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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Deadly Long Island CrashOur New York Car Accident Lawyers Discuss Legal and Investigative Issues Following Mother’s Day Fatal Crash on Long Island

Three lives were tragically cut short in the early hours of Mother’s Day after a 2022 Dodge Durango veered off the road and slammed into a tree near Bethpage State Park in Long Island. The vehicle immediately burst into flames, killing all three 20-year-old occupants inside. Nassau County police confirmed the identities of the victims on Tuesday: Gino Vicale of Seaford, Nicholas Rivera of Glendale, and Vincent Cavaliere of Bethpage.

The crash occurred around 1 a.m. on Stymus Avenue, as the SUV was reportedly heading eastbound. Authorities are still working to determine the cause of the crash, including who was driving at the time and how fast the vehicle was traveling.

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Accident sceneThe arrest of an ambulance driver nearly six months after a fatal crash in Manhattan has reignited serious questions about pedestrian safety — and accountability — in one of New York City’s most heavily trafficked corridors.

According to police, 69-year-old Miriam Reinharth was lawfully crossing W. 96th Street on November 12, 2024, when she was struck by an ambulance making a left turn from Amsterdam Avenue. Despite remaining on the scene and personally transporting Reinharth to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital, the driver, 28-year-old Juan Santana, was charged this week with failure to yield and failure to exercise due care.

As pedestrian accident attorneys in New York City, we know all too well how long it can take for criminal or civil accountability to catch up after a deadly crash — especially when the vehicle involved belongs to an emergency service. But let’s be clear: emergency vehicle drivers are still bound by rules of the road, and pedestrians have the right to cross safely, even when ambulances are operating under lights and sirens.

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Car Accidents, Bicycle Crashes, Pedestrian Knockdowns, and Construction Injuries Spike as New Yorkers Head Outdoors

As New York thaws from winter and the streets grow busier, personal injury claims tend to rise—often sharply—during the spring months. At Gair, Gcommon NY personal injuries in the springair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf, our attorneys have represented victims of serious accidents for more than 100 years. Below are the most common spring-related personal injury cases we see across New York City.

1. Car Accidents Increase with Holiday Travel and Wet Roads

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Accident sceneAt Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf, we are deeply saddened to learn of two fatal pedestrian crashes that occurred in New York City this past Friday — tragic events that underscore the persistent dangers faced by pedestrians across the five boroughs.

Upper West Side: 57-Year-Old Pedestrian Fatally Struck by Ford Van

Early Friday morning, Patrice Brooks, a 57-year-old resident of the Upper West Side, was struck and killed by a Ford van while crossing the intersection at 86th Street and Broadway. According to the NYPD, Brooks was crossing diagonally at approximately 4:27 a.m. when the eastbound van, operated by a 41-year-old woman who had the green light, struck him.

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Justin Diaz killed by a drunk driverThe recent arraignment of Michael Peña, a former FDNY firefighter accused of causing a fatal car crash in Kew Gardens while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, highlights the devastating consequences of reckless driving and the urgent need for accountability in our justice system.

On February 26, 2025, 23-year-old Justin Diaz (picture) was just a block and a half from his family’s home, driving to an early shift at LaGuardia Airport, when his life was tragically cut short. According to prosecutors, Peña—who was off-duty at the time—was traveling at 83 mph, nearly three times the speed limit, when he ran a red light at Northern Boulevard and 107th Street and slammed into Diaz’s vehicle. The crash proved fatal.

Our Queens car accident attorneys represent families devastated by senseless, preventable crashes like this one. No one expects that a loved one commuting to work will be killed by a driver allegedly intoxicated by alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine—especially not someone sworn to protect the public.

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NYPD Chase LawyersOn April 2, 2025, a high-speed police chase through Upper Manhattan ended in tragedy when a stolen 2025 Honda CRV crashed into a building in Inwood and burst into flames. The driver, later identified as 31-year-old Francisco Andres Guzman Parra, was killed in the fiery wreck. Now, his family is demanding accountability—and legal experts are questioning whether NYPD officers violated pursuit policies that were specifically designed to prevent such outcomes.

As NYC car accident lawyers who have represented families in cases involving police chase fatalities, we understand the legal and emotional turmoil these cases leave behind. This incident, like many others, raises troubling questions about the balance between law enforcement efforts and public safety.

Family Left in Agony as Identification Delayed

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Deadly Bronx Intersection of E 149th St & Morris AveA 52-year-old pedestrian, Inza Fofana, tragically died after being struck by a van while crossing the street at E. 149th Street and Morris Avenue in Mott Haven. The fatal crash occurred around 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday when a 2019 Ford Transit van, driven by a 48-year-old man, was attempting a left turn onto Morris Avenue. Fofana was transported to Lincoln Hospital in critical condition and later died from his injuries.

As Bronx car accident lawyers who have handled numerous pedestrian fatality cases, we understand how common and devastating these left-turn collisions can be — particularly at intersections like E. 149th and Morris, which see high volumes of foot and vehicle traffic. Left-turn crashes are notoriously dangerous for pedestrians due to limited visibility, driver inattention, and misjudgment of speed or distance.

In many of the pedestrian accident cases we handle, the victims were lawfully crossing the street when they were hit by drivers who either failed to yield or were not exercising due care. Investigations may take time, and fault is not always immediately assigned, but under New York law, drivers have a legal duty to watch for pedestrians and avoid collisions, even when the pedestrian is not in a marked crosswalk.

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Location of the hit and run accident on Court Street and Atlantic AveA 4-year-old boy is recovering from his injuries after being struck by an SUV in a hit-and-run crash that occurred Thursday afternoon at the intersection of Court Street and Atlantic Avenue in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. According to the NYPD, the crash happened just before 5 p.m. as the child was crossing the street with his family.

Police say the driver was traveling eastbound on Court Street in a right-turn-only lane but failed to turn, instead continuing straight through the intersection—illegally—before hitting the child in the ankle. The driver then made a left onto Atlantic Avenue and fled the scene without stopping. The young victim was transported to Cobble Hill Hospital in stable condition.

As Brooklyn car accident lawyers who have handled countless cases involving reckless drivers and unsafe intersections, we are deeply troubled by yet another preventable crash at this notoriously chaotic crossing.

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Winter Storm in NYC keep most New Yorkers indoorPedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and motor vehicle occupant fatalities declined in New York City during the first quarter.

While Mayor Adams Celebrates Progress Under Vision Zero, Winter Weather May Be the Unsung Hero

Officials are celebrating a sharp and historic drop in traffic fatalities during the first quarter of 2025. According to a recent announcement by Mayor Eric Adams and DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, 41 people died in traffic crashes between January and March—down from 65 during the same period last year, and the second lowest Q1 total since records began.

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BX 41 MTA BUS similar to the one involved in the accidentOn Tuesday morning, 16 people were injured in a serious collision involving a Bx41 MTA bus and a Department of Sanitation (DSNY) vehicle near Webster Avenue and East 187th Street in Belmont, the FDNY confirmed. All victims were transported to SBH Health System with injuries reported as non-life-threatening.

At Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf, our attorneys are closely following the investigation into this crash. With decades of experience representing victims of MTA bus collisions and other municipal vehicle accidents in the Bronx, our team understands the complex issues of liability that arise when government entities like the MTA and DSNY are involved.

What We Know About the Belmont Crash