Walking is how most New Yorkers get around, whether it’s a short hop to the subway or a long avenue crossing on the way to work. That also means pedestrians share the same streets as cars, buses, delivery vehicles, taxis, rideshare vehicles, and cyclists on some of the busiest corridors in the country. When a driver fails to yield, runs a light, or turns without checking a crosswalk, the person on foot almost always absorbs the worst of it.
If you or someone in your family was struck by a vehicle while walking anywhere in New York City, Michael J. Redenburg, Esq. can help you understand what happened, who may be responsible, and what your legal options look like. As a New York City pedestrian accident lawyer, represents injured pedestrians in cases involving drivers, taxis, rideshare vehicles, delivery vehicles, and other motorists. Michael has spent more than 15 years representing injured New Yorkers in motor vehicle and pedestrian cases, and he handles every case personally rather than passing it off to a case manager or junior associate.
This page covers what’s currently known about pedestrian crashes across the five boroughs, where and why they tend to happen, and what to do if you’ve been hurt. A New York City pedestrian accident lawyer can also explain how the location of the crash, available evidence, and the parties involved may affect the claim. If you’re looking for information specific to your borough, you’ll find links to our Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island pedestrian accident pages below.
Recent Pedestrian Accident Settlements & Case Results
Every pedestrian case is different, but these recent results give a sense of how Michael J. Redenburg, Esq. has fought for injured walkers and their families in and around New York City. Working with an experienced New York City pedestrian accident lawyer can help injured pedestrians understand how evidence, insurance coverage, and liability may affect their claim. After the NYC accident data section
$450,000 Arbitration Award, Pedestrian Struck by a Hit-and-Run Vehicle
Our client, LaSaun J., had just exited his box truck when he was struck by a vehicle that fled the scene. He sustained a non-displaced wrist fracture that did not require surgery. The insurance company initially offered $100,000; Michael J. Redenburg, Esq. pursued the matter through arbitration and secured a final award of $450,000.
$100,000 Settlement, Pedestrian Struck by a Taxi
Michael J. Redenburg, Esq. represented a client who was struck by a taxi while walking. The matter, categorized among our firm’s auto accident results, resolved for $100,000.
$837,500 Settlement, Pedestrian Injured While Boarding an MTA Bus
A Brooklyn client, Monica Harbour, was injured while boarding a New York City Transit bus. Represented by Michael J. Redenburg, Esq., her case (Kings County Supreme Court, index 507593/2018) settled for $837,500 during jury selection, an outcome that required proving fault against a large municipal defendant.
A New York City pedestrian accident lawyer must evaluate each case separately because injuries, insurance coverage, liability, and available evidence can vary significantly.
Pedestrian Accidents in New York City: Recent Data and Trends
New York City tracks traffic deaths and injuries through its Vision Zero initiative, and the city’s own data shows real, measurable change in recent years, alongside a continued, serious risk to people on foot.
- Citywide pedestrian fatalities fell from 122 in 2024 to 111 in 2025, a 9% decline and the lowest annual total on record, according to NYC DOT’s year-end traffic safety report released in January 2026.
- The same report put total traffic deaths in 2025 at 205 citywide, the fewest ever recorded in the city in a single year.
- Total traffic injuries citywide fell from roughly 51,540 in 2024 to about 47,557 in 2025 (a 7.7% decline), and serious injuries fell from 3,031 to 2,947 over the same period.
- Through the first half of 2026, the city reported 46 pedestrian fatalities, down 13% from the same period in 2025 and down more than 42% since Vision Zero launched in 2014.
- Looking at NYC DOT’s designated Vision Zero Priority Corridors specifically, the agency’s February 2023 Borough Pedestrian Safety Action Plan update found pedestrian fatality declines since the 2019 study period of 40% in the Bronx, 38% in Brooklyn, 45% in Manhattan, 25% in Queens, and 38% on Staten Island.
A New York City pedestrian accident lawyer can review the specific circumstances of a crash rather than relying only on broader citywide statistics. They still occur every day, often at a relatively small number of streets and intersections that see disproportionate crash activity, which is the focus of NYC DOT’s own Vision Zero corridor designations, discussed below.
