New data released about downstate pedestrian accident deaths

A report of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign has found that 60 percent of the pedestrian deaths in the downstate New York area between 2011 and 2013 occurred in the five boroughs. The downstate area includes New York City, Long Island and the five counties just north of the Big Apple. The coordinator of the report stated that New York state still holds the worst record nationally for pedestrian deaths resulting from a pedestrian accident involving a vehicle.

Three streets of dubious distinction were identified as having the deadliest records in New York city. They were the Grand Concourse in the Bronx, Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn and Woodhaven Blvd. in Queens. The report simply verified the well-known fact that pedestrians face dangerous conditions in trying to traverse city roadways.

Queens Boulevard had five deaths in 2013, up from no deaths in 2011. Mayor De Blasio already singled out Queens Blvd. for priority treatment in the city’s Vision Zero program. The plans include possible new design systems and solutions to improve safety patterns for cyclists and walkers. Some measures, in addition to speed limits and cameras at stop lights, are signal changes that give more time to cross, street redesigns to slow traffic and increased enforcement in troubled areas.

Pedestrians injured or killed on New York city streets have a right to make a claim for compensation against an at-fault driver. In the case of a pedestrian accident resulting in death, the wrongful death claim is pursued by the decedent’s estate. The estate is usually represented by the surviving spouse, parent or child of the deceased. In a few cases, where the city has neglected to maintain or repair a hazardous traffic situation, it may be included as a defendant in a legal claim for personal injury damages. The family may seek the assistance of a personal injury law firm to get the estate started and take all of the necessary steps to pursue the maximum recovery possible.

Source: New York Daily News, “60% of downstate pedestrian fatalities were in New York City area, study says, as de Blasio’s Vision Zero program touts recent reduction in death rate“, Pete Donohue, March 4, 2015