Brooklyn streets can change quickly from quiet residential blocks to major avenues filled with buses, delivery vehicles, rideshare traffic, cyclists, trucks, and people on foot. In Downtown Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Bushwick, Crown Heights, Flatbush, and other parts of the borough, pedestrians regularly cross streets where several types of traffic meet at the same time.
When someone is struck while walking, understanding what happened may require much more than checking whether a driver received a traffic ticket. Surveillance footage, witness accounts, vehicle ownership, insurance coverage, medical evidence, a driver’s work status, and the layout of the intersection may all become important.
A Brooklyn pedestrian accident lawyer can investigate those issues and evaluate the evidence surrounding a collision. Michael J. Redenburg, Esq. represents injured people throughout the city, with pedestrian claims forming part of his broader New York City pedestrian accident practice.
Recent Brooklyn Pedestrian Accident Settlements & Case Results
Michael J. Redenburg, Esq. has handled pedestrian and other serious roadway injury matters in New York City. The firm’s published pedestrian accident information states that it has obtained six-figure settlements for pedestrians struck by vehicles in Brooklyn, Queens, and elsewhere. Publicly available materials, however, do not identify the individual settlement amounts and detailed circumstances of those Brooklyn pedestrian matters.
Rather than assign an amount or injuries to a pedestrian case without verification, the individually documented Brooklyn results below are presented according to their actual accident types.
$900,000 Settlement for Brooklyn E-Bike Rider Struck by a Hummer
In 2023, Michael J. Redenburg represented a client in an e-bike collision in Brooklyn that resulted in a $900,000 settlement. Public attorney records identify the matter as involving an e-bike rider struck by a Hummer and state that it was resolved at NAM Mediation.
The result is independently reflected in Michael’s Justia attorney profile and in a separate attorney directory that identifies the underlying Kings County matter.
This was an e-bike case, not a pedestrian collision, and it is included here only as a verified example of a serious Brooklyn roadway injury result.
$837,500 Settlement for Brooklyn Bus Boarding Injury
Michael J. Redenburg also represented a woman injured while attempting to board an NYC Transit bus in Brooklyn. According to an independent report on the Kings County case, the matter settled for $837,500 on February 2, 2024, during the second day of jury selection.
The report states that the plaintiff alleged the bus doors closed on her while she was boarding, causing her to be dragged. It also documents the injuries and subsequent treatment described in the case.
This result involved a bus boarding accident rather than a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every matter depends on its individual facts and circumstances.
Pedestrian Accident Statistics in Brooklyn
New York City has recorded significant improvements in traffic safety in recent years, but pedestrians continue to be injured and killed on city streets.
According to NYC DOT’s 2025 year-end traffic safety report, Brooklyn recorded 63 total traffic deaths in 2025, down from 69 in 2024. These figures include all roadway users rather than pedestrians alone. Citywide, pedestrian fatalities declined from 122 in 2024 to 111 in 2025.
Brooklyn-specific pedestrian data also shows why certain corridors receive additional Vision Zero attention. In NYC DOT’s 2023 update to the Borough Pedestrian Safety Action Plans, the agency identified corridors based on pedestrian fatalities and pedestrian KSI, meaning pedestrians killed or severely injured.
For example, between 2017 and 2021, the designated portion of Flatbush Avenue recorded 39 pedestrian KSI, Broadway recorded 24, Ocean Avenue recorded 28, and Bushwick Avenue recorded 17.
NYC DOT also reported that pedestrian fatalities on Brooklyn Vision Zero Priority Corridors had fallen 38 percent compared with the study period used for its 2019 pedestrian safety analysis. The reduction is encouraging, but the continued presence of high-injury corridors shows why pedestrian safety remains an active concern throughout Brooklyn.
Brooklyn Corridors With Documented Pedestrian Collision Histories
The following streets were selected based on official NYC DOT pedestrian safety data and recent transportation projects. They should not be interpreted as a ranking of Brooklyn’s “most dangerous” locations. Instead, the records show meaningful histories of pedestrian fatalities, severe injuries, or targeted Vision Zero safety work.
