Pedestrian Accidents

Every year, thousands of pedestrians are killed in traffic accidents. The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel, with offices in White Plains, the Bronx and Peekskill, represents clients throughout Westchester County, the lower Hudson Valley and all of New York State who have suffered injuries or who are a surviving family member of a pedestrian killed as the result of a reckless or negligent driver.

The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel is dedicated to protecting pedestrians and bicyclists who are the victims of reckless and negligent drivers of cars, taxicabs, trucks, and other delivery vehicles who fail to stop at stop signs or drive at unsafe speeds. Particularly in the boroughs of New York City, taxi drivers and delivery vehicle operators routinely ignore traffic lights, fail to obey stop signs, and ignore other traffic controls. In fact, in the last year, in addition to motor vehicles, two pedestrians were killed by out of control bicyclists, including one in Central Park who was about to cross the street when she was struck and killed, leaving behind a husband and two children. New York City has now adopted a program called “Vision Zero”, which has been implemented in other cities across the United States and in other countries. This program is designed to reduce pedestrian and traffic fatalities through a number of different measures, such as reducing the speed limit on city roadways from 30 m.p.h., which was in place for 50 years, to 25 m.p.h. in November of 2014. Another measure adopted as part of Vision Zero is to improve traffic signage.

Our investigators will expeditiously obtain witness statements, secure photographs of the accident scene, vehicle debris and where possible, the damaged vehicles themselves. We will obtain the maintenance and driver records of the drivers involved in the crash, and utilize the services of accident reconstruction experts where appropriate who can analyze accident debris, skid marks, and other accident scene evidence. Injuries suffered in pedestrian accidents are often extremely severe and life altering. The pedestrian accident victim may have suffered spinal cord paralysis, nerve damage, dislocated or broken bones, or a lost limb. The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel understands that in addition to recovering the maximum amount of compensation for past and future pain and suffering, other immediate goals of our clients are to insure that past and future medical and hospital bills get paid, any lost wages are reimbursed to prevent financial suffering, that loss of employment opportunities or earnings are recognized, and that loss of the ability to perfume activities of daily living is considered in the damages calculation.

We provide dedicated, aggressive, and comprehensive representation to make sure that our clients receive all possible compensation. We have been in practice since 1986 and do not hesitate to litigate a case through trial if this is necessary to obtain proper compensation for our clients. However, we also recognize that there are occasions in which the best resolution of the case is through arbitration, medication or settlement due to the financial constraints and needs of the client. Insurance companies are not in business to give the maximum settlement—they seek to pay victims as little as possible, and frequently attempt to settle cases “on the cheap” before an attorney is involved. If you are injured in a pedestrian accident, before you sign or settle anything with an insurance company, please contact us.

Please contact us online or call us at (914) 428-7386 to schedule a free consultation.