Car accident leads to New York bicyclist’s death

A bicyclist caught in the middle of a chain-reaction crash died as a result of his injuries suffered in the collision. The accident occurred in Brooklyn on a recent Monday night in May, authorities said. When New York residents are killed in car accidents due to other individuals’ negligence, their loved ones are typically within their full legal rights to file wrongful death suits against the responsible parties.

Around 10 p.m., a sedan that was headed west on an avenue in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn ran a red light, police said. The sedan crashed into the driver’s side of another sedan that was going through the intersection. The two cars then swerved into the path of the cyclist and pinned his body between two parked vehicles.

The bicyclist was rushed to a local hospital and pronounced dead upon arrival. The driver who allegedly caused the accident was taken to a different hospital, complaining of chest pain. Charges against the driver are currently pending. The driver of the second sedan was treated at a third hospital for minor back and neck pain, the police said.

Knowing that a loved one died from injuries from an accident that could have been prevented is very traumatic. Added to this trauma, a surviving family may be burdened with the expenses of the victim’s funeral and burial, in addition to the sudden loss of a loved one’s income. To obtain financial relief, a family may decided to pursue a wrongful death claim in a New York civil court. However, to successfully navigate such a claim, sufficient evidence to show driver error — or another form of negligence — must be gathered.

Source: New York Post, “Cyclist killed in Brooklyn chain-reaction car crash“, Daniel Prendergast, May 10, 2016