Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf is a New York Plaintiff's personal injury law firm specializing in automobile accidents, construction accidents, medical malpractice, products liability, police misconduct and all types of New York personal injury litigation.

Articles Posted in Auto Accidents

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Jewel Perez died in a Queens car accidentAs Queens car accident lawyers, we’ve seen firsthand the devastation reckless driving can bring to families and communities. The recent fiery crash on the Belt Parkway that killed 24-year-old driver Noah Thompson and his 22-year-old passenger Jewel Perez is a heartbreaking reminder of just how deadly these incidents can be — especially when speed, alcohol, and failure to wear seat belts may be involved.

According to reports, Thompson was driving a BMW eastbound on the Belt Parkway around 6 a.m. on Saturday when he lost control near the Cross Bay Boulevard exit in Howard Beach. He slammed into a concrete divider, causing the vehicle to go airborne, land on the opposite side of the highway, strike two other cars — a Honda CR-V and a red Hyundai — and burst into flames. Tragically, neither Thompson nor Perez survived their injuries. Three other passengers in the BMW miraculously escaped with minor injuries.

At the time of the crash, none of the BMW occupants were wearing seat belts. Police sources have indicated that authorities were seeking a warrant to test Thompson’s blood for alcohol before he died.

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Location of the Bronx Hit and Run AccidentFrom the Perspective of our Bronx Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyers

A shocking hit-and-run incident in the Melrose section of the Bronx sent six people to the hospital after a vehicle careened onto the sidewalk and into a sidewalk shed at the busy intersection of East 149th Street and Courtlandt Avenue . Surveillance footage captured the driver of a dark-colored Ford Mustang briefly pausing at the intersection around 11 a.m. before striking a pedestrian, jumping the curb, and crashing into five more people.

Instead of stopping to render aid, the driver backed up and fled the scene. Both the driver and a passenger allegedly abandoned the heavily damaged vehicle and ran off on foot. The NYPD is actively searching for the individuals involved.

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location of the Brooklyn Hit and Run fatal accidentFrom the Perspective of our Brooklyn Car Accident Lawyers

Another life was lost to reckless driving on the streets of Brooklyn—and this time, it was a man who reportedly died saving someone else.

According to authorities, a 36-year-old pedestrian was fatally struck in a hit-and-run crash Thursday night at the intersection of East New York Avenue and Broadway in East New York. Witnesses say the driver of a silver sedan was speeding down the roadway around 10 p.m., hitting multiple construction barriers before slamming into the man at the intersection and fleeing the scene. Tragically, the victim was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

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intersection of Cropsey Avenue and 17th Avenue in Brooklyn where the van accident occuredA serious van crash in Brooklyn’s Bath Beach neighborhood left more than a dozen people injured on Tuesday morning, highlighting the vulnerability of passengers who rely on ambulette and medical transport services. The incident occurred just before 10 a.m. near the intersection of Cropsey Avenue and 17th Avenue.

The vehicle involved, a transport van operated by D & J Ambulette Services, was carrying adult passengers with special needs when it veered off the road and struck a tree. Witnesses stated the 44-year-old driver attempted to swerve to avoid another vehicle, causing the van to lose control and crash. Initial reports from ABC7NY confirmed that 12 individuals were transported to NYU Langone Hospital for evaluation, while News12 placed the number of injuries at 14. Among the injured, one person suffered a leg injury, and another sustained a head laceration.

As Brooklyn automobile accident attorneys who have represented victims in similar crashes, we understand that transport vans like ambulettes must adhere to strict safety standards. When drivers make sudden maneuvers or when these vehicles are not properly maintained, the consequences can be devastating, especially for passengers with disabilities who may be less able to brace for impact or exit a damaged vehicle quickly.

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Location of the fatal collision between the car in the scooter in QueensA fatal crash in Queens, NYC, tragically ended the life of a local stand-up scooter rider during morning rush hour, underscoring the increasing dangers faced by micromobility users on city streets.

