Were you injured in a pedestrian accident on Long Island?
Rosenberg & Rodriguez Personal Injury Lawyers offers dedicated pedestrian accident representation grounded in decades of plaintiff-side trial work.
Pedestrian accidents often result in severe injuries and can lead to complex insurance disputes over liability. Rosenberg & Rodriguez Personal Injury Lawyers has represented injured New Yorkers since 2001. Our Long Island, NY pedestrian accident lawyer will investigate the accident, determine liability, and pursue the full compensation you may be entitled to. Contact us today for a free consultation.Â
Long Island, NY Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
A pedestrian accident claim is filed when someone on foot is injured because of another party’s negligence. That includes drivers who run red lights, motorists who fail to yield at crosswalks, and property owners or municipalities that allow dangerous conditions near roadways.
According to NHTSA pedestrian data, over 7,000 pedestrians are killed on American roads every year. Thousands more sustain injuries that change the course of their lives. On Long Island, these accidents happen on busy commercial stretches like Hempstead Turnpike, in shopping center parking lots, and at intersections where signal timing creates gaps in pedestrian protection. A Long Island pedestrian accident attorney identifies the responsible parties, documents the full cost of the injuries, and builds the case needed to recover fair compensation.
Types of Pedestrian Accident Cases We Handle on Long Island
Pedestrian crashes on Long Island follow patterns. These are the types of pedestrian accident cases our firm handles.
Crosswalk collisions. A driver fails to stop for a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk. Traffic cameras and witness statements usually provide strong evidence, but the insurance company will still try to argue the pedestrian stepped out too quickly or wasn’t visible.
Intersection accidents. Left-turning drivers are the worst offenders. They watch for oncoming traffic and forget that a person might still be crossing. Right turns on red create a similar problem when drivers roll through without looking.
Hit-and-run accidents. The driver takes off. That makes investigation harder but does not end the case. Uninsured motorist coverage and other legal channels can still provide a path to recovery.
Drunk driving accidents. An impaired driver fails to see a pedestrian crossing the street, runs a curb, or drives onto a sidewalk. Punitive damages may apply on top of the standard claim.
Car accidents. Distracted driving, speeding, and failure to yield account for the vast majority of pedestrian crashes. The injuries are almost always severe because the pedestrian has zero structural protection.
Truck accidents. Commercial trucks making deliveries in shopping areas or turning at intersections pose an outsized danger. Blind spots are massive, and a pedestrian struck by a truck faces catastrophic or fatal injuries.
Rideshare accidents. Uber and Lyft drivers pulling to the curb, picking up passengers in crosswalks, or watching the app instead of the road put pedestrians at risk. Insurance disputes between the driver and the rideshare company add another layer of complexity.
Sidewalk accidents. Cracked sidewalks, raised concrete, tree roots pushing up pavement. When a municipality or property owner fails to maintain a walkway and a pedestrian trips and falls, they can be held liable.
School zone accidents. Children are the most vulnerable pedestrians. Drivers who speed through school zones or ignore crossing guards put kids at serious risk, and the legal consequences are significant.
Why Choose Rosenberg & Rodriguez Personal Injury Lawyers as My Long Island, NY Pedestrian Accident Lawyer?
A Firm That Has Spent Over Two Decades on the Plaintiff Side
Pedestrian accident cases carry a built-in challenge. The insurance company will argue that the pedestrian should have been more careful, that the crosswalk wasn’t the right place to cross, or that the lighting was poor. Overcoming those defenses takes evidence and it takes experience. This firm has both.
Rosenberg & Rodriguez Personal Injury Lawyers was established in 2001 and has never represented an insurance company or a defendant. Every hour of the firm’s 100 combined years of practice has been spent fighting for injured people.