Flatbush Avenue
Flatbush Avenue is one of Brooklyn’s major transportation corridors and is designated as a Vision Zero Priority Corridor.
NYC DOT’s 2023 pedestrian safety update recorded 39 pedestrians killed or severely injured and five pedestrian fatalities along the section from Grand Army Plaza to the Marine Parkway Bridge between 2017 and 2021.
The corridor continues to receive substantial safety attention. In 2026, NYC DOT began reconstruction of part of Flatbush Avenue with center-running bus lanes and safety improvements intended to better organize vehicle, bus, loading, and pedestrian movements.
Flatbush Avenue carries buses, private vehicles, delivery traffic, cyclists, and pedestrians through commercial and residential parts of the borough. Frequent intersections and turning movements can create repeated points of interaction between drivers and people crossing on foot.
Broadway
NYC DOT’s pedestrian safety data identified Broadway from Bedford Avenue to Jamaica Avenue as a Brooklyn Priority Corridor. Between 2017 and 2021, this section recorded 24 pedestrian KSI, including one pedestrian fatality.
More recent safety work has focused on the intersections around Gates Avenue and Park Avenue. NYC DOT proposed pedestrian refuge islands, updated pavement markings, and roadway changes designed to provide additional pedestrian space, shorten crossing distances, and slow vehicle turns.
Broadway passes through dense areas including Williamsburg and Bushwick and borders Bedford-Stuyvesant in places. Along the corridor, pedestrians encounter buses, commercial traffic, deliveries, elevated-train infrastructure, and vehicles turning between Broadway and local streets.
Bushwick Avenue
Bushwick Avenue also appears in NYC DOT’s Brooklyn Priority Corridor data.
From Maspeth Avenue to Jamaica Avenue, the corridor recorded 17 pedestrian KSI and five pedestrian fatalities between 2017 and 2021.
Bushwick Avenue passes through a densely populated part of northern Brooklyn and intersects with residential streets, commercial activity, bus routes, and other major roads. The mix of through traffic and neighborhood movement means pedestrians frequently cross vehicles entering and leaving the corridor.
Ocean Avenue
The portion of Ocean Avenue from Emmons Avenue to Flatbush Avenue recorded 28 pedestrian KSI, including four fatalities, between 2017 and 2021, according to NYC DOT’s 2023 Vision Zero update.
Ocean Avenue stretches through several neighborhoods and connects residential areas with commercial streets, parks, schools, and transit. Depending on the location, pedestrians may encounter wide intersections, turning vehicles, buses, and traffic traveling between neighborhood streets and larger avenues.
New Utrecht Avenue
New Utrecht Avenue from 86th Street to Ninth Avenue was also designated as a Priority Corridor in NYC DOT’s pedestrian safety analysis.
Between 2017 and 2021, the corridor recorded 13 pedestrian KSI and two pedestrian fatalities.
The avenue runs through communities including Bensonhurst and Borough Park and has an unusual street environment in places because the elevated subway structure follows portions of the roadway. Intersections may include vehicle traffic, transit users, shoppers, buses, and pedestrians crossing beneath or near the elevated tracks.
Surf Avenue
Surf Avenue from West 37th Street to Sea Breeze Avenue recorded eight pedestrian KSI and one pedestrian fatality between 2017 and 2021.
The corridor serves Coney Island and areas near Brighton Beach. Pedestrian activity can vary considerably depending on season, time of day, transit use, and activity around entertainment, residential, and commercial destinations.
Livingston Street in Downtown Brooklyn
Livingston Street illustrates another type of pedestrian risk.
NYC DOT recorded 13 traffic deaths or serious injuries along Livingston Street between Boerum Place and Flatbush Avenue from 2016 through 2020. Those figures include roadway users generally rather than pedestrians alone. However, DOT specifically reported that the most common pedestrian injury pattern involved turning drivers striking pedestrians who were legally crossing with the traffic signal.