Dangerous Pedestrian Corridors Across New York City
Rather than guessing at “the most dangerous intersection” in each borough, NYC DOT has spent the last decade identifying specific corridors with elevated pedestrian death and injury rates through its Vision Zero Borough Pedestrian Safety Action Plans and related Great Streets and Arterial Slow Zone programs. The following corridors, spread across all five boroughs, have each been formally identified by the city as priority locations for pedestrian safety work.
Some of the crash figures below reflect the specific study period cited by DOT; where a corridor has since been redesigned, current conditions may differ. For someone injured along one of these corridors, a New York City pedestrian accident lawyer may review the roadway layout, traffic controls, surveillance footage, and other evidence connected to the collision.
Queens
Queens Boulevard has been one of NYC DOT’s four original citywide “Great Streets” priority corridors since the mid-2010s, chosen because of its width, high traffic volume, and long history of pedestrian crashes through Woodside and Elmhurst. DOT has since redesigned multiple phases of the boulevard, including reduced travel lanes and expanded pedestrian space.
Northern Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue were both named Arterial Slow Zones by DOT and NYPD as part of the agency’s broader corridor safety program, reflecting speeding and crash concerns along these commercial, bus-heavy routes.
The Bronx
The Grand Concourse is another of the city’s original four Great Streets corridors. DOT’s own project history describes multiple completed redesign phases, reducing travel lanes from three to two in each direction and expanding pedestrian refuge islands at key intersections, specifically because of the corridor’s crash history.
Southern Boulevard and East Gun Hill Road were also designated Arterial Slow Zones by DOT and NYPD due to speeding-related safety concerns along these routes.
Brooklyn
Atlantic Avenue is a designated Vision Zero Priority Corridor for both Brooklyn and Queens. In DOT’s own planning materials for the Georgia Avenue–to–Logan Street segment, the agency reported 3 fatalities and 1,181 injuries (49 severe) over a 2010–2014 study period, along with high traffic volumes diverted from the nearby Conduit Boulevard. DOT has since completed major safety reconstruction on multiple phases of the corridor.
4th Avenue is one of the original four citywide Great Streets corridors, redesigned with protected bike lanes and other safety measures after being identified for its crash history.
Eastern Parkway was named an Arterial Slow Zone by DOT and NYPD as part of the same corridor safety initiative.
Manhattan
Houston Street was identified as a Priority Corridor in DOT’s 2015 Manhattan Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, a designation the agency has continued to build on with subsequent safety projects at intersections along the route.
Delancey Street has also been the subject of a dedicated Vision Zero capital safety redesign due to its status as a high-crash arterial route connecting to the Williamsburg Bridge.
Citywide, that same plan found that just 17 Priority Corridors (11% of the borough’s street mileage) accounted for roughly half of all pedestrian deaths and severe injuries in the borough at that time, and that 66 Priority Intersections, just 2% of Manhattan’s intersections, accounted for 15% of that toll.
Staten Island
Forest Avenue was designated an Arterial Slow Zone by DOT and NYPD. More broadly, DOT’s 2015 Staten Island Pedestrian Safety Action Plan found that pedestrian deaths and severe injuries on the island were most heavily concentrated on the North and East Shores, that 80% of pedestrian fatalities occurred during afternoon and evening hours (3–9 p.m.), and that passenger vehicles were involved in roughly nine out of ten pedestrian fatalities, each notably different from citywide patterns.
Common threads across these corridors include wide roadways with multiple travel lanes, heavy commercial and bus traffic, long pedestrian crossing distances, and high vehicle speeds, the same mix of conditions behind many of the motorcycle crashes we see on these routes.
Where Pedestrian Accidents Happen in NYC
Beyond specific corridors, pedestrian crashes in New York City tend to cluster around certain kinds of locations and situations:
- A New York City pedestrian accident lawyer may consider where the collision occurred because intersections, commercial streets, driveways, and transit areas can present different liability issues.
