Long Island Pedestrian Accident Lawyers
Long Island recorded 163+ traffic fatalities in the most recent year. Jericho Turnpike alone accounts for roughly half of pedestrian deaths in some stretches. We take these cases to trial.
Long Island pedestrians face highway-speed traffic on suburban streets
Long Island's pedestrian-fatality concentration is structural. Dense residential, commercial, and retail uses front directly onto roads that were engineered for highway speeds. Jericho Turnpike, Sunrise Highway, Hempstead Turnpike, Merrick Road, Route 110, and Montauk Highway all carry 45-55 mph cars past strip malls, transit stops, schools, and shopping centers with crosswalks that are too far apart and signal timing that leaves pedestrians stranded mid-roadway. The result is that a small number of corridors produce a disproportionate share of Long Island's pedestrian fatalities.
Newsday's Long Island Road Fatality Database documented at least 163 total traffic fatalities in the most recent reported year, with Nassau County accounting for 78 of those deaths. A 2014 study found that roughly half of all pedestrian fatalities along a 14-mile stretch of Jericho Turnpike between Centerreach and Ridge occurred there, and that corridor remains among the worst in the state. Pedestrian deaths cluster in identifiable hot spots, and our cases follow that geography.
Long Island's deadliest pedestrian corridors
- Jericho Turnpike (Route 25 / Middle Country Road). Half of pedestrian deaths between Centerreach and Ridge in some studies. High-risk stretches: Mineola, New Hyde Park, Huntington Station (Walt Whitman Shops), Westbury, Woodbury (Route 135), Syosset (South Oyster Bay Road).
- Sunrise Highway (Route 27). Pedestrian crashes at exits without proper crosswalks; multiple fatalities since 2019 in Suffolk.
- Hempstead Turnpike (Route 24). High-volume Nassau surface corridor.
- Route 110 (New York Avenue). Huntington Station to Melville, 200+ crashes annually at Jericho intersection.
- Merrick Road and Merrick Boulevard. South Nassau surface arterials.
- Montauk Highway (Route 27A). East End surface corridor with narrow shoulders.
- Jackson Street at North Franklin Street, Hempstead. Long Island's second-highest pedestrian crash rate.
- Straight Path at West Sunrise Highway, Lindenhurst. 72 fatal/serious-injury crashes over a decade.
Deadlines and statutes
- CPLR 214(5). Three-year personal-injury SOL.
- EPTL 5-4.1. Two years from date of death for wrongful death.
- GML 50-e. 90-day Notice of Claim for county, town, school district, NICE, Suffolk Transit.
- Insurance Law 5103. No-fault PIP for pedestrians struck by motor vehicles.
- Insurance Law 5102(d). Serious-injury threshold for tort recovery.
- VTL 388. Vehicle owner liability for permissive use.
- General Obligations Law 11-101 (Dram Shop Act). Bar / restaurant liability for serving visibly intoxicated drivers.
- CPLR 1411. Pure comparative negligence.
- CPLR 208. Infancy tolling until age 18.
Where Long Island pedestrian cases are filed
Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola handles Nassau pedestrian cases. Suffolk County Supreme Court at 400 Carleton Avenue in Central Islip and 210 Center Drive in Riverhead handles Suffolk cases. Appeals go to the Appellate Division, Second Department. For government-vehicle cases (NICE bus, school district vehicle, county or town vehicle), 90-day Notice of Claim under GML 50-e is required.
What to do after a Long Island pedestrian crash
- Get medical care. Trauma centers at Stony Brook University Hospital, Good Samaritan (West Islip), Huntington Hospital, NYU Langone-Long Island, North Shore University Hospital (Manhasset), and Mount Sinai South Nassau treat severe pedestrian-strike injuries.
- Get the police report. Nassau PD, Suffolk PD, or New York State Police for parkways and the LIE.
- File the no-fault PIP application within 30 days with the insurer of the vehicle that struck you.
- If the vehicle was uninsured, contact the Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation (MVAIC) within 90 days.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the driver's insurer.
- Photograph the scene, the crosswalk (or absence of one), the vehicle, traffic signals, and your injuries.
Related analysis from our team
- Pedestrian Deaths in NYC: Data and Trends
- New York No-Fault Insurance, Explained
- Long Island Personal Injury Lawyers
- NYC Pedestrian Accident Lawyers
Newsday Long Island Road Fatality Database.
https://projects.newsday.com/long-island/traffic-fatalities/New York State DMV. Statewide Crash Statistics.
https://dmv.ny.gov/statisticNews 12 Long Island. "Long Island Home to 4 of the Deadliest Roads in the State."
https://longisland.news12.com/long-island-home-to-4-of-the-deadliest-roads-in-the-stateNew York Civil Practice Law and Rules §§ 208, 214, 1411.
