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 Tagged with wrongful death NYC

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Gates and Wilson where the Boorklyn Car Accident occuredA tragic car crash in Bushwick has brought renewed attention to the dangers of reckless driving and high-speed police chases in densely populated neighborhoods. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced that Juan Lopez, 33, of Cypress Hills, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and other charges after causing a fatal collision while fleeing police in May 2024.

Reckless Fleeing Ends in Tragedy

According to prosecutors, police attempted to stop Lopez for speeding around 5:25 a.m. on May 26, 2024. Instead of pulling over, Lopez accelerated his black 2018 Mercedes-Benz sedan to nearly 75 mph, running a red light at Gates and Wilson Avenues. Moments later, he slammed head-on into a Honda Pilot traveling lawfully through the intersection at Central Avenue and Gates Avenue.

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United Nation S where the cop fatally hit the pedestrianAn NYPD officer fatally struck a pedestrian in Queens this past weekend, raising questions about accountability when accidents involve police vehicles. The tragic collision occurred near the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, just a day before the U.S. Open was set to begin.

According to police reports, the officer was driving a marked NYPD squad car at around 10 mph on United Nations Avenue South when she hit a man lying in the roadway around 4:39 p.m. Emergency medical services rushed the victim to New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The officer remained at the scene, and the NYPD Highway District Collision Investigation Squad is now investigating.

Can You Sue After Being Hit by a NYPD Car?

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From the E-Bike Accident Attorneys at Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf

Another fatal e-bike crash has claimed the life of a Queens resident, underscoring the rising dangers faced by cyclists and micromobility users on New York City streets. Zhao Feng Zhen, a 55-year-old woman from Bayside, was tragically killed on July 31, 2025, after an SUV struck her while both vehicles were traveling southbound on Hollis Court Boulevard in Queens Village.

According to NYPD reports, the fatal crash occurred just after 2:00 p.m. when a 2015 Nissan Rogue driven by a 62-year-old woman collided with Ms. Zhen’s e-bike near 50th Avenue. The impact ejected the victim from her e-bike, causing severe chest trauma. EMS transported her to NewYork-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad is still investigating. No arrests have been made.

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Benito died in a police chase accidentQueens Tragedy Raises Questions About NYPD Pursuit Practices and Accountability

At Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf, our Queens car accident attorneys represent families whose lives have been shattered by high-speed police chases gone wrong. The recent death of 15-year-old Antonio “Anthony” Benitez—struck by an unlicensed driver during an NYPD pursuit in Queens—is the latest incident that underscores the dangers of police chases in densely populated neighborhoods.

According to the NYPD, the fatal incident began with a 911 call at 8:01 p.m. on Saturday reporting a knifepoint robbery outside a pharmacy on Hillside Avenue and 257th Street in Floral Park. Responding officers began canvassing the area and encountered a group of teens. One of them—Antonio—fled on an electric bike. Officers pursued him for over a mile until he was fatally struck by a Lexus driver who was allegedly unlicensed.

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Accident sceneA tragic three-car crash in Co-op City, the Bronx, has once again highlighted the severe consequences of traffic collisions in New York City. According to the NYPD, the crash occurred around 5:25 p.m. on Bartow Avenue, near The Mall at Bay Plaza. The violent chain-reaction collision left one woman dead and six others—ranging in age from 11 to 79—hospitalized.

At Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf, our NYC city car accident lawyers are closely monitoring developments in this case. Our team of Bronx car accident lawyers has decades of experience representing victims of large-scale, multi-vehicle crashes across the borough. We understand the complexities these cases present—from unraveling conflicting witness accounts to identifying all potentially liable parties.

What Happened in Co-op City?

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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 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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As New York City bicycle-accident attorneys, we question Mayor Eric Adams’s push to cap e-bike speeds at 15 mph. The proposal grabs headlines, but the data shows that speed-limited e-bikes aren’t what’s killing New Yorkers—multi-ton motor vehicles and policy inaction are.

What the Numbers Say

From January 2024 through May 2025 at least 16 fatal bike-related crashes occurred city-wide. Only one involved a cyclist striking a pedestrian. The rest were motorists striking cyclists or cyclists forced into harm’s way by car doors, trucks, or emergency vehicles.

