Manhattan sidewalks are probably some of the most heavily trafficked pedestrian walkways in the world. With the many vehicles traveling on the roadways beside these sidewalks, they’re also very dangerous.
Pedestrians walking on sidewalks are always at risk of getting hit by an out-of-control vehicle. When this happens, the injured pedestrians may have the ability to seek financial compensation in court.
Example of a recent pedestrian accident
Perhaps something like the following scenario happened to you. Last week, a 41-year-old woman was walking near the curb of East 64th Street and Madison Avenue when a 40-year-old man driving a sport utility vehicle lost control of his vehicle.
The sport utility vehicle drove up onto the sidewalk and struck the woman, critically hurting her. The SUV also crashed through the front of a luxury watch store. The man behind the wheel of the SUV is now facing criminal charges of driving while intoxicated by drugs and vehicular assault. Police arrested him shortly after the incident.
The driver of the SUV and a woman riding in the back of it also suffered injuries, but as of last reports, their conditions remained unknown. Witnesses claim that firefighters needed to cut open the sport utility vehicle to extract the driver. The Cornell Medical Center listed the injured pedestrian to be in critical condition.
Drivers who hit pedestrians could be financially liable
It’s strange to think that 150 years ago, car accident dangers didn’t exist for pedestrians. However, in the modern world, pedestrians must be on high alert at all times to avoid getting hit by a car. Also, since vehicle drivers have an extreme safety advantage in any pedestrian accident scenario, New York courts will hold them to a high level of responsibility in the event of an injurious crash.
Motorists must therefore take care whenever they see pedestrian foot traffic nearby. This includes yielding to pedestrians and giving them the right of way. Failing to take extra precautions in the presence of pedestrians could leave drivers financially liable for costs and damages incurred by a pedestrian in the event of a serious accident.