New York is a city full of small streets filled with all different types of vehicular traffic: SUVs, 18-wheelers, motorcyclists, city buses, and cyclists. When all of these are on the road together, accidents can and often do ensue.
Two weeks ago, a cyclist was killed in Maspeth, Queens when an truck towng a dump truck turned a corner and struck the woman on her bike. The driver was arrested at the scene and charged with manslaughter, but the woman suffered injuries that led to her death hours later at Elmhurst Hospital and could have been prevented had the truck driver watched the traffic and abided by the Right of Way law.
Last summer, New York City’s “Right of Way Law” went into effect, making failure to yield to a pedestrian an offense punishable by as much as $250 and 30 days in prison when there is an injury. As of May 2015, there had been 23 total Right of Way arrests, including six city bus drivers, whose union subsequently fought to be exempt from the law.
It is important, in a city with millions of people crossing streets and cycling to and from locations each day, that pedestrians are carefully watched for and yieled to. Every year more than 15,000 people walking and biking are injured by drivers on New York City streets. Drivers failing to yield to pedestrians is the leading cause of these injuries – injuries that are often life-altering, involving loss of limb, brain damage or extensive hospitalization.
Before the Right of Way Law, the majority of these drivers would only face a small fine and 3 points on their driving record. Often there would be no consequences at all.
If you or a loved one have been involved in an accident where a vehicle did not give the pedestrian the right of way, call our law office today. The attorneys at the Law Office of Richard M. Kenny have over a combined century of experience dealing with automotive and pedestrian accident cases, and have sustained over $250 million in verdicts and settlements to prove their success in these cases. Our attorneys specialize in these types of cases and go to all lengths to get the results you deserve, and these include obtaining and analyzing red light camera footage, security videos of the scene, speaking to any and all witnesses, and scrutinizing dash cams and GoPro videos from people near the scene.
Call our office today to discuss your Right of Way case and figure out your next steps. Our attorneys are here to help you.