Date Victim Bike Type Citi Bike Cause Category Specific Cause / Scenario At Fault
2024-02-22 Cyclist Private pedal No Driver Error Truck left-turn hit-and-run Motorist
2024-02-23 Cyclist Private pedal No Driver Error Speeding driver ran red light Motorist
2024-02-27 Cyclist Citi Bike e-assist Yes Dooring + Driver Error Doored, then hit by passing car Shared
2024-04-04 Cyclist Private (pedal) No Driver Error Truck “right-hooked” across protected lane Motorist
2024-06-07 Cyclist Citi Bike pedal Yes Driver Error Box truck struck rider Motorist
2024-08-19 Cyclist Private e-bike No Driver Error Box truck right turn into teens on e-bike Motorist
2024-09-01 Cyclist Private pedal No Driver Error Drunk, unlicensed van driver Motorist
2024-10-22 Cyclist Private pedal No Police Chase Fleeing pickup ran red light Motorist
2024-10-30 Cyclist Private (pedal) No Emergency Vehicle FDNY pickup struck cyclist Motorist
2024-11-02 Cyclist Private (pedal) No Police Chase Fleeing minivan ran red light Motorist
2025-02-25 Cyclist Private (pedal) No Driver Error MTA bus turning through intersection Motorist
2025-03-19 Cyclist Private e-bike No Driver Error Two cars in chain-reaction crash Motorist
2025-03-21 Pedestrian Delivery e-bike No Cyclist Error E-biker blew stop sign, struck pedestrian Cyclist
2025-04-19 Cyclist Private (pedal) No Emergency Vehicle FDNY fire engine ran red light Motorist
2025-05-01 Cyclist Private e-bike No Dooring + Driver Error Doored, then run over by box truck Shared

Ghost bike in New York City as a tribute to the cyclist who died at this location

Totals (Jan 2024 – May 2025)

  • Driver Error / Motorist at fault: 13 deaths
  • Dooring + Driver Error (shared fault): 2 deaths
  • Emergency Vehicle collisions: 2 deaths
  • Police-chase crashes: 2 deaths
  • Cyclist error: 1 death (pedestrian struck)

Why a 15 mph Cap Misses the Mark

  • Motor-vehicle violence—not e-bike speed—is the killer. Thirteen of sixteen deaths were caused by drivers of vans, trucks, buses, or cars.
  • Dooring remains lethal. Two fatalities started with a parked driver flinging a door open. No speed cap fixes that.
  • High-speed police chases and emergency-vehicle protocols need reform. Two cyclists died because drivers—fleeing or on emergency runs—blew through red lights.
  • Delivery workers will bear the burden. A blanket e-bike cap criminalizes low-wage couriers while leaving truck violence untouched.

What Will Save Lives

  1. Build the protected bike-lane network Mayor Adams promised. Paint alone isn’t protection; New Yorkers need concrete-separated lanes in every borough.
  2. Daylight intersections and end curbside parking at corners so cyclists aren’t hidden from turning trucks.
  3. Hold dangerous drivers accountable—especially for hit-and-runs, DWI, and dooring violations.
  4. Equip city and commercial trucks with side guards and better visibility tech.
  5. Re-evaluate NYPD pursuit policies that turn city streets into racetracks.

Lowering e-bike speeds to 15 mph may feel like action, but it’s a distraction. Let’s focus on the proven fixes that keep every New Yorker, cyclist, pedestrian, and motorist, alive.

Need legal help after a bicycle crash? Our team at Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf has recovered record-setting verdicts and settlements for injured cyclists and their families. Call 212-943-1090 for a free consultation.

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Tiffany Cefuni killed in BK car accidentAs Brooklyn car accident lawyers with deep experience handling hit-and-run litigation, we are horrified by the senseless death of Tiffany Cifuni, a 32-year-old woman who was fatally struck after a minor crash in Bedford-Stuyvesant last Saturday night. The incident not only highlights the risks pedestrians face immediately after collisions, it underscores the urgent need for accountability when reckless drivers choose to flee.

According to the NYPD, the tragedy unfolded just before midnight near Van Buren Street and Marcus Garvey Boulevard. Ms. Cifuni, who was in her first trimester of pregnancy, had just returned from the Beyoncé concert at MetLife Stadium. She stepped out of her Toyota 4Runner to inspect the damage after a minor collision with a 2016 Chevy Trax. That’s when the other driver allegedly accelerated, running her over and dragging her body before fleeing the wrong way down Lafayette Avenue.

The suspect’s vehicle—a maroon Chevy Trax with temporary paper plates—smashed into multiple parked cars and a 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee before the driver abandoned the SUV and fled on foot. Ms. Cifuni was transported to Kings County Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

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