The street carries substantial bus traffic and serves Fulton Mall, Brooklyn Borough Hall, nearby courts, businesses, and subway connections. DOT redesigned seven intersections with pedestrian islands or sidewalk extensions intended to shorten crossings and calm turning movements.
Pedestrian Accidents Across Brooklyn Neighborhoods
Brooklyn’s pedestrian environment differs considerably from one neighborhood to another.
Downtown Brooklyn combines offices, courts, shopping, subway stations, buses, cyclists, and large numbers of pedestrians within a compact street network. Livingston Street and the streets surrounding Fulton Mall show how turning traffic and bus activity can become important factors.
Williamsburg and Bushwick have a different mix. Dense residential blocks meet commercial streets, delivery activity, bicycle infrastructure, rideshare vehicles, and traffic moving between local roads and larger corridors such as Broadway and Bushwick Avenue.
In Bedford-Stuyvesant, streets such as Broadway and Fulton Street carry substantial commercial and transit activity alongside residential blocks. Crown Heights and Park Slope similarly combine neighborhood streets with major avenues, schools, bike routes, buses, and busy intersections.
Flatbush contains both residential areas and some of Brooklyn’s major transportation corridors. Farther west, Sunset Park and Bay Ridge include neighborhood shopping streets, schools, bus routes, industrial areas, and commercial-vehicle activity.
Bensonhurst has its own mix of residential streets, businesses, transit, and the New Utrecht Avenue corridor. In Brighton Beach and nearby Coney Island, pedestrian activity around Surf Avenue and transit stations can increase considerably during busy periods.
The circumstances of a collision therefore matter more than a neighborhood name by itself. A crash on a residential block may involve visibility or backing issues, while a collision on a major avenue may involve a long crossing, multiple lanes, turning vehicles, buses, or commercial traffic.
Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents in Brooklyn
Many pedestrian collisions begin with an ordinary traffic movement that goes wrong.
A driver may make a left or right turn without yielding to someone already in the crosswalk. A motorist may look toward approaching vehicles and fail to notice a pedestrian on the other side of the turn. Other crashes may involve speeding, distracted driving, red-light violations, stop-sign violations, unsafe backing, poor visibility, or impaired driving.
Delivery traffic can create additional issues along commercial streets. Trucks and vans may be entering loading zones, making frequent stops, or turning through crowded intersections. When a commercial vehicle is involved, questions about vehicle ownership and the driver’s employment may also matter. Michael’s New York City truck accident practice addresses related issues involving commercial vehicles.
Rideshare traffic is another everyday part of Brooklyn streets. Uber and Lyft drivers frequently pick up or discharge passengers near intersections, apartment buildings, restaurants, and commercial areas. A pedestrian collision involving one of these vehicles may require examining the driver’s app status and available insurance coverage. These issues are also discussed in the firm’s Uber and Lyft accident practice.
Brooklyn’s bicycle and e-bike traffic can create additional interactions at intersections, bike lanes, and pedestrian crossings. The firm’s NYC bicycle accident practice addresses related roadway injury matters involving cyclists.
Common Pedestrian Accident Scenarios in Brooklyn
A pedestrian collision does not have to occur in the middle of a major avenue.
Drivers may turn through an occupied crosswalk, back from a driveway, pull away from a curb, or enter a parking area without seeing a person walking nearby. Parked vehicles and delivery vans can obstruct sightlines, while double parking may force drivers, cyclists, or pedestrians into less predictable positions.
School zones create another type of environment. Children, parents, buses, delivery vehicles, and commuter traffic can all arrive within the same short period. NYC DOT continues to use treatments such as curb extensions, median improvements, and shorter crossings in school-safety projects throughout Brooklyn.
Accidents can also occur near bus stops, subway entrances, shopping areas, parking lots, building driveways, and commercial loading zones.
Common Pedestrian Injuries
Pedestrians have little physical protection when struck by a vehicle. Depending on the speed, impact, and circumstances, injuries may include broken bones, head trauma, traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, knee and leg injuries, shoulder injuries, internal injuries, cuts, road rash, or permanent physical limitations.
