Pedestrian Accidents: Standing By Can Hurt You

Pedestrian safety is extremely important, which is why our parents prioritized teaching us the rules of the road. Our parents taught us which side of the street to walk on, how to look both ways before crossing the street, and the importance of traffic lights and crosswalks. But just because we think we know how to keep safe walking down the street doesn’t mean we actually are safe, even as adults.

Pedestrians in Times Square likely thought they were safe, especially since they didn’t even set foot off the sidewalk. But after a collision between two tourist buses left more than a dozen onlookers injured, it is important that we remember that we can be injured at any time, no matter how safe we think we are. The injuries were mostly caused when the windows of the tour buses shattered from the impact of the collision, raining glass down on the surrounding pedestrians. There was nothing any of the injured could have done to minimize their risk, short of not being in Times Square.

But now, there are some things that those who are injured can do to help prevent this type of thing from happening again, foremost among them making sure that those who were responsible for the accident are held responsible. Things they can do include:

• Contacting their local representatives to petition for increased pedestrian safety on Times Square, including barricades or rules preventing large buses from getting too close to the sidewalk
• Speaking with the District Attorney and others who might be in charge of filing charges for criminal acts
• Meeting with other victims and working together to make sure that the authorities do the right thing

The most important thing someone who is injured in an accident like this can do is to retain an attorney. Only a skilled lawyer can make sure the rights of the injured are not trampled during the investigation, and only a good attorney can make sure that a person who is injured gets the compensation they are entitled to and that those who are negligent pay for their actions.