Although multi-vehicle accidents typically involve two or more vehicles striking one another, there are circumstances in which a pedestrian could be struck more than once. This is especially true on busier streets and roads where an approaching vehicle may not have time to stop or doesn’t see the pedestrian who had been hit.
That may have been the case recently when a 26-year-old man was struck by a Toyota Corolla on Broadway in Long Island, New York. Tragically, a second car, described as a dark-colored Mercedes Benz, also struck the victim. While the driver of the Toyota remained at the scene, the other driver fled.
Pedestrian Crash Statistics
According to the New York Department of Motor Vehicles, in 2011 there was a total of 15,928 pedestrian/motor vehicle crashes. Of those, 296 pedestrians were killed and 15,689 were injured. The majority of these crashes were considered minor (9,351). There were 2,819 moderate severity crashes and 1,881 serious crashes.
The time of day at which these accidents mostly occurred was in the afternoon and evening hours (3 p.m. to 6 p.m., followed by 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.). Most of these pedestrian accidents in New York were single vehicle crashes (15,293). Those involving two or more vehicles totaled 635, significantly less than the single vehicle crashes but far too many overall.
Liability for Pedestrian Accidents
Not all pedestrian accidents are the fault of a driver. Sometimes it could be that the person has walked against a signal or darted out into traffic.
But when it is the result of driver negligence, it could stem from:
- distracted driving;
- speeding;
- intoxication; and
- other careless or reckless actions.
To learn if compensation may be available after a serious pedestrian accident, contact Gacovino, Lake & Associates. They assist injured victims or the families who have lost a loved one explore their options and take legal action.
