Truck Accidents

Published on: April 24, 2016

NYPD blames the victim in fatal collision between a bicyclist and a truck in New York City

A bicyclist died after being struck by a tractor-trailer truck in Brooklyn, NYC, on Wednesday morning around 9:00 am. The accident occurred at the intersection of Sterling Place and 6th Ave in Park Slope in an area where tractor-trailers are not authorized to drive except if they have a special permit. In NYC, tractor-trailers can only drive on designated truck roads but according to local residents it is common to see big rigs driving on 6th Avenue especially since the Atlantic Yards has been developed.(see video below). The NYPD doesn’t seem to really care about this issue as so far since the beginning of the year no tickets for truck route violations have been issued by the 78th precinct where the accident happened. Instead of admitting that the truck wasn’t supposed to be driving in a narrow residential avenue, the NYPD blamed the bicyclist for his own death.

In a first statement the police implied that the cyclist was at fault and hit the rear wheel as he was trying to grab the side of the truck to hitch a ride. In a second statement the NYPD changed its version and said that the bicyclist was pulled under the wheel of the truck by a wind force. For this to happen, the truck would have to have been driving at a speed that would likely be impossible to reach on this narrow Brooklyn Ave. It seems pretty obvious to us hat the big rig wasn’t supposed to drive in the residential area and that he recklessly passed the bicyclist too close. Additionally, witnesses reported that he was driving with headphones on.

Read more in the Gothamist

Continue reading →

Published on: March 25, 2016

Pedestrian bicycle and motorcycle accidents were unusually high in New York City in February while bus and truck accidents decreased

By GGCRBHS&M

February showed an increase in pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents and motorcycle accidents in NYC while bus accidents and truck accidents were lower than the previous years during the same month. Was the usually warm weather a contributing factor or is Vision Zero not really working?

After two years of decrease, the monthly number of pedestrians injured in NYC crashes in February is back to the level where it was 3 years ago. Last month 980 pedestrians were injured in traffic accidents in the city compared to 735 in February 2015, 820 in February 2014 and 983 in February 2013. 11 pedestrians died in motor vehicle accidents in NYC last month. The same number of people died the previous month and in February 2015. After Zero Vision was launched in 2014, the number of pedestrians killed in the month of February initially decreased from 13 to 8 between February 2013 and February 2014 and went back up above 10 for the last two years.

Even though the trend is still showing a decline of pedestrians injuries since the beginning of 2013, the 3-month moving average is back around 1,000 while for the same period last year it was around 900. A similar observation can be made for the 3-month moving average of pedestrians killed in traffic accidents. While the moving average was below or at the level of the trend line in February 2015 and 2014 it is now back above the level of the trend line in February 2016.

Continue reading →

Published on: March 16, 2016

Pedestrian dies in New York sanitation truck accident near the very controversial East 91st Street Marine Transfer Station

By GGCRBHS&M

A pedestrian was fatally struck by a sanitation truck in New York yesterday morning around 6:00 am. The pedestrian, a 55 year old woman had the right of way. She was crossing First Avenue in the crosswalk with the walk sign on when she was struck by a sanitation truck driver who was making a left turn from 92nd Street onto First Ave. After the accident the police indicated that the victim was injured but conscious. She had a deep cut on her forehead and she also complained of leg and wrist pain. She was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead 20 minutes later. She may have suffered fatal internal bleeding.

The driver of the sanitation truck stayed at the scene of the accident. So far he hasn’t been arrested or charged. Under the Right of Way Law, New York drivers injure or kill a pedestrian who has the right of way can be criminally charged.

Residents of Yorkville had long predicted that such an accident would happened when in 2014 they tried to oppose the construction of the East 91st Street Marine Transfer Station, a massive garbage site visited by hundreds of garbage trucks every day.

Continue reading →

Published on: March 7, 2016

Despite Vision Zero efforts, the last four months saw an increase in pedestrians dying and suffering personal injury in car accidents in NYC

By GGCRBHS&M

There are usually less personal injuries and deaths related to motor vehicle accidents in New York City during the month of January than during most other months. This January there were 17,798 traffic accidents compared to 15,977 in January 2015, 16,597 in January 2014 and 15,599. Even though motor vehicle accidents decreased from January 2014 to 2015 the number of monthly accidents has been on an increasing trend. It is the first time that the number of traffic accidents is above 17,000 for the month of January.

Despite an increasing number of traffic accidents the number of injuries and deaths related to theses accidents have decreased. This is hopefully related to the introduction of various initiatives to make the streets safer launched under the NYC Vision Zero project. As motorists are driving slower and in a safer way, accidents still happen but less road users are injured or die.

3,624 people were injured in a traffic crash in New York this past January. This is more than in January 2015 (2,449) but less than in January 2014 (3,899) and in January 2013 (3,993). Globally over the last 3 years the monthly number of people injured in NYC auto accidents has been decreasing. However during the last few months, the number of injuries have been picking up again. For example, In December 2015 there were 4,519 people injured in auto accidents in NYC compared to 4,117 in December 2014 and 4,277 in December 2013. It was the first time that the number of injuries related to traffic accidents in NYC was above the trend line in December.

