Pedestrian Accidents

Published on: June 5, 2015

Random survey shows nearly 1 in 10 motorists ignore red lights in New York City which puts pedestrians at risk of dangerous accidents resulting in personal injury or death

Every day in New York City pedestrians and other road users are endangered by reckless drivers who are running red lights. A study just released by Hunter College indicates that nearly one out of 10 motorists don’t follow the most basic rule of the road. Lead by Professor Peter Tuckel of Hunter’s sociology department, the study analyzes the behavior of 3,259 motorists at 50 different intersections in New York City. The intersections are all within a few blocks from subway stations.

A total of 283 drivers were caught ignoring red lights. Half of them didn’t even reduce their speed. 85 of them ran the red light as they were turning.

The intersection of Gates and Evergreens Avenues in Bushwick, Brooklyn, NYC, was the most dangerous of all intersections analyzed during the study followed by W50th and Seventh Ave in Manhattan and New Lots and Miller Avenues in Brooklyn.

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Published on: June 1, 2015

A hit and run Bronx driver critically injured Robert Ray, the subway motorman who drunkenly nodded off and crashed a No. 4 train in Union Square in 1991, killing five passengers

By GGCRBHS&M

61 year old Robert Ray who served 10 years in prison after admitting he was drunk when he crashed a train in Union Square in 1991 was hit by a car and suffered critical personal injury as he was crossing The Grand Concourse from east to west at E.182 St in the Bronx last Thursday night. The driver sped off and disappeared in the night. Police who don’t have a description of the car haven’t made an arrest. Read more in the NY Daily News

Published on: June 1, 2015

A retired cop was busted for drunk driving after he critically injured a pedestrian in the Bronx, NYC

By GGCRBHS&M

A 35 year old pedestrian was in critical condition after he was hit by a car driven by a 44 year old retired police officer who was drunk. The retired NYPD cop crashed into the pedestrian as he was turning off the Henry Hudson Parkway onto Broadway near W. 254th street in the Bronx, NYC. He remained at the scene of the accident and was taken into custody for drunk driving. The pedestrian was rushed to the hospital in grave condition.

Every month in New York City, there are more than 100 vehicle accidents related to drunk driving. This number reached a peak of 235 in September 2014, went back down below 150 at the beginning of the year and was again above 150 in March 2015.

Published on: May 26, 2015

As the cab driver who fatally struck 9 year old Cooper Stock tries to dodge the lawsuit with technicalities, Ben Rubinowitz who represents Cooper’s family tells the New York Post that the wrongful-death case will include an “absolutely heart-wrenching video” of Richard Stock trying to pick up his son’s body immediately after the boy was run over by the cab

By GGCRBHS&M

New York Personal Injury Lawyer Ben Rubinowitz who is representing Dana Lerner and Richard Stock in a wrongful death lawsuit against Koffi Komlani, the taxi driver who killed their son Cooper in a traffic accident, said to the New York Post that both parties were proprely served after the lawyers representing the cabbie tried to use a technicality to dodge the lawsuit.

Copper was crossing the road with his dad at 97th Street and West End Avenue in the Upper West Side in January 2014 when he was fatally struck by the taxi driver who was making a left-hand turn. A witness took a video of Richard Stock trying to pick up his son just after he was run over by the taxi. This video will be included in the lawsuit. “[Richard Stock] is screaming at the top of his lungs. There could never be anything worse for a father,” said Ben Rubinowitz.

Because of insurance caps, Cooper parents do no expect to receive more than $50,000 but they want to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit to hold the cab driver accountable for his recklessness.

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Published on: May 21, 2015

The NYC DOT and NYPD recently released the Vision Zero Borough Pedestrian Safety Action Plans as part of the Zero Vision Program to reduce deaths and severe personal injury related to traffic accidents in New York City

By GGCRBHS&M

The Borough Pedestrian Safety Action Plans are one of 63 Vision Zero initiatives designed to eliminate deaths and personal injuries from traffic accidents in New York City. This set of five plans have been developed by the New York Department of Transportation and the NYPD. Each safety action plan addresses specific borough related challenges to pedestrian safety. The action plans are based on the input of the borough inhabitants gathered during multiple community workshops and also from numerous data and comments collected on the interactive Zero Vision map.

