As New York residents know, car accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. Sometimes, the damage the drivers sustain is not life threatening, as their respective vehicles often take the brunt of the force. However, when an accident involves a motor vehicle and a bicycle, the results are often fatal. Such is the case in a recent fatal accident that might leave the victim’s family wondering if they should file a wrongful death claim.
The accident happened late one night in May. A 42-year-old man was rear-ended while riding his bicycle in East Harlem, Manhattan. According to authorities, after he was thrown from his bike, he collided with the hood of a speeding luxury sedan.
The car sped off, drove into oncoming traffic and crashed into another car, at which time the driver and his two passengers fled on foot. The bicycle victim was not wearing a helmet and was pronounced dead at the accident scene. Just a few minutes prior to the accident, cops had attempted to pull over the sedan, but the car had evaded them.
When a person is killed in a car accident due to the negligence of another in New York, the family of the decedent sometimes files a wrongful death claim. A successful wrongful death claim often results in financial compensation for the decedent’s family, which can help lessen the financial strain incurred that is often placed upon the remaining family members, such as hospital bills and burial services. Finding an reputable personal injury attorney who has the knowledge and the experience of how to successfully file a wrongful death claim is often the first person a grieving family turns to for advice.
Source: New York Post, “Neuroscientist on bike killed by driver who fled traffic stop“, Natasha Velez, Shawn Cohen, and Danika Fears, May 28, 2015
