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Types of Car Accidents in NYC

Car accidents can be categorized in many ways. You can categorize them by their causes. For example, speeding crashes happen differently than red light crashes. You could also look at the nature of the collision, such as rear-end or sideswipe crashes.

Understanding the type of car accidents in NYC can help you avoid them. And when they occur, the crash type can often tell you who bears the legal liability for any injuries.

If you would like to learn more, get in touch with the Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel Personal Injury Lawyers by calling us at (212) 564 2800 or contacting us online.

How the Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Accident in NYC, NY

The Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel Personal Injury Lawyers is a personal injury law firm that has served accident victims in New York City, New York, since 2007.

Our founding attorney has over 32 years of legal experience, including several years as an insurance defense lawyer.

We will help you after your accident by providing the following:

• Free consultation so you understand your right to injury compensation under New York law
• An investigation to gather evidence and determine who was responsible for your accident
• A calculation of your damages
• A lawyer to handle negotiations and communications on your behalf.

Contact the Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to discuss your injuries and the compensation you can recover for them.

How Many Car Accidents Happen in NYC?

As the most populous city in the U.S., NYC has a lot of traffic accidents. According to the NYC OpenData database, NYC had 103,795 traffic crashes in 2022. These crashes killed 115 motorists, 132 pedestrians, and 18 cyclists. They injured 35,510 motorists, 8,965 pedestrians, and 5,026 cyclists.

Although these numbers put New York well ahead of other cities for crash totals, NYC is one of the safest cities by crash rate because it has so many more people.

In the Allstate America’s Best Drivers report for 2019, NYC was rated 111th out of 200 cities for road safety. This report rated NYC safer than other major population centers like Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, and Philadelphia.

Categorizing New York City’s Car Accidents

Traffic experts use many different categories to describe car accidents. These categories help them identify specific issues. For example, reviewing truck accidents can help regulators identify trucking companies with poor safety records.

Some common types of car accidents in NYC include:

Distracted Driving Accidents

Distracted driving is the most common cause of traffic accidents in NYC. In 2022, crash reports blamed distracted driving for 25,824 crashes, according to the NYC OpenData database. Distracted driving caused more accidents than the next four causes — failure to yield, tailgating, unsafe passing, and cutting off other drivers — combined.

Distracted driving prevents you from spotting traffic and road hazards. It also limits your time to respond to hazards when you finally see them. For example, at just 35 miles per hour, you travel 50 feet every second. Your car covers 100 feet during a distraction lasting just two seconds.

The liability for distracted driving crashes will fall on the distracted driver.

Pedestrian Crashes

Pedestrian collisions killed more people than any other type of collision in NYC. These crashes can have many causes, including:

• Distracted driving
• Intoxicated driving
• Failure to yield the right of way
• Jaywalking

Many pedestrian accidents result from relatively low-speed collisions. But since pedestrians have no protection when cars hit them, pedestrians can suffer serious injuries to their heads, necks, and backs.

The driver would bear liability for pedestrian crashes if they acted negligently in causing the crash.

Rear-End Collisions

Rear-end crashes are the most common type of collision. According to the National Safety Council, nearly 42% of car accidents happen when one car slams into the rear of another car.

Rear-end crashes can cause neck and back injuries due to whiplash. They can also cause a concussion as the brain sloshes inside the skull.

The liability for almost all rear-end collisions falls on the driver of the trailing vehicle. But in some cases, it can fall on the leading driver if they cut off the trailing driver.

Intersection Accidents

Intersection accidents typically cause the most serious injuries. These crashes usually happen when a driver fails to yield the right of way. Some common scenarios that lead to intersection collisions include:

• Running a red light
• Turning into oncoming traffic
• Failing to yield to a pedestrian at a crosswalk

When one vehicle T-bones another vehicle, it hits the door. Since the door is one of the weakest points of the vehicle, the vehicle’s occupants can suffer crushing injuries or impact trauma to the head, chest, and abdomen.

Schedule a Free Consultation with Our New York Car Accident Lawyers

Car accidents can cause injuries ranging from cuts and bruises to permanent brain or spinal cord injuries. To discuss the compensation for your car accident injuries, contact the Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation.