Pedestrian Accident Lawyers in Suffolk County, New York
Traveling by foot may be better for the environment, but it may not be the best choice for a person’s health and safety. An inattentive driver or reckless motorist can quickly and unexpectedly strike a pedestrian who is walking along a sidewalk or jogging on a running trail. Or someone in a hurry to leave a parking lot can inadvertently strike a pedestrian walking to his or her car. All of these accidents are likely to do little harm to the car or truck – but considerable harm to the pedestrian. Physical, mental, and emotional reminders of a Suffolk County pedestrian accident may linger for years after the collision.
Parker Waichman LLP assists pedestrians in Suffolk County who have been struck and injured by negligent motorists to recover financial damages for their expenses and losses. Contact Parker Waichman LLP and learn how we can assist.
Why Do Pedestrian Accidents Happen in Suffolk County?
After a pedestrian collision has occurred, one of the biggest questions that will need to be answered is this: “Who is at fault?” In other words, insurance companies, the injured pedestrian, the other motorist(s) involved in the accident, and any court involved in a lawsuit will want to know what set into motion the chain of events that resulted in the collision. Usually, there is no one clear answer: pedestrians and motorists alike can make decisions that contribute to the collision’s occurrence.
- Pedestrian Factors: For pedestrians, irresponsible behaviors that can lead to a collision or accident include:
- Distractions/Inattentiveness: Pedestrians should always remain vigilant and aware of their surroundings. This is especially important when walking where there are motor vehicles close by (such as along major streets and highways and in parking lots). Cellphones, radios/music players, and other electronic devices are major sources of distractions for pedestrians that can lead to a collision.
- Disobeying pedestrian control signals and signs: Crosswalks and crossing signals may be cumbersome and inconvenient, but they help ensure that pedestrians are safe and visible to motorists when crossing the street. Choosing to jaywalk or cross a street at a time when a signal is instructing pedestrians not to cross the street can put the pedestrian in jeopardy.
- Lack of visibility: Finally, pedestrians who walk at night or when visibility conditions are poor and who do not take steps to make themselves more visible to motorists may increase the likelihood that they will be hurt in a collision. Wearing reflective clothing or carrying a light after dark, for example, can dramatically lessen the chances that a pedestrian will be struck by a motorist.
- Motorist Factors: Similarly, motorists who do one or more of the following behind the wheel may make a pedestrian crash more likely:
- Inattentive driving: Motorists who text while drive, daydream, or carry on conversations with others in the car are more likely to miss seeing pedestrians who are walking near the road or crossing the road. If a motorist does not see a pedestrian in the road in time, the motorist may not be able to stop his or her car or truck in time to avoid an accident.
- Failing to yield the right of way: When the driver of a car or truck is in a rush, he or she may not give the right of way to pedestrians crossing the street even if the pedestrians have a signal telling them that it is safe to cross. Hurried motorists may not intend to cause injuries to pedestrians – they may just want to reach their destinations as quickly as possible – but this lack of intent does not negate the damaging consequences of their decisions.
- Driving under the influence: Being intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs can reduce a motorist’s senses and reaction time, meaning that the motorist is less likely to notice a pedestrian in or near the roadway. Even if the motorist does see the pedestrian, alcohol and/or drugs can make it less likely that the motorist will be able to safely and promptly react so as to avoid an accident.
Whatever the circumstances that led to a particular pedestrian accident, recovering compensation is made easier with the assistance of a helpful and knowledgeable law firm like Parker Waichman LLP. Contact us today to discuss your case and rights.
Where to Go for Medical and Legal Help in Suffolk County After a Pedestrian Accident
Peconic Bay Medical Center and Brookhaven Medical Center are just two of Suffolk County’s many hospitals and healthcare treatment centers where victims hurt in a pedestrian collision can receive treatment for injuries sustained in a pedestrian crash. After a pedestrian collision, it is extremely important that medical attention is sought quickly so that any internal injuries or injuries to the brain or spine can be diagnosed and treated promptly before any permanent damage occurs.
When it comes time to file a lawsuit and seek monetary damages from a negligent motorist, the injured pedestrian in Suffolk County will file his or her lawsuit with one of the local Supreme Courts in Suffolk County. There may be advantages and/or disadvantages to filing one’s lawsuit in on Supreme Court over another. For this reason alone, speaking with an experienced pedestrian accident attorney who can review the injury victim’s case and advise the victim as to the best court to hear the victim’s case is almost always the best course of action.
