Manhattan Motor Vehicle Accidents Law Blog

Just about everyone has seen one, a driver with a dog in his or her lap or sitting in the front passenger seat. New Yorkers love their pets, but for their safety and the safety of everyone else on the road there is a certain place pets should be kept when they are traveling in a car. According to a recent survey, few pet owners who allow their pets to accompany them in their vehicles actually restrain their animals properly and some even admit that they are distracted by their pets. A driver paying attention to his or her pet rather than the road is, quite simply, a negligent driver.

The American Automobile Association recently conducted a survey on this particular topic. They asked dog owners about their driving habits when their pets accompany them in their vehicles. According to the survey:

• 52 percent of participants admitted to petting their dogs while driving
• 13 percent admitted to feeding their dogs while driving
• 17 percent of participants admitted to allowing their dogs to sit in their laps while operating their vehicles
• 4 percent admitted to playing with their pets rather than focusing on the road
• 29 percent admitted that they were knowingly distracted by their pets

Police in New York are looking for the driver responsible for a hit-and-run incident that recently occurred in Hell's Kitchen. The pedestrian accident left a young man in critical condition. When the driver is located, that individual may be held responsible for the victim's losses. If the driver is not found, the victim may require assistance seeking relief from his own insurance provider.

According to a local news report, a 28-year-old male was in the process of crossing 47th Street at the 10th Avenue intersection when he was hit by an automobile. The driver of the vehicle failed to stop and was last seen driving down 10th Avenue. The victim was transported to an area hospital. Though his injuries were quite severe, he was admitted in stable condition. His current condition is unknown.

New York has made strides to reduce the number of fatal car accidents that occur around the city. 2018 saw the lowest number of traffic fatalities since the city started tracking that information in 1910. 

While fatalities are down, car accidents only resulting in injuries or property damage are still rather high. If you ever find yourself in one of these collisions, then you need to make sure you take actions to protect yourself. That includes taking pictures at the scene to provide your attorney and insurance agent later. While most people only take pictures of the exteriors of both cars, the truth is, you want more evidence than that. 

In Sept. 2018, a group of Boy Scouts was hiking along a road in Long Island when tragedy struck. An allegedly drunk driver plowed into the group, injuring four boys and killing another one. At the end of January, the family of the deceased victim was in a New York court hoping that the driver was going to accept responsibility for his actions. Unfortunately, that did not happen and the family is still left seeking justice for their son.

According to reports, on Sept. 30, the accused had been drinking with a friend at a golf club. He refused a ride home, choosing to drive himself instead, and shortly after leaving the club he hit the group of boys. This individual has been charged with aggravated DWI, aggravated vehicular homicide and 14 other crimes. The attorney for the accused has said several times that his client is ready to accept his role in the incident. Plea deal negotiations are ongoing and the accused has been released on bail.