Bronx Pedestrian Safety Action Plan

The Bronx pedestrian fatality rate is higher than the NYC average. Most traffic fatalities and personal injuries happen in the high-density neighborhoods in the north- and south-westerly portions of the Bronx. Arterial streets such as The Grand Concourse, 3rd Avenue, and Fordham Road are the most dangerous. A lot of pedestrians are killed when crossing the street mid- block because of the lack of an adequate number of crossroads. The Bronx has a lot of overnight pedestrian fatalities. Seniors represent 36% of the Bronx pedestrian fatalities and young adults 18%. Dangerous driving such as speeding, failing to yield, turning on red distracted driving and DUI are the cause of 85% of the pedestrian fatalities in the Bronx and hit and run occurs in 30 % of cases.

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Published on: May 6, 2015

Our managing partner, Ben Rubinowitz comments on recent decision by Manhattan DA to charge a driver who killed a pedestrian with manslaughter

By GGCRBHS&M

New York Personal Injury Lawyer Ben Rubinowitz has extensive experience representing the families of pedestrians and cyclists who have been killed or severely injured by negligent motorists in New York. Recently Ben tried a wrongful death case in The U.S. District Court for The Southern District of New York, in which the Court held the Federal Government %100 liable and awarded monetary damages estimated to be approximately $5 million for lawyer Nat Dershowitz in a successful civil case against the driver of a U.S. Postal Service Truck that struck and killed his wife(see prior blog). Ben also represents Dana Lerner, the mother of 9 year old Cooper Stock who was hit by a taxi driver as he was in the crosswalk with his father resulting in his death. In a recent article in NY Press Ben reflects on a recent decision by Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance Jr. to charge a motorist who killed a pedestrian in the Bowery with manslaughter.

Read the article here

Published on: April 14, 2015

A cyclist and a pedestrian were critically injured in two separate accidents in Brooklyn, New York

By GGCRBHS&M

Two men suffered severe personal injury in two separate accidents that happened in Brooklyn, NYC, on Sunday night. One of them was a 46 year old cyclist who crashed his bike into the back of an MTA bus in Williamsburg and the other one was a pedestrian who was struck by a car three hours later in Crown Heights. Both were transported to the hospital in critical condition.

Read more in the NY Daily News

Published on: March 17, 2015

A 61 year old pedestrian was seriously injured after being hit by a car in Brooklyn, New York City

By GGCRBHS&M

A 61 year old woman is in critical condition after she was struck by a car which was making a right turn from 21st Ave onto Cropsey Ave, in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, NYC. The accident happened Monday morning around 8:20. The pedestrian was crossing the street in the intersection. The driver stayed at the scene of the accident and he wasn’t charged. Meanwhile the police are still investigating. Read more in the Bensonhurst Bean

Update: the driver has been arrested, see NY Daily News

Picure: Google map

Published on: March 13, 2015

As part as the Vision Zero Initiative to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries, the mayor’s preliminary budget is allocating $250 million over 4 years to redesign 4 of the most dangerous streets in New York City

By GGCRBHS&M

Four NYC streets that have a very high pedestrian fatality rate may be completely redesigned and reconstructed in a safer way over the next four years. According to mayor de Blasio’s preliminary budget, 100 million will be allocated to make Queens Boulevard safer and the other 150 million will be allocated to Fourth Avenue and Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn as well as the Grand Concourse in the Bronx. These four streets have been identified as some of the most deadly streets in New York City and even though some safety upgrades such as lower speed limits and speed cameras have already been implemented, the city is planning to completely redesign them. According to officials, theses safety improvements should lead to a reduction of 30 to 40% of deaths and injuries on these streets. Read more in Transportation Nation
Picture: Mayor de Blasio and Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg

Published on: March 13, 2015

The hit and run driver who struck and killed a pedestrian on New Year’s eve appeared in court but a judge adjourned the matter to the end of May

By GGCRBHS&M

44 year old Guler Ugur-Yaacob, was struck and killed by 28 year old Prezibor Porbeni at the intersection of W. 113 Street and Amsterdam Ave on December 31st 2013 (see previous blog). The driver fled the scene of the accident leaving the woman dying on the street. He later surrendered to the DA’s office and was charged with leaving the scene of an accident without reporting it and aggravated unlicensed driving. Yesterday Porbeni appeared for a brief appearance at Manhattan Supreme Court where several friends of Guler Ugur-Yaacob were present to face him and to plead for harsher charges. Read more in the NY Daily News