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CVPNew York Insurance Law §§ 5102(d), 5103.
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/ISCNew York General Municipal Law §§ 50-e, 50-i.
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/GMU/50-ENew York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 388.
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/VATNew York General Obligations Law § 11-101.
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/GOBFrequently Asked Questions
How dangerous is walking on Long Island?
Long Island recorded at least 163 total traffic fatalities in the most recent reported year, with Nassau accounting for 78 of them, per Newsday's Long Island Road Fatality Database. Pedestrian fatalities are concentrated on a small number of corridors. Jericho Turnpike alone accounts for roughly half of all pedestrian deaths between Centerreach and Ridge per a 2014 report, and the corridor remains a top fatality cluster today.
Where are the deadliest Long Island roads for pedestrians?
Jericho Turnpike (Route 25) is the deadliest pedestrian road on Long Island, particularly between Centerreach and Ridge. High-risk Jericho stretches include Mineola, New Hyde Park (near New Hyde Park Road), Huntington Station (near Walt Whitman Shops), Westbury, Woodbury at Route 135, and Syosset at South Oyster Bay Road. Sunrise Highway concentrates pedestrian crashes at exits without crosswalks. Hempstead Turnpike, Merrick Road, Montauk Highway, and Route 110 round out the high-risk surface corridors. Jackson Street at North Franklin in Hempstead has Long Island's second-highest pedestrian crash rate.
Where are Long Island pedestrian cases filed?
Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola handles Nassau cases. Suffolk County Supreme Court at 400 Carleton Avenue in Central Islip and 210 Center Drive in Riverhead handles Suffolk cases. Both have unlimited civil jurisdiction. Appeals go to the Appellate Division, Second Department. For pedestrian crashes involving Nassau or Suffolk County vehicles, town vehicles, school buses, or NICE / Suffolk Transit buses, a 90-day Notice of Claim under GML 50-e is required.
Does no-fault insurance cover pedestrians on Long Island?
Yes. New York Insurance Law 5103 covers pedestrians struck by motor vehicles. Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits up to $50,000 cover medical expenses and lost wages regardless of fault. PIP comes from the policy of the vehicle that struck the pedestrian (or, if uninsured, the Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation). To sue the driver for pain and suffering, the pedestrian must clear the 'serious injury' threshold under Insurance Law 5102(d). Most Long Island highway and arterial pedestrian strikes easily clear the threshold given the speeds involved.
What is the statute of limitations for a Long Island pedestrian case?
Three years from the accident date for personal injury under CPLR 214(5). Two years from date of death for wrongful death under EPTL 5-4.1. PIP application within 30 days. For government-vehicle cases, 90-day Notice of Claim under GML 50-e and 1 year and 90 days to commence suit. Minors can toll the clock under CPLR 208.
Who can be liable when a Long Island pedestrian is hit?
Primarily the at-fault driver. But liability often extends. The driver's employer if the driver was working (commercial truck, NICE bus, school district, delivery van). The vehicle owner if different from the driver under VTL 388. The municipality if a defective traffic signal, missing crosswalk, faded paint, or overgrown vegetation hid the pedestrian (subject to prior-written-notice statutes). The bar or restaurant under Dram Shop Act 11-101 if the driver was visibly intoxicated when served.
What compensation is available in a Long Island pedestrian case?
Past and future medical expenses, lost wages and loss of future earning capacity, pain and suffering, permanent impairment, loss of consortium, and in fatal cases pecuniary loss to the statutory distributees under EPTL 5-4.3. Pedestrian injuries from highway-speed strikes are routinely catastrophic: traumatic brain injuries, multiple fractures, internal injuries, amputations. Long Island pedestrian verdicts and settlements in serious cases regularly reach seven and eight figures.
What should I do after a Long Island pedestrian crash?
Get medical care immediately. Stony Brook University Hospital, Good Samaritan in West Islip, Huntington Hospital, NYU Langone-Long Island, North Shore University Hospital, and Mount Sinai South Nassau treat trauma. Get the police report number from Nassau PD, Suffolk PD, or New York State Police (parkways and the LIE). File the no-fault PIP application within 30 days. Do not give a recorded statement to the driver's insurer. Photograph the scene, the vehicle, and your injuries. Witness contact information matters.