Pedestrian Injuries Following a Suffolk County Collision
Pedestrians will likely suffer serious, if not catastrophic, injuries when they are struck by a car or truck (unless the collision occurs at a very slow speed). The extent and severity of these injuries will depend on factors such as the pedestrian’s age and general health, the size and speed of the vehicle that strike’s the pedestrian, whether the pedestrian was thrown or dragged under the vehicle during the accident, what kind of surface the accident occurred on, and how quickly the pedestrian received medical care and treatment (just to name a few). Pedestrians may, for example, suffer:
- Head and spine injuries, which can cause damage to or sever the spinal cord. Trauma to the spinal cord can lead to severe, debilitating pain that can be difficult to manage or treat. A severed spinal cord (or a spinal cord that suffers too much damage) can lead to a loss of use of one’s arms, legs, and/or other body parts. Swift medical treatment may lessen the duration and/or severity of any pain or paralysis.
- Broken bones, especially bones in the legs or pelvic region. In addition to making mobility, a challenge, broken bones in these regions can be difficult to repair and can require a great deal of time to heal. For some pedestrians, these injuries will never fully heal but will instead require the use of a cane or walker for the rest of the pedestrian’s life.
- Psychological injuries such as anxiety and depression. The loss of one’s mobility (whether for a period of time or permanently) can have a profoundly negative impact on an injured pedestrian’s mental health and wellbeing. An injured pedestrian’s sense of safety in the world can be shaken and lead to challenges in leaving one’s home: an inability to do the things the pedestrian was once accustomed to doing can lead the pedestrian to question life’s meaning and purpose. These are incredibly painful and troubling feelings and thoughts that can negatively impact the injured pedestrian’s quality of life.
Addressing these physical and psychological injuries costs money; oftentimes, more money than the injured pedestrian and his or her family have available to them. Pedestrian injury lawsuits are meant to provide injury victims with the cash they need to fully address their injuries by requiring the person or persons responsible for causing injury to the pedestrian to pay for the costs of medical appointments and surgeries, prescription drug costs, counseling services, home health care services, and other similar expenses. Even where the pedestrian is partly to blame for the accident (i.e., the pedestrian was jaywalking or did not look for traffic before stepping out in the street), the pedestrian may still be able to recover some amount of damages to address his or her injuries.
Parker Waichman LLP dedicates itself to helping injury victims of all sorts, including injured pedestrians in Suffolk County, recover the most compensation possible for their injuries. Our firm has received a “5 Dragons” rating from Lawdragon.com and an “8” (out of a possible 10) on the national attorney-rating website Avvo.com, along with numerous other awards and recognition for our superior representation and work on behalf of injury victims. Learn about the hard work and dedication to our clients that has led to these awards: contact Parker Waichman LLP today to discuss your situation and how we can assist you.
Your Opportunity to Obtain Damages is Closing Fast
A victim’s pedestrian accident-related injuries may take years to fully heal: however, that victim’s window of opportunity to obtain compensation closes much faster than this. In Suffolk County and throughout New York, the state’s statute of limitations only provides injured pedestrians a three-year time period within which they are expected to investigate the circumstances leading to the collision, determine if a motorist’s or someone else’s careless behavior is to blame for their injuries, and file a lawsuit to seek compensation. While some states’ statutes of limitations are shorter, New York’s statute of limitations does not give injured pedestrians much time at all to take action and assert their rights.
Any injury lawyer or law firm can attest to the severe consequences of not filing a pedestrian injury lawsuit within the statute of limitations. A lawsuit can be dismissed if it is filed outside the statute of limitations time period, and the injured pedestrian can be left without any further recourse or path to recovery. While there are some ways whereby this result can be avoided, these exceptions to the statute of limitations are narrow and apply only in a very few circumstances. The best way to avoid violating the statute of limitations is for injured pedestrians to retain legal representation as soon as possible after their injury accident.
Speak with the Suffolk County Pedestrian Injury Law Firm Parker Waichman LLP Right Away
Do not take any chances with your health or your financial future after a pedestrian accident: if you or a member of your family have been hurt while walking in Suffolk County, take charge by contacting Parker Waichman LLP right away. Our experienced and compassionate team will review your case with you during a free case evaluation and help you understand the rights you possess. If you are able and willing to file a lawsuit, we will help you take these important first steps toward recovery. Call Parker Waichman LLP’s offices at 1-800-YOURLAWYER (1-800-968-7529).
How Do I Get My Police Report?
Within hours of an arrest or accident, a police report is generated by the investigating officer who inputs the case information. If the case is ongoing, it may be difficult to obtain the report or you may only be able to get the “public portion” until the case has wrapped up and any charges have been filed. After the police investigation has concluded, your attorney will have access to the full police report and you can ask them for a copy. The only other way to obtain a copy of a police report is to go to your local government website and request a report by filling out a form and either submitting it electronically, via mail, or in person depending on the instructions listed on your local government’s website. There may be a fee associated with requesting a copy of a police report and it may take several days after the incident for the report to be available.
