Usually ambulance crews are the ones helping victims of car accidents in NYC, not the ones who need the help. Unfortunately for one crew, this dramatic role reversal became a reality when a sanitation truck smashed into an ambulance at the corner of Dean Street and Classon Ave. in Brooklyn. Just after 10 a.m., crews were called to respond to this bizarre intersection accident in which 4 municipal employees were injured.
The ambulance was responding to a cardiac arrest call when the sanitation truck (roughly 25 tons of steel) struck the EMS vehicle, forcing both off the street and dangerously close to buildings at the intersection. Both members of the sanitization trucks’ crew as well as both the driver and EMT in the ambulance required hospitalization. Two of the individuals (one of the EMTs and one sanitation worker) had to be cut out of their respective vehicles by NYFD personnel.
Intersection accidents in New York are one of the most common types of auto accident in the City. Failure to yield, distracted driving, and failure to stop at signs and traffic lights can all lead to tragic and heartbreaking results. Thankfully, all the individuals involved in this latest intersection accident survived but that’s not always the case. The very nature of these types of accidents means they often result in devastating injuries and loss of life. As vehicles traverse an intersection, the drivers place themselves in the path of oncoming vehicles with little but the metal and glass of the door between them and a speeding automobile.
These so-called side impact, T-Bone, or angle crashes make up over 28% of all automobile accidents in the United States but account for an overwhelming 20% of all fatalities. These types of accidents also increase the risk of vehicle rollover, pedestrian injuries, and the need for specialized equipment such as the Jaws of Life to extract victims from mangled wrecks (as was the case for this particular intersection accident).
As devastating as these types of crash can be, it’s no wonder that the costs associated with them (medical expenses, lost wages, long-term therapy) can be crippling to a family’s economic situation. Victims of intersection accidents in New York should contact an attorney as soon as possible to protect their rights and increase their chances of receiving the compensation they deserve. Applications for no-fault benefits, which will cover health related expenses and lost earnings must be filed within thirty (30) days. The at-fault party (or parties) will be made to pay for pain and suffering as well as future lost income and any unpaid medical and/or hospital expenses. Remember, victims or their surviving family members always have legal options.
If you or a loved one has been involved in any kind of automobile accident, call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel for a free consultation at or 212-385-1122 to learn your rights.