Some injuries are apparent immediately. Others become clearer after imaging, specialist evaluation, or continued treatment.
Medical records can become important not only for documenting the initial injury, but also for showing whether treatment, rehabilitation, time away from work, or future medical care is necessary.
A fatal pedestrian collision may also raise potential wrongful death issues for surviving family members depending on the circumstances.
Who May Be Responsible for a Brooklyn Pedestrian Accident?
Responsibility depends on how the crash occurred and what the evidence shows.
A potentially responsible party could include a passenger-vehicle driver, taxi driver, rideshare driver, delivery driver, commercial truck driver, employer, or vehicle owner.
A collision involving a person driving for work may require examining whether the driver was acting within the scope of employment. A rideshare case may require determining the driver’s app status. Commercial-vehicle matters can involve ownership, employment, maintenance, and insurance records.
Government-owned vehicles or roadway conditions can raise additional questions in some cases.
Liability should not be assumed solely because a pedestrian was injured. Each collision requires an examination of the available evidence and the law that applies to the particular facts.
What to Do After Being Hit by a Vehicle in Brooklyn
The first priority after a collision should be medical care. When circumstances allow, several additional steps may help preserve useful evidence:
- Call 911 and request medical assistance when needed.
- Obtain a medical evaluation and follow treatment recommendations.
- Get the driver’s name, license plate, vehicle information, and insurance details.
- Photograph the vehicle, roadway, traffic signals, crosswalk, and visible injuries when possible.
- Identify witnesses and preserve their contact information.
- Obtain the police collision report when it becomes available.
- Keep medical records, bills, and documentation showing time missed from work.
- Avoid unnecessary recorded statements to insurance companies before understanding why the statement is being requested.
- Consider speaking with an attorney about insurance coverage and preservation of evidence.
Someone seriously injured in a pedestrian collision may not be able to collect evidence personally at the scene. Other sources of information may still be available afterward.
Evidence That May Help a Pedestrian Accident Claim
A police report can be important, but it may be only one part of the investigation.
Stores, apartment buildings, buses, dashcams, and private security systems may have recorded the collision. Witness statements may help establish the traffic signal, direction of travel, vehicle movement, and where the pedestrian was located.
Medical records can document injuries and treatment. Employment and wage records may be relevant when the injuries affect a person’s ability to work.
A delivery, truck, taxi, or rideshare collision may involve additional material such as trip records, GPS information, company documents, insurance policies, ownership records, or employment information.
Video can sometimes be overwritten and witnesses can become difficult to locate, which is why early evidence preservation may matter.
Potential Compensation After a Pedestrian Accident
Potential damages depend on the injuries, applicable insurance, responsibility for the crash, and the evidence supporting the claim.
Depending on the circumstances, recoverable losses may include medical expenses, lost earnings, future medical care, rehabilitation expenses, reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, and losses associated with a permanent injury.
There is no reliable way to value a pedestrian accident case based only on the type of collision. Medical treatment, prognosis, insurance coverage, fault, long-term limitations, and the effect of the injury on a person’s daily life can all influence the analysis.
New York No-Fault Insurance and Pedestrian Claims
New York’s no-fault insurance system generally covers pedestrians injured by motor vehicles.
The New York State Department of Financial Services guidance for filing a no-fault claim explains that a pedestrian injured in New York generally files the claim with the insurer of the vehicle that struck them.
DFS also explains that basic no-fault coverage can address qualifying medical expenses, lost earnings, and certain other necessary economic losses, subject to the rules and limits governing the coverage.
Hit-and-run or uninsured-vehicle cases may involve different coverage. Depending on the circumstances and available household insurance, uninsured-motorist coverage or the Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation may become relevant.
New York also changed its comparative-fault rules for certain motor-vehicle personal injury actions in 2026. Under the current New York CPLR § 1411, a claimant’s culpable conduct can bar recovery in a personal-injury action subject to Insurance Law Article 51 when the claimant’s culpable conduct is greater than the conduct, or combined conduct, of the person or persons from whom recovery is sought.