Albertson Alden Manor Allenwood Argo Village Atlantic Beach Baldwin Baldwin Harbor Bar Harbor Barnum Island Baxter Estates Bayville Bellerose Terrace Bellerose Village Bellmore Bethpage Briar Park Brookville Carle Place Cedarhurst Centre Island Cove Neck East Atlantic Beach East Farmingdale East Hills East Massapequa East Meadow East Norwich East Rockaway East Williston Elmont Far Rockaway Farmingdale Floral Park Franklin Square Freeport Garden City Garden City Park Garden City South Glen Cove Glenwood Landing Great Neck Greenvale Harbor Acres Harbor Hills Harbor Isle Hempstead Herricks Hewlett Hewlett Bay Hewlett Bay Park Hewlett Harbor Hewlett Neck Hicksville Inwood Island Park Island Trees Jericho Kenilworth Kensington Kings Point Lake Gardens Lake Success Lakeview Lakeville Estates Lattingtown Laurel Hollow Lawrence Levittown Lido Beach Locust Valley Locustwood Long Beach Lynbrook Malverne Manhasset Manhasset Hills Manorhaven Massapequa Massapequa Park Matinecock Meacham Meadowmere Park Merrick Mill Neck Mineola Mitchell Field Muttontown New Cassel New Hyde Park North Baldwin North Bellmore North Hills North Massapequa North Merrick North New Hyde Park North Valley Stream North Wantagh North Woodmere Oceanside Old Bethpage Old Brookville Old Westbury Oyster Bay Oyster Bay Cove Plainedge Plainview Plandome Point Lookout Port Washington Rockville Centre Roosevelt Roosevelt Field Roslyn Roslyn Estates Roslyn Harbor Roslyn Heights Russell Gardens Saddle Rock Saddle Rock Estates Sands Point Sea Cliff Seaford South Farmingdale South Floral Park South Hempstead Stewart Manor Strathmore Sutton Park Syosset The Terrace Thomaston Uniondale University Gardens Upper Brookville Valley Stream Wantagh West Hempstead Westbury Williston Park Woodbury Woodmere Woodsburgh
Nassau County Auxiliary Police (516) 679-5810
2708 Pettit Avenue, Bellmore, NY 11710
East Rockaway Police Department (516) 887-6319
6 James St S, East Rockaway, NY 11518
Nassau County Police Department (516) 573-4450
376 Atlantic Avenue, East Rockaway, NY 11518
Freeport Police Department (516) 378-0700
40 N Ocean Avenue, Freeport, NY 11520
Nassau County Police Department (516) 573-6500
1655 Dutch Broadway, Elmont, NY 11003
Floral Park Police Department (516) 326-6400
1 Floral Boulevard, Floral Park, NY 11001
Garden City Police Department (516) 465-4100
349 Stewart Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530
Glen Cove Police Department (516) 676-1000
1 Bridge St, Glen Cove, NY 11542
Great Neck Estates Police Department (516) 487-7700
1 Cedar Drive Great Neck, NY 11021
Kensington Police Department (516) 482-0480
1 Beverly Road #A Great Neck, NY 11021
Lake Success Police Department (516) 482-4600
318 Lakeville Road, Great Neck, NY 11021
Hempstead Police Department (516) 483-6200
99 Games A. Garner Way, Hempstead, NY 11550
Nassau County Police Department (516) 573-6400
1699 Broadway, Hewlett, NY 11557
Village of Kings Point Police Department (516) 482-1000
32 Stepping Stone Ln, Kings Point, NY 11024
Nassau County Police Department (516) 573-6800
286 N Wantagh Avenue, Bethpage, NY 11714
Long Beach Auxiliary Police (516) 431-6868
859 E Park Avenue, Long Beach, NY 11561
Long Beach Police Department (516) 431-1800
1 W Chester St, Long Beach, NY 11561
Lynbrook Police Headquarters (516) 599-3300
1 Columbus Drive, Lynbrook, NY 11563
Malverne Police Department (516) 599-3141
1 Britton Circle, Malverne, NY 11565
Mineola Auxiliary Police (516) 746-2448
300 Garfield Avenue, Mineola, NY 11501
Nassau County Police Department (516) 573-7000
1490 Franklin Avenue, Mineola, NY 11501
Old Brookville Police Department (516) 626-1300
5701 Northern Boulevard, Old Brookville, NY 11545
Old Westbury Police Department (516) 626-0200
1 Store Hill Road A, Old Westbury, NY 11568
Centre Island Police Department (516) 922-6466
100 Centre Island Road, Oyster Bay, NY 11771
