Cab driver blinded by sun strikes pedestrian in Lower Manhattan

A pedestrian was struck by a taxi cab in Lower Manhattan on October 25th. The accident that occurred at around 8:00 a.m. resulted in the pedestrian becoming pinned underneath the cab.

Firefighters and EMS personnel had to work to extricate the 30-year-old man. The injured person was then taken to Bellevue Hospital where he was listed in critical condition for head trauma.

The taxi driver was interviewed following the pedestrian accident. The driver, who was apparently in tears, stated that sun glare had blinded him at the time of the incident. “There was so much sun, I couldn’t see anything,” the driver was quoted as saying.

These types of incidents are extremely troubling. Undoubtedly, the driver felt extremely bad about what had occurred. Unfortunately, the pedestrian has suffered critical injuries. He will likely need to undergo extensive medical treatment and may be prevented from earning any income due to his injuries.

Especially in a busy area like Manhattan where pedestrians are often walking about, every driver needs to do what they can to keep a lookout for such individuals. When a driver has difficulty seeing, they need to substantially slow down the vehicle speed or even stop. The consequences of such accidents can be catastrophic.

Personal injury attorneys do not represent victims in these sorts of accidents merely to place the blame on someone else. Pedestrians that are injured could suffer permanent disability or even death. Family members are often emotionally and financially dependent upon the injured person as well.

No amount of compensation will likely make up for this type of accident. However, at least victims and family members may not be punished even further due to financial loss that comes along because of being injured.

Source: ABC Local, “SoHo crash leaves pedestrian pinned under taxi cab,” Oct. 25, 2013