Is there an epidemic in New York of pedestrians being hit by cars? The numbers might back up that assertion. Last year, 173 pedestrians were killed in car accidents; about 10,000 people survive but suffer injuries, many of them serious. An emergency room doctor recently described some of the injuries presented by people who have been struck by cars — and they aren’t pleasant to think about.
Many accidents happen when people are crossing the street — whether in a marked crosswalk or not — and are hit head-on by a car. The initial impact is to the pedestrian’s lower body, where bones in the legs and pelvis can be broken.
The impact often then results in the pedestrian being lifted onto the roof of the car and into the windshield. This causes injuries to the brain and cuts to the face. Often, when the driver realizes what has happened, he or she will slam on the brakes. This causes the pedestrian to be thrown to the street, which can further injure the person in many of the same areas.
When there is an impact with a larger vehicle, a pedestrian is often caught underneath the vehicle, rather than being thrown. This can lead to different sorts of injuries — which are no less devastating than the ones mentioned above.
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People hit by vehicles almost always suffer some type of injury. A pedestrian accident lawyer in NYC can assist victims by working to recover damages from the responsible parties.
Source: New York Daily News, “Pedestrian injuries, as seen in the ER,” Kaushal Shah, Jan. 23, 2014
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