Truck Accidents

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

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.

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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.

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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.

Published on: January 10, 2016

New York truck accident lawyer Ben Rubinowitz obtained a settlement of $4.8 million

By GGCRBHS&M

Our managing partner NYC truck accident attorney Ben Rubinowitz obtained a $4.8 million settlement for the family of a victim of a NYC truck accident.

On March 9 2011, around noon, Albert DeFilippo was riding in a “Lifestyle for the Disabled” van in Staten Island when the vehicle was struck by a FDNY truck. DePhilippo and the other passengers of the van had attended a workshop and eaten lunch and were being driven back to Pleasant Plain when the accident happened.

The FDNY truck was rushing on Richmond Road toward the Staten Island Expressway. Its lights were flashing and its siren was wailing. When the truck reached the intersection of Burgher Avenue it collided with the Lyfestyle van. The van was making a left turn from Burgher. The impact was so strong than one of the riders died, two others were critically injured and 6 others suffered minor injuries.

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Published on: December 10, 2015

Mayor de Blasio demonstrates how to prevent dangerous truck accidents in New York City

By GGCRBHS&M

An erratic truck driver who failed to yield to Mayor de Blasio was pulled over by the mayor’s security detail after he was spotted running a red light and driving the wrong way in Brooklyn, NYC, yesterday. After he was pulled over, the detail discovered that the truck driver who’s name is Franky Matarrese, had no license to drive such a large vehicle and that he also had no registration on the truck. Matarrarsse was slapped with 13 violations. Read more in the NY Daily News

The number of truck accidents in New York City has been on the rise over the last 3 years. Recent statistics from the NYPD show that last September there were 713 truck accidents in the city compared to 557 in September 2013 and 672 in September 2014. During most of the months of 2015 the monthly number of truck accidents in NYC was above 700, a number never reached in 2013 and only twice in 2014.

Published on: November 16, 2015

The monthly number of pedestrians killed in vehicle accidents in New York City in September reached a record low while the number of people killed in bicycle accidents remained on an uptrend; truck and bus accidents are also on the rise

By GGCRBHS&M

776 pedestrians, 513 bicyclists, 1236 passengers and 1960 motorists suffered personal injury in motor vehicle accidents in New York City in September compared to respectively 714 pedestrians, 565 bicyclists, 1448 passengers and 2010 motorists in August and 751 pedestrians, 485 bicyclists, 1677 passengers and 1523 motorists in September 2014.

While the number of pedestrians injured in NYC traffic accidents has been below 1000 since the beginning of 2014, the number of people injured in bicycle accidents stayed over 500 for the last 3 months. The number of motorists injured has also been unusually high and staying above 2000 for the last 3 months.

4 pedestrians, 2 bicyclists, 2 passengers and 6 motorists died in motor vehicle accidents in September compared to 11 pedestrians, 3 bicyclists, 2 passengers and 5 motorists in August and 13 pedestrians, 1 bicyclist, 4 passengers and 8 motorists in September 2014. The Vision Zero Initiative is having a positive impact. Since the beginning of the year, it is the fourth month that the total monthly traffic fatalities are below 15. In 2014 it happened only twice and in 2013 the monthly number of people dying on New York City Streets never went below 15.

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