According to the NYPD, 39-year-old Shaun Lagredelle was riding his electric scooter westbound on 116th Avenue in Cambria Heights just before 6:40 a.m. on June 26, when a Ford Transit van traveling eastbound attempted to turn left onto Nashville Boulevard. The van collided with the scooter, throwing Lagredelle to the pavement. He sustained severe head and body injuries and was rushed by EMS to Long Island Jewish Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

As Queens car accident lawyers, we have seen far too many cases involving electric scooters and bicycles where drivers fail to yield or misjudge turns—often with fatal consequences. These cases raise urgent questions about visibility, driver attentiveness, and the adequacy of street design in protecting vulnerable road users.

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location-of-the-deadly-accident-on-Eastern-ParkWayBy the Brooklyn Car Accident Lawyers at Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf

An 8-year-old boy was recently struck and killed at the intersection of Eastern Parkway and Albany Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, a tragic and avoidable death that underscores the growing threat posed by oversized vehicles on our city streets.

Mordechai Keller, a young pedestrian barely tall enough to clear the bumper of the SUV that killed him, was crossing Albany Avenue with the light when he was fatally struck by a 2011 Honda Pilot. Surveillance video shows the SUV advancing through the intersection as the light changed, hitting the child. The driver, a 69-year-old man with multiple prior speeding and red-light violations, was not charged.

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location of the Long Island Car AccidentA serious pedestrian crash in Huntington early Sunday morning has once again drawn attention to the dangers of impaired driving—this time involving an off-duty law enforcement officer.

According to Suffolk County police, a 28-year-old man was crossing New York Avenue at Carver Street around 2:30 a.m. when he was struck by a southbound 2012 Chevrolet Camaro. The driver was later identified as Alexander Vargas, a 30-year-old off-duty Suffolk County police officer assigned to the Second Precinct.

The victim sustained serious injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital. Vargas was arrested at the scene and charged with Driving While Intoxicated (DWI). Following the incident, he was suspended without pay.

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car accident scene in ManhattanFrom the Perspective of  the New York Car Accident Attorneys at Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf

In the early hours of June 11, 2025, the New York State Senate quietly gutted one of the most promising traffic safety bills in recent memory—effectively choosing to shield the state’s most reckless drivers rather than protect pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists. As NYC car accident attorneys who have represented far too many families devastated by speeding-related crashes, we find this decision both disheartening and dangerous.

The original “Stop Super Speeders” bill proposed a clear, common-sense measure: require any driver who racks up six or more speed or red-light camera tickets in a 12-month period to install a speed-limiting device in their vehicle. If enacted as drafted, this measure would have impacted more than 150,000 high-risk drivers in New York City alone—drivers whose repeated offenses clearly indicate a disregard for traffic laws and public safety.

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Car Accident NYAt Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf, our New York personal injury attorneys have represented victims of negligence in New York for more than 100 years. Each June, we see a seasonal rise in serious personal injury claims across the five boroughs. Below are the most common types of cases we handle this time of year—and what you should know if you or a loved one has been injured.


1. Car Accident Claims

Traffic congestion increases significantly in the summer, and with it, so do accidents. Many of the cases we handle involve serious injuries caused by speeding, distracted driving, or failure to yield. We have obtained some of the highest verdicts and settlements in New York for motor vehicle accident victims, including an $85 million jury verdict for a pedestrian struck by a sightseeing bus in Manhattan.

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speed camerasAs car accident attorneys in New York City, we see firsthand the devastating consequences of reckless driving. The tragic crash in March that claimed the lives of a Brooklyn mother and her two children is just one of many heartbreaking cases where speed and repeat traffic violations played a deadly role. It is unacceptable that drivers with a long history of traffic violations — including multiple speed and red-light camera tickets — are still legally behind the wheel.

That’s why we support the New York City Department of Transportation’s urgent push for Albany to pass the long-stalled “super speeders” bill and to renew the city’s life-saving speed camera program.

The “super speeders” legislation is not extreme — it is common sense. It targets only the most dangerous drivers: those who rack up 11 or more points in two years or receive six or more speed or red-light camera tickets in a single year. These are not isolated incidents or minor infractions — they are signs of habitual, dangerous behavior. Requiring these drivers to install speed limiters is a reasonable measure that could prevent the next fatal crash.