- Signalized intersections, especially where left- or right-turning vehicles cross a crosswalk
- Marked and unmarked crosswalks on wide, multi-lane streets
- Busy commercial corridors with heavy foot traffic and frequent double-parked delivery vehicles
- School zones during arrival and dismissal hours
- Parking lots and garage driveways, where visibility is often limited
- Dedicated turning lanes at large intersections
- Transit-heavy areas near bus stops and subway entrances, where pedestrians cross to reach a stop
Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents in New York City
- Distracted driving
- Failure to yield to pedestrians with the right of way
- Speeding
- Left-turn and right-turn collisions
- Running red lights or failing to stop at stop signs
- Unsafe backing, particularly in parking lots and driveways
- Impaired driving
- Poor visibility at night or in bad weather
- Taxi and rideshare vehicle collisions, often tied to double-parking or sudden stops
- Delivery vehicle collisions, particularly during time-pressured routes
NYC DOT’s own community outreach for its Manhattan Pedestrian Safety Action Plan found that failure to yield (23%) and speeding (14%) were the two most frequently cited safety concerns among residents, a pattern that lines up with what we see in pedestrian cases across the city.
Common Pedestrian Injuries
Not every pedestrian collision causes catastrophic harm, but even a relatively low-speed impact can cause serious injury because a person on foot has no protection against a moving vehicle. Injuries we commonly see in pedestrian cases include:
- Broken bones, particularly in the legs, hips, and pelvis
- Head injuries and traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Knee, leg, and shoulder injuries requiring surgery
- Internal injuries and internal bleeding
- Road rash and lacerations
- Permanent disability or disfigurement
- Fatal injuries
When a crash takes a family member’s life, the surviving family may be able to pursue a wrongful death claim separate from the kind of injury claim described on this page. A New York City pedestrian accident lawyer can review medical records and other documentation to understand how the injuries have affected the person physically, financially, and in daily life.
Who May Be Responsible for a Pedestrian Accident?
Responsibility for a pedestrian crash depends entirely on the facts of the incident and the evidence available. A New York City pedestrian accident lawyer may investigate the driver, vehicle owner, employer, rideshare company, or government entity when determining who may be legally responsible. Depending on the circumstances, potentially responsible parties may include:
- The driver of a passenger vehicle
- A taxi driver
- An Uber or Lyft driver
- A delivery driver
- A commercial truck driver
- An employer, where a driver was acting within the scope of their job
- The owner of the vehicle, if different from the driver
- A government entity, in cases involving a city-owned vehicle or hazardous roadway design
An attorney typically reviews police reports, camera footage, and other evidence before drawing any conclusions about fault in a specific case. A New York City pedestrian accident lawyer can use that evidence to assess how the collision occurred and which parties may share responsibility.
What to Do After Being Hit by a Vehicle in NYC
- Call 911. Request medical assistance and ask that police respond and file an official report.
- Get medical treatment even if you feel okay at the scene, some injuries, especially head and internal injuries, aren’t obvious right away.
- Get the driver’s information, including their license plate, insurance, and license number if possible.
- Take photos or video of the vehicle, the intersection or crosswalk, and your visible injuries.
- Identify witnesses and get their contact information before they leave the scene.
- Obtain the police report once it’s available. A New York City pedestrian accident lawyer can review the report alongside witness statements, photographs, and available video footage to identify important details about how the crash happened.
- Preserve your medical records from every provider you see related to the accident.
- Be cautious with insurance adjusters, avoid giving a recorded statement before speaking with an attorney.
- Speak with a pedestrian accident attorney early, especially if a government vehicle or city street design may be involved. Contacting a New York City pedestrian accident lawyer early may also help preserve surveillance footage, witness information, and other evidence that could become harder to obtain later.
Evidence That May Help a Pedestrian Accident Claim
- Police accident reports
- Traffic camera or building surveillance footage
- Photos and video from the scene
- Witness statements and contact information
- Medical records documenting treatment and diagnosis
- Vehicle “black box” or telematics data, where available
Traffic camera footage in particular, can be overwritten or deleted within days, which is one reason it helps to involve an attorney early. A New York City pedestrian accident lawyer can help identify and preserve evidence that may become unavailable as time passes.
