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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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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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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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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