A tragic bus accident in New York City early this month claimed the life of a bicyclist on a busy street in Queens. The victim, a 50-year-old male, was riding along 31st Avenue in Woodside when he was struck by an MTA bus at around 11:30 PM on the evening of September 3rd. The victim was then pinned under the bus and dragged for several blocks before anybody noticed. When he was discovered, the bus stopped and EMTs were immediately called. The injured individual was rushed to nearby Mount Sinai Hospital-Queens but his injuries were too severe to overcome. He was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.
This death marks the 11th cyclist killed on city roads this year and the first in Queens. While the number of fatalities may appear lower than last year’s totals, data shows that the number of non-fatal injurious bicycle accidents in New York City is actually spiking—up 10 percent for the month of August alone.
It’s unlikely that there will be any arrests made in this latest case as investigators hinted to reporters that there was not any obvious criminality involved. However, that doesn’t mean that the victims’ surviving family members have no recourse. In cases such as this, family members can successfully seek compensation from the bus driver and the MTA. The family members can recover for the victim’s pain and suffering for the time the gentleman survived after the accident until he died and for the amount of money that the gentleman would have contributed to his household over his expected work lifetime. But getting such compensation can be difficult as the victim’s family must be able prove that the bus driver was at least partially at fault for the accident.
That’s why it’s always a good idea to speak with an experienced bus accident attorney in New York City whenever such an accident occurs. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel, without obligation, at 800-734-9338 or 212-385-1122 for your free consultation.