Oyster Bay Cove Police Department (516) 922-6363
Berry Hill Road, Oyster Bay, NY 11771
Port Washington Police Department (516) 883-0500
500 Port Washington Boulevard, Port Washington, NY 11050
Sands Point Police Department (516) 883-3100
26 Tibbits Lane, Port Washington, NY 11050
Rockville Centre Police Department (516) 766-1500
34 Maple Avenue, Rockville Centre, NY 11570
Nassau County Police Department (516) 573-6700
3636 Merrick Road, Seaford, NY 11783
Nassau County Police Department (516) 573-5275
970 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury, NY 11590
Westbury Auxiliary Police (516) 876-4925
645 Union Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590
Nassau County Police Department (516) 573-6300
214 Hillside Avenue, Williston Park, NY
Williston Park Auxiliary Police (516) 746-0720
494 Willis Avenue, Williston Park, NY 11696
Jericho Auxiliary Police (516) 364-3433
807 Dee Ln, Woodbury, NY 11797
Nassau County Police Department (516) 573-6200
7700 Jericho Turnpike, Woodbury, NY
St. Joseph Hospital (516) 579-6000
4295 Hempstead Turnpike, Bethpage, NY 11714
Nassau University Medical Center (516) 572-0123
2201 Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow, NY 11554
Glen Cove Hospital (516) 674-7588
101 St Andrews Lane, Glen Cove, NY 11542
South Nassau Communities Hospital Off-Campus Emergency Department (516) 870-1010
325 East Bay Drive, Long Beach, NY 11561
North Shore University Hospital (516) 562-8730
300 Community Drive, Manhasset, NY 11030
NYU Winthrop Hospital (516) 663-0333
259 First Street, Mineola, NY 11501
Mount Sinai South Nassau (516) 632-3000
One Healthy Way, Oceanside, NY 11572
Plainview Hospital (516) 719-3000
888 Old Country Road, Plainview, NY 11803
Mercy Medical Center (516) 705-2525
1000 North Village Avenue, Rockville Centre, NY 11570
St Francis Hospital (516) 562-6000
100 Port Washington Boulevard, Roslyn, NY 11576
Syosset Hospital (516) 496-6400
221 Jericho Turnpike, Syosset, NY 11791
Northwell Health - Long Island Jewish Valley Stream (516) 256-6000
900 Franklin Avenue, Valley Stream, NY 11580
Amagansett Amity Harbor Amityville Aquebogue Asharoken Babylon Baiting Hollow Bay Hills Bay Point Bay Shore Bayberry Point Baycrest Bayport Beach Hampton Beech Croft Belle Terre Bellport Blue Point Bohemia Box Hill Brentwood Bridgehampton Brightwaters Brookhaven Calverton Canaan Lake Captree Island Carver Park Center Moriches Centereach Centerport Central Islip Cherry Grove Cold Spring Harbor Cold Spring Hills Commack Copiague Coram Corneil Estates Crab Meadow Cutchogue Davis Park Deer Park Deer Wells Dix Hills East Hampton East Islip East Marion East Moriches East Northport East Patchogue East Quogue East Setauket East Yaphank Eastport Eatons Neck Edgewood Elwood Fair Harbor Farmingville Fire Island Fire Island Pines Fishers Island Flanders Flowerfield Fort Salonga Gilgo Beach Gordon Heights Great River Greenlawn Greenport Halesite Hampton Bays Harbor Heights Hauppauge Head of the Harbor Heer Park Hither Plains Holbrook Holtsville Huntington Huntington Bay Huntington Station Islandia Islip Islip Manor Islip Terrace Jamesport Kings Park Kismet Knollwood Beach Lake Grove Lake Panamoka Lake Ronkonkoma Lake Ronkonkoma Heights Laurel Lindenhurst Lloyd Harbor Lloyd Neck Manor Park Manorville Marconiville Mastic Mastic Beach Mattituck Medford Mid Island Middle Island Miller Place Montauk Moriches Mount Sinai Nassau Point Nesconset New Suffolk Nissequogue North Amityville North Babylon North Bay Shore North Bellport North Haven North Lindenhurst North Patchogue North Sea Northampton Northport Oak Beach Oak Island Oakdale Ocean Bay Park Ocean Beach Old Field Old Mastic Old Westfield Orient Orient Point Panamoka Patchogue Peconic Pine Air Pine Neck Point O Woods Poquott Port Jefferson Port Jefferson Station Promised Land Quioque Quogue Remsenburg Ridge Riverhead Rivers Edge Rocky Point Ronkonkoma Sag Harbor Sagaponack Saint James Saltaire San Remo Sayville Scotts Beach Seaview Selden Setauket Shelter Island Shelter Island Heights Shirley Shoreham Smithtown Sound Beach South Hauppauge South Haven South Huntington South Jamesport South Setauket Southampton Southold Speonk Stony Brook Strongs Neck Sunken Meadow Terryville Upton Wading River Wainscott Water Mill West Babylon West Bay Shore West Brentwood West Gilgo Beach West Hills West Islip West Sayville Westhampton Westhampton Beach Westhampton Dunes Wheatley Heights Wildwood Wincoma Wyandanch Yaphank