Potential Compensation After a Pedestrian Accident
Depending on the circumstances and severity of your injuries, compensation in a pedestrian accident case may include categories such as:
- Medical expenses, past and future
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Rehabilitation and long-term care costs
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent injury or disability-related losses
What applies in a given case depends on the injuries involved and the evidence available. A New York City pedestrian accident lawyer can evaluate the medical, financial, and other losses connected to the accident based on the facts of the individual case. This page doesn’t estimate case values, since every matter is different.
New York Pedestrian Accident Claims and the Law
New York’s no-fault insurance system generally provides initial medical and lost-wage coverage regardless of fault, but no-fault benefits are capped and don’t cover pain and suffering. If your injuries meet New York’s “serious injury” threshold, you may be able to pursue a claim against the at-fault driver beyond no-fault benefits.
New York also follows a pure comparative negligence rule, meaning a pedestrian who was partially at fault, for example, crossing outside a crosswalk, may still be able to recover compensation, reduced by their share of fault.
Claims involving a city-owned vehicle or a hazardous condition on a city street may involve additional notice requirements and shorter timeframes than a typical claim against a private driver.
How Michael J. Redenburg, Esq. Can Help
Pedestrian cases often involve multiple potentially responsible parties, disputes over fault, and insurance companies that are quick to blame the person who was hit. As a New York City pedestrian accident lawyer, Michael J. Redenburg personally handles these cases and works to identify the evidence needed to support each client’s claim. Michael J. Redenburg, Esq. investigates the facts, gathers available evidence before it disappears, and handles negotiations and litigation personally, not through a call center or case manager. He has represented injured pedestrians and cyclists across all five boroughs and has secured six-figure settlements in serious injury cases, including the results described above.
Pedestrian Accident Lawyers Throughout New York City
Pedestrian accidents can happen anywhere in New York City, but the streets, traffic patterns, and surrounding conditions can look very different from one borough to another. A crash near a busy Manhattan intersection may involve different circumstances than one on a wide arterial road in Queens or a residential corridor in Staten Island.
For more location-specific context, we also cover pedestrian accident issues in Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, including the types of roads, intersections, and local traffic conditions that can affect how these collisions happen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if a car hits me while I’m walking in New York City?
Call 911, get medical attention, and try to get the driver’s information and contact details for any witnesses. Avoid giving a statement to an insurance company before speaking with an attorney.
Can I still recover compensation if I was crossing outside a crosswalk?
Possibly. New York’s comparative negligence rule allows a pedestrian who shares some fault to still recover compensation, reduced by their percentage of responsibility. It depends heavily on the specific facts.
What happens if the driver who hit me leaves the scene?
Hit-and-run cases can still lead to a claim, sometimes through your own uninsured motorist coverage or other avenues, depending on whether the driver is later identified. These cases often require additional investigation.
Does no-fault insurance cover a pedestrian who was hit by a car?
Generally, yes, no-fault benefits typically apply to pedestrians struck by a motor vehicle, covering medical bills and some lost wages up to policy limits. It doesn’t cover pain and suffering, and a separate claim may be available depending on the severity of the injury.
Can I bring a claim if an Uber or Lyft driver hit me?
Rideshare accidents can involve the driver’s personal insurance, the rideshare company’s commercial policy, or both, depending on whether the driver was logged into the app at the time. These cases often require reviewing app and trip data.
What if I was hit by a delivery truck or van?
Delivery-related crashes may involve the driver, the driver’s employer, or the delivery company, depending on the driver’s employment status and what caused the crash. Time pressure on delivery routes is a factor we look at closely.
What evidence is most important in a pedestrian accident case?
Police reports, surveillance or traffic camera footage, witness statements, and medical records tend to matter most. Because footage can be deleted quickly, early legal involvement can help preserve it.
Schedule a Free Consultation
If you or a family member was hit by a vehicle while walking anywhere in New York City, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, or Staten Island, Michael J. Redenburg, Esq. can review what happened and explain your options in plain language. Speaking with a New York City pedestrian accident lawyer can help you understand the next steps, possible sources of compensation, and what evidence may be important to your case. You’ll speak directly with Michael, not an intake team.
Call (212) 240-9465 or contact us online for a free consultation.