New York City is famous for many great things including musical theater and breathtaking skyscrapers. It is also equally infamous for many things, not the least of which is the incredible traffic that often plagues the streets, with vehicles often stacked bumper to bumper without enough room even to walk in between them. With this in mind, it is honestly surprising that there are not more motor vehicle accidents in our city. Still, each accident is a tragedy, and the victims of these accidents are often never the same.
One such accident occurred recently involving a bicyclist who passed away after being struck by a truck in a hit-and-run accident. The victim was a Chinese immigrant and a beloved family man. Unfortunately, as he was riding his bicycle home from work at a lumber supply company, he was struck by a Ryder truck and left alone with fatal injuries. When paramedics eventually arrived on the scene, they were able to rush him to a nearby hospital, but he eventually succumbed to his injuries.
It is with good reason that our city touts the proud statistics that bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities have been dropping for two straight years, but incidents like this remind us that such accidents still occur, and each one is tragic. New York City’s mayor announced that, despite last year being the safest on the streets in over a century, the battle is not over until not a single life is lost due to motor vehicle accidents.
Until such a time, victims who are injured in bicycle accidents should know that they can pursue legal action if they were not at fault in the accident. If you have lost a loved one in a bicycle accident, you can pursue a wrongful death lawsuit to be compensated. Consider meeting with a personal injury attorney to learn more about your rights.
Source: New York Daily News, “Hit-and-run truck driver kills Chinese immigrant riding bicycle in Brooklyn,” Joseph Sepansky, Thomas Tracy, Jan. 21, 2015