Amityville Police Department (631) 264-0400
21 Ireland Place, Amityville, NY 11701
Saltaire Public Safety Office (631) 583-5572
14 Bay Prom St, Bay Shore, NY 11706
Suffolk County Police Department (631) 854-8300
1630 5th Avenue, Bay Shore, NY 11706
NY State Police (631) 231-5962
800 Crooked Hill Road, Brentwood, NY 11717
MTAPD (631) 851-2230
10 West Suffolk Avenue, Central Islip, NY 11722
East Hampton Police Department (631) 324-3018
159 Pantigo Road, East Hampton, NY 11937
East Hampton Village Police Department (631) 324-0777
1 Cedar St, East Hampton, NY 11937
Huntington Bay Police Department (631) 427-2843
244 Vineyard Road, Halesite, NY 11743
Southampton Town Police Department (631) 728-3400
110 Old Riverhead Road, Hampton Bays, NY 11946
Lloyd Harbor Police Department (631) 549-8800
380 W Neck Road, Huntington, NY 11743
Suffolk County Police Department (631) 854-8200
1071 Park Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743
Harbor Police Department (631) 224-5656
Bayview Avenue, Islip NY 11751
Montauk Police Precinct (631) 668-3709
52 S Embassy St, Montauk, NY 11954
Asharoken Police Department (631) 261-7400
1 Asharoken Avenue #1, Northport, NY 11768
Northport Village Police Department (631) 261-7500
224 Main St, Northport, NY 11768
Ocean Beach Police Department (631) 583-5866
1 Bay Walk, Ocean Beach, NY 11770
Southold Police Department (631) 765-2600
41405 Route 25, Peconic, NY 11958
Quogue Police Department (631) 653-4175
115 Jessup Avenue, Quogue, NY 11959
Riverhead Police Department (631) 727-4500
210 Howell Avenue, Riverhead, NY 11901
Sag Harbor Police Headquarters (631) 725-0058
70 Division St, Sag Harbor, NY 11963
Head of the Harbor Police Department (631) 584-7891
500 Route 25a, St James, NY 11780
Nisseuogue Police Department (631) 584-5302
Moriches Road, St James, NY 11780
Old Field Village Constables (631) 941-9401
207 Old Field Road, Setauket, NY 11733
Shelter Island Police Department (631) 749-0600
44 N Ferry Road, Shelter Island, NY 11964
Southampton Village Police (631) 283-0056
151 Windmill Ln, Southampton, NY 11968
East Hampton Town Police Department (631) 537-7575
131 Wainscott Road, Wainscott, NY 11975
Suffolk County Police Department (631) 854-8100
555 Route 109, West Babylon, NY 11704
Southside Hospital (631) 968-3000
301 East Main St, Bay Shore, NY 11706
Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital (631) 477-1000
201 Manor Place, Greenport, NY 11944
Huntington Hospital (631) 351-2200
270 Park Avenue, Huntington, NY 11743
Long Island Community Hospital (631) 654-7100
101 Hospital Road, Patchogue, NY 11772
John T Mather Memorial Hospital of Port Jefferson New York Inc (631) 473-1320
75 North Country Road, Port Jefferson, NY 11777
St. Charles Hospital (631) 474-6600
200 Belle Terre Road, Port Jefferson, NY 11777
Peconic Bay Medical Center (631) 548-6000
1300 Roanoke Avenue, Riverhead, NY 11901
St Catherine of Siena Hospital (631) 862-3107
50 Route 25a, Smithtown, NY 11787
Stony Brook Southampton Hospital (631) 726-8200
240 Meeting House Lane, Southampton, NY 11968
University Hospital (631) 444-2701
Health Sciences Center SUNY, Stony Brook, NY 11794
Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center, (631) 376-3000
1000 Montauk Highway, West Islip, NY 11795
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