18-wheel truck kills cyclist in recent fatal accident

A fatal collision between an 18-wheel truck and a bicyclist occurred recently in New York City. The accident occurred in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, police said. If it comes to light that the driver of the truck was responsible for the bicyclist’s death, the victim’s family may choose to file a wrongful death claim against the driver.

The accident occurred on a recent Wednesday morning in April. The accident occurred a little before 8 a.m. at a busy intersection and involved a 33-year-old bicyclist. Although specific details of the accident have yet to be revealed, neither road at the intersection is a truck route.

Despite the fact that residents of the neighborhood say that truck traffic has grown recently, NYPD has yet to issue any tickets for truck route violations this year. As the details surrounding the fatal accident emerge, it appears that the truck driver was negligent in two ways — operating a truck that is longer than 55 feet on a non-truck route, as well as, according to one witness, driving while wearing headphones. However, neither NYPD nor the FDNY have yet to confirm the latter possibility.

When a bicycle accident occurs in New York as a result of another driver’s negligence and this leads to a bicyclist’s death, the victim’s family is entitled to file a wrongful death claim for financial relief. When this type of claim is successfully navigated, any restitution paid can be used to help alleviate some of the financial burdens imposed on the family of the victim. Damages typically include burial costs, medical expenses, lost pay and other documented financial losses. A victim’s family typically consults an experienced personal injury attorney to determine the validity of a legal claim and for ongoing support in seeking justice in a civil court.

Source: gothamist.com, “[UPDATE] Cyclist Killed By 18-Wheel Truck Driver In Park Slope“, Miranda Katz, April 20, 2016