Poor Driving: Bad Prognosis

It happens every day. In traffic, one vehicle cuts off another vehicle, an accident occurs and oftentimes, someone is hurt.

In mid-May, a Fresh Meadows, Queens man was walking the tree-lined sidewalk of his neighborhood in the early morning. Even at that hour, passing traffic jockeyed for position on Utopia Parkway.

As the man took in the day, a Honda pick-up truck driving south in the right hand lane was cut off by another vehicle. Trying to avoid an accident, the pick-up swerved, bounced over the curb, struck the man and ultimately hit a car parked in a driveway at Peck Avenue.

It is unknown if the pedestrian, in his sixties, had any idea what hit him. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the death toll of those who travel on foot rose six percent in 2012.

Some basic facts about pedestrian injury from that agency include:

• The fatality rates of pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists continue to rise, despite a general downward movement of passenger car fatalities.
• Pedestrian accidents occur when rules are ignored. For pedestrians, the use of cell phones and headphones is unsafe. Impairment and distraction make any motor vehicle operator dangerous to pedestrians and others.
• Seventy percent of pedestrian fatalities do not occur at intersections.

On an early morning in Queens, one driver cut off another driver. That driver likely cut short the life of someone else. If you are injured in an automobile or pedestrian accident in New York City, seek experienced legal advice about pursuing a claim for financial compensation.