Continue reading →

Published on: February 25, 2016

Major New York storm causes widespread damages, overturns tractor trailer truck and seiously injures man in the Bronx

By GGCRBHS&M

A man suffered serious personal injury after a dozen bricks fell on his head in the Bronx and a tractor trailer flipped over on the George Washington Bridge yesterday night as a heavy storm ravaged the New York City Metro Area, New Jersey, Long Island, Southern Connecticut and the Lower Hudson Valley.

Strong winds with gusts over 50mph caused a tractor-trailer truck to flip over on the George Washington Bridge yesterday night a little before 10;00 pm. Thankfully nobody was injured in the truck accident. A man in the Bronx was less fortunate. As he was heading home bricks from a building fell on his head. He was seriously injured according to the NYPD. A witness said that after the accident the man could barely move and had blood all over his face. The police also investigated the possibility that the wind may have caused an entire building to collapse in the Bronx as well.

A sidewalk shed collapsed in Brooklyn.

Continue reading →

Published on: February 17, 2016

A woman wo was lying in the middle of the road was fatally struck by a US Postal truck in Brooklyn New York

By GGCRBHS&M

A woman was killed in a truck accident in Brooklyn, NYC, early this morning. For some mysterious reason, 52 year old Dorria Campfield from the Bronx was lying face down in the middle of Fulton Ave near Roackaway Ave at 5:00 am this morning when a US postal truck ran over her. The driver said it din’t realized it was a person. He thought it was a bump. After he realized what happened, the 66 year old driver stayed at the scene of the accident and wasn’t charge.

Recently our personal injury law firm obtained a $4.6 million verdict for the family of a woman who was killed by a postal truck while she was riding her bike. (see previous blog)

Published on: February 15, 2016

Pedestrian dies in New York truck accident

By GGCRBHS&M

A pedestrian was fatally hit by a dump truck in New York City on Friday. The accident between the truck and the pedestrian happened at the intersection of 11th Avenue at West 37th Street, Manhattan, in front of the Javits Center. The 48 year old woman was crossing 11th Avenue when the truck made a right turn from 37th Street onto 11th Ave. Brenda Katz who was in a cab just behind the truck told DNA Info that the pedestrian was most probably in the dead angle of the truck driver and that he didn’t see her. She said the back wheel of the truck ran over her. The woman died at the scene of the accident. According to the Daily News the victim was travelling from Canada.

Published on: February 11, 2016

Pedestrian fatally hit by flatbed truck in Manhattan

By GGCRBHS&M

A 63 year old grandmother died in a truck accident yesterday in New York. The accident happened yesterday night at 8:48 pm at the intersection of Broadway and West 165th Street in Manhattan. Maria Minchala had just come out of the church and was on her way to work. She was crossing Broadway in the crosswalk when a flatbed truck hit her.

The truck driver who was operating a NYC Tire and Auto Care Inc. truck, was making a left turn onto Broadway when he hit her. He stayed at the scene of the accident and told the police that he never saw the victim. He explained that as he was turning he felt a bump and pulled over. He stepped out and discovered the victim.

Maria Minchala was rushed to the hospital but she didn’t survive. She was the second pedestrian to die in a traffic accident in NYC yesterday. Earlier in the day a 16 year old girl was fatally struck by a hit and run van in Queens (see previous blog)

Published on: January 25, 2016

Pedestrian fatally crushed by cement truck in Queens, NYC

By GGCRBHS&M

A 61 year old pedestrian died in a truck accident in Queens, NYC, last Friday. The victim was crossing College Point Boulevard in College point when she was hit by a cement truck. The truck was making a turn onto 15th Ave when the accident happened. The driver stayed at the scene of the accident. The police said no charges were expected to be filed. The woman was rushed to the hospital but she couldn’t be saved. (Read more in the NY Daily News)

The picture of intersection where the accident happened showed that if the pedestrian was crossing in the crosswalk she had the right of way.

Published on: January 20, 2016

Bicyclist killed in NYC truck accident

By GGCRBHS&M

A truck fatally struck a bicyclist in Brooklyn, NYC. The truck accident happened yesterday at 5 pm in Sheepshead Bay. 54 year old Reng Can Ma was riding his bicycle westbound on Avenue U near Ninth Street. A truck driver who was riding in the same direction passed him to closely and hit him. The truck driver didn’t stop. Witnesses believe his truck was so big that he may have not realized that he hit the bicyclist. The police are still looking for him. They have released a surveillance video showing the truck passing the cyclist seconds before the accident. The truck was a large Ryder truck with Indiana license plates. Several people who witnessed the accident ran over to the victim and tried to help him but there was little they could do. The man was lying in the middle of the street and wasn’t moving. According to a witness he was bleeding from the head and he was confused. He was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Read more and see video on ABC7 NY.

Avenue U is Brooklyn’s second Chinatown. It’s a neighborhood that has been developing fast recently. More and more Chinese food markets, bakeries nail salons and electronic stores are opening between Coney Island Ave and Ocean Ave. The traffic has increased as well and numerous complaints have been reported on the Vision Zero map by concerned residents. The Vision Zero map that was used to define the City’s Vision Zero borough safety action plans shows that Sheepshead Bay residents were worried about the safety of Avenue U. Most of the complaints are related to double parking. Residents reported that there were constantly cars double parked on both side of the Avenue. Jay walking was also reported on several spots. Additionally complaints of running red lights, failure to yield to pedestrians and illegal U-turns were also reported by some residents.