One positive impact of COVID-19 quarantines and shutdowns in New York City was a drastic reduction in motor vehicle accidents (car accident). Comparing  NYPD crash data  from pre-pandemic years shows 50 to 70 percent fewer collisions during any given month of the pandemic. Now that life is getting back to normal, auto accidents may return to normal levels, too. That means New York City streets could see anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000 collisions per month.

Collisions between passenger vehicles are by far the most common type of accident in New York City. Year after year, NYPD data show that the most common contributing factors  in these accidents are:

  • Distracted driving
  • Following too closely
  • Failing to yield the right-of-way
  • Improperly using lanes
  • Passing too closely

Pedestrian accidents are also common in New York City, which is unsurprising given the volume of foot traffic. Before the pandemic, collisions between pedestrians and motor vehicles occurred at a rate of between 600 and 1,500 a month depending on the time of year. Pedestrian accidents are often traceable to distracted driving, failing to see pedestrians, speeding, and failing to yield to someone in a crosswalk.

Collisions between vehicles and bicyclists before the pandemic occurred at a rate of 200-600 a month, depending on the time of year. In 2019, there were over 3,800 bicycle-vehicle crashes that resulted in serious injuries or death to the bicyclist. The most common bicycle accidents are:

  • Intersection collisions
  • Bicyclists “doored ” while riding next to parked cars
  • Vehicle drivers veering into bike lanes
  • Accidents in parking lots

Whether you were injured in a vehicle, as a pedestrian, or while riding a bike, the amount of compensation you recover can be affected by how much you yourself were at fault. If you sue the driver and the jury finds that you were 10 percent at fault, your compensation will be reduced by 10 percent. The good news is that New York, unlike most states, follows the pure comparative negligence rule, which allows you to recover at least some compensation even if you were more than 50 percent at fault.

At Rubenstein & Rynecki, our Brooklyn lawyers aggressively pursue compensation for people injured in all types of auto accidents in New York City. We have decades of experience and have recovered millions of dollars for our clients. If you would like to talk to an attorney about your potential claim, please call (718) 522-1020 or  contact us online  today.