The New York State Department of Financial Services summary of the 2026 motor-vehicle insurance reforms states that the amendment took effect on May 26, 2026 and applies to actions and proceedings commenced on or after that date.
Because the application of these rules depends on the particular claim, an injured pedestrian should not assume that an allegation of partial fault automatically determines the outcome.
How Michael J. Redenburg, Esq. Can Help
A pedestrian accident investigation can involve more than deciding which person had the traffic signal.
Surveillance footage may need to be preserved. Witnesses may need to be contacted. Vehicle ownership, insurance policies, employment relationships, medical evidence, and the long-term effect of the injuries may all need to be reviewed.
Michael J. Redenburg, Esq. can investigate those issues, communicate with insurance companies, identify potentially responsible parties, and evaluate damages supported by the available evidence. His broader New York City personal injury practice includes motor-vehicle and other serious injury matters throughout the city.
Pedestrian claims are not limited to Brooklyn. The firm’s citywide representation also covers collisions involving a Manhattan pedestrian accident lawyer, Bronx pedestrian accident lawyer, Queens pedestrian accident lawyer, and Staten Island pedestrian accident lawyer. Each borough has different street layouts, traffic patterns, and pedestrian environments, even when similar legal and insurance issues arise.
Brooklyn Pedestrian Accident FAQ
Does no-fault insurance cover a pedestrian hit by a car in Brooklyn?
Generally, New York no-fault coverage protects pedestrians injured by motor vehicles. The New York State Department of Financial Services states that a pedestrian generally files the no-fault claim with the insurer of the vehicle that struck them. The coverage available in a particular case depends on the circumstances and applicable policy.
Can I have a claim if I was outside a crosswalk when I was hit?
Being outside a crosswalk does not, by itself, determine the outcome of a pedestrian accident claim. The driver’s conduct, the pedestrian’s actions, traffic controls, visibility, vehicle speed, witness accounts, available video, and New York’s comparative-fault rules may all be relevant.
What happens if the driver leaves the scene?
Report the collision to the police and obtain medical treatment. If possible, preserve witness information, photographs, video, and any details about the vehicle. Insurance options may still exist in a hit-and-run accident, including possible uninsured-motorist or MVAIC coverage depending on the circumstances.
What if an Uber, Lyft, taxi, or delivery vehicle hits a pedestrian?
The investigation may need to determine whether the driver was working, who owned the vehicle, which company was involved, and what insurance coverage applied at the time. Electronic trip information, employment records, and company records may also become relevant.
What evidence can help after a Brooklyn pedestrian collision?
Useful evidence may include surveillance footage, photographs, witness information, police reports, medical records, vehicle information, traffic-signal evidence, and insurance records. Commercial or rideshare cases can involve additional electronic and company records.
Can a bicycle or e-bike collision result in a pedestrian injury claim?
Potentially. Pedestrian accidents are not limited to collisions involving cars and trucks. Right of way, traffic signals, the location of the collision, video footage, and the movements of the pedestrian and cyclist may all need to be considered.
Can I recover compensation if I was partly responsible for the collision?
The answer depends on the facts and the legal rules applicable to the claim. New York changed its comparative-fault law for certain motor-vehicle personal injury cases in May 2026. The percentage of responsibility attributed to each party can therefore be especially important.
How can a Brooklyn pedestrian accident lawyer help?
An attorney can investigate how the collision happened, preserve available evidence, communicate with insurance companies, identify potentially responsible parties and available coverage, review medical and financial losses, and explain what legal options may be supported by the facts.
Speak With Michael J. Redenburg, Esq. About a Brooklyn Pedestrian Accident
If you were struck by a vehicle while walking in Brooklyn, Michael J. Redenburg, Esq. can review the circumstances of the collision and discuss the options that may be available based on the evidence.
The firm’s verified contact information lists 212-240-9465, and its website provides an online form for requesting a free personal consultation.