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 Pedestrian Accidents

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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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NYPD misconduct cost a lot of money to New York tax payersTwo pedestrians were injured on Monday afternoon when they were struck by an NYPD patrol car attempting to avoid a taxi turning at a busy Manhattan intersection. The incident took place around 4:09 p.m. at Broadway and West 112th Street in Morningside Heights.

According to reports, a 63-year-old man and a 74-year-old woman were seated in an outdoor dining area when the northbound NYPD vehicle swerved away from a southbound taxi attempting a left turn onto W. 112th Street. The patrol car, which had its lights and sirens activated, then jumped the curb and struck the couple.

Three police officers and a 32-year-old civilian passenger were inside the squad car at the time. All six individuals — including the two pedestrians — were transported to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital and listed in stable condition.

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Queensboro_Bridge_from_Manhattan_sideA Blog by our NYC Personal Injury Lawyers

After years of dangerous conditions and tireless advocacy, New Yorkers finally have a safer way to cross the Queensboro Bridge. On Sunday, the city officially opened a newly redesigned layout that separates cyclists and pedestrians for the first time in the bridge’s history.

Until now, pedestrians and cyclists were forced to share a narrow 11-foot-wide space on the north outer roadway — a setup that led to constant congestion, unsafe conditions, and a documented pattern of injuries. As lawyers who represent victims of bicycle and pedestrian accidents throughout New York City, we’ve long seen the consequences of neglecting proper infrastructure. The redesign is a major step in the right direction.

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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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Queensboro_Bridge_from_Manhattan_sideDespite years of planning and a near-complete pedestrian infrastructure project on the Queensboro Bridge, New York City continues to favor motor vehicles over the safety of its most vulnerable road users. On Saturday, more than 200 activists, including local officials and transportation advocates, walked across the southern roadway of the bridge to protest Mayor Adams’s failure to open the long-promised pedestrian pathway.

As New York City bicycle crash attorneys and pedestrian accident lawyers, we’ve seen firsthand how overcrowded, dangerous infrastructure contributes to severe injuries and fatalities. Nowhere is this more evident than on the Queensboro Bridge, where pedestrians and cyclists are forced to share a single, narrow 10-foot path—often resulting in collisions, near-misses, and chaos.

A Preventable Safety Crisis

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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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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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Fatal Brooklyn car accident location on Quentin road and Ocean ParkwayA devastating car crash in Brooklyn has once again underscored the urgent need for legislative action to hold repeat speeding offenders accountable. As Brooklyn car accident lawyers with decades of experience representing families shattered by preventable tragedies, we echo the community’s demand for real solutions—not just condolences—when reckless driving takes innocent lives.

On Saturday, 34-year-old Natasha Saada and her two young daughters, Diana (8) and Deborah (5), were struck and killed while walking on Ocean Parkway near Quentin Avenue in Midwood. Her 4-year-old son, Philip, remains in critical condition. The driver, Miriam Yarimi, who had an extensive history of speeding violations—including 21 speeding tickets, 15 of which occurred in school zones—now faces multiple felony charges, including manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.

This crash is not an isolated incident. Brooklyn streets, particularly high-speed corridors like Ocean Parkway, have long been the site of deadly pedestrian crashes involving drivers with repeat traffic offenses. What makes this case even more heartbreaking is how preventable it may have been.