Manhattan Pedestrian Accident Lawyers

Manhattan recorded 11,902 motor vehicle crashes, 4,875 injury crashes, and 28 traffic fatalities in 2024. The borough's pedestrian-fatality concentration is among NYC's highest given its population density. West 120th Street at Lenox Avenue in Harlem is NYC's most dangerous obstructed intersection (9 KSI from 3 crashes since January 2022). Second Avenue at East 59th Street records ~150 crashes annually. Canal Street, 14th Street, 23rd Street, 34th Street, and 42nd Street concentrate pedestrian crashes.

New York County Supreme Court at 60 Centre Street handles civil cases with unlimited jurisdiction, the correct venue for any serious pedestrian injury claim. Appeals go to the Appellate Division, First Department (Manhattan and Bronx). For pedestrian crashes involving NYC vehicles, MTA buses, NYC Sanitation, NYPD or FDNY vehicles, or other public-authority vehicles, a Notice of Claim must be served on the NYC Comptroller within 90 days under General Municipal Law 50-e.

Yes. New York Insurance Law 5103 covers pedestrians struck by motor vehicles. 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. If the vehicle was uninsured or unidentified (hit-and-run), the Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation (MVAIC) provides coverage with a 90-day notice requirement. To sue the driver for pain and suffering, the pedestrian must clear the 'serious injury' threshold under Insurance Law 5102(d).

West 120th Street at Lenox Avenue (Harlem): NYC's most dangerous obstructed intersection, 9 KSI from 3 crashes since January 2022. Second Avenue at East 59th Street: ~150 crashes annually. Canal Street, the FDR Drive entry/exit ramps, 14th Street, 23rd Street, 34th Street near Penn Station and Macy's, 42nd Street near Times Square, 57th Street, and the West Side Highway crossings all concentrate pedestrian strikes. Bridge approaches (Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge, Queensboro Bridge) see truck-vs-pedestrian crashes at queuing points.

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. Hit-and-run claims through MVAIC require notice within 90 days.

Primarily the at-fault driver. Liability often extends to the driver's employer if commercial (taxi, rideshare, food-delivery, delivery van, MTA bus, NYC Sanitation, tour bus, sightseeing). Vehicle owner under VTL 388. NYC if a defective traffic signal, missing crosswalk, faded crosswalk paint, or pothole contributed (subject to prior-written-notice rules under NYC Administrative Code 7-201). The bar or restaurant under Dram Shop Act 11-101 if the driver was visibly intoxicated.

Right-turn truck-vs-pedestrian and bus-vs-pedestrian crashes are a documented Manhattan pattern, particularly at intersections where the bike lane runs to the right of through-traffic and the truck/bus must cross the bike lane and pedestrian crosswalk simultaneously. These crashes implicate the driver, the carrier (under Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations), the MTA (90-day Notice of Claim), or the City (for sanitation trucks). Multi-defendant case structure is the norm.

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 NYC speeds are routinely catastrophic: TBI, multiple fractures, internal injuries, amputations. Manhattan pedestrian settlements and verdicts in serious cases regularly reach seven and eight figures.