or inattentive, disregarding weather conditions, disregarding traffic patterns, among other reasons. If you are hit by a taxi or ride share driver picking a customer up, that too, can be the grounds for a pedestrian knockdown case. Why should I consider a lawyer for my pedestrian accident? Your insurance company will try to have you settle for less money than you deserve (they’re not a fan of “pure comparative negligence” to say the least). As such, it would be wise to hire a pedestrian accident lawyer whose skillset and trustworthiness will help assess the extent of your damages and help you win the fair and just compensation you deserve. Our lawyers will conduct a thorough examination of the accident by collecting evidence from eyewitnesses, dash cams, accident reconstructionists, and traffic cameras. Our contingency fee basis at Singh & Rani LLP means you don’t have to pay a fee until we win your case. Let us do the hard work so you don’t have to in your recovery and healing from the accident.