Laura Rosenberg has practiced personal injury law in New York and New Jersey for 25 years. Pedestrian safety laws and enforcement priorities have shifted significantly during that time, and her sustained involvement in this area of law means she understands how those shifts affect claims today. Laura has been named a Super Lawyer each year from 2019 through 2026. She is a member of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association and the New York State Bar Association.
Ivan Rodriguez joined the firm in 2003 after working as an investigator for a New York City government agency. In pedestrian cases, time-sensitive evidence like surveillance footage and traffic camera recordings can be erased within days. Ivan’s investigative training drives the firm’s approach to securing that evidence fast. He graduated from Hofstra University School of Law and is a member of the American Association for Justice. He has tried cases to verdict and argued before the Appellate Division.
As a personal injury lawyer in Long Island, NY, our firm offers representation across a wide range of accident and negligence matters. Rosenberg & Rodriguez Personal Injury Lawyers has recovered millions of dollars for injured clients. Every pedestrian accident case is taken on contingency. No cost unless we recover.
What Is Important to Understand About a Pedestrian Accident Case?
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Pedestrian Accident Cases
Pedestrian injuries tend to be among the most severe in personal injury law. The human body has no protection against a moving vehicle. The compensation in these cases reflects that reality.
Economic damages include emergency treatment, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, medication, lost wages, and reduced future earning capacity. Pedestrian crashes that cause hip fractures, traumatic brain injuries, or spinal damage often result in treatment that lasts years. Those future costs must be built into the claim.
Non-economic damages cover pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of daily life, and the effect on personal relationships. In wrongful death pedestrian cases, the surviving family may pursue a claim for lost companionship and financial support.
Liability means proving that the at-fault party owed a duty of care, violated it, and caused the injuries. New York follows pure comparative negligence. If the insurance company argues you were partly at fault, your compensation is reduced by your share of responsibility. But the claim survives. Even at 30 or 40 percent fault, you can still recover.
What Are Important Aspects of a Pedestrian Accident Case?
Pedestrian cases live or die on what you can prove about the scene, and that evidence has a short lifespan.
Photographs of the exact location, traffic signals, crosswalk markings, road conditions, and your injuries, taken as close to the time of the accident as possible
The police report, which documents driver identity, the officer’s observations, and any citations
Medical records from the day of the crash, because treatment delays give insurers an argument that the accident wasn’t the real cause
Witness contact information, especially from anyone who saw the driver’s behavior before impact
Surveillance or traffic camera footage, which your attorney should request before it is overwritten
Insurance companies defending pedestrian claims push the same arguments over and over. Documenting your injuries and the scene thoroughly from the outset strips those defenses of any credibility. Pedestrians in New York are generally afforded right-of-way protections at crosswalks and intersections, and those protections carry weight in court.
What Is the Pedestrian Accident Case Timeline?
Pedestrian accident cases on Long Island follow a general process, though each one moves at its own speed.
Medical treatment and stabilization: weeks to many months, often involving multiple surgeries for orthopedic or head injuries
Investigation: begins immediately, focused on securing camera footage, police reports, and witness statements before they disappear
Filing the claim: starts once treatment stabilizes and the full scope of damages is clear
Negotiation with the at-fault driver’s insurer: three to twelve months
Litigation: if the insurer refuses a fair number, filing a lawsuit adds six to eighteen months
Trial or resolution: from accident to final outcome, expect up to two years or longer
Many pedestrian claims resolve before trial. The firm prepares every case as if it will go to a jury. That is not a marketing line. It is the reason the insurance company takes the claim seriously.
What Should You Bring to Your Pedestrian Accident Consultation?
Documentation and evidence help our attorneys assess your claim quickly.
The police accident report
Medical bills, records, and imaging from treatment
Photos of the scene, the vehicle involved, and your injuries
Names and contact information for witnesses
Any letters or offers from the driver’s insurance company
Missing documents do not mean you should delay. The sooner an attorney reviews the facts, the sooner critical evidence can be preserved.
What Are Important New York Legal Resources for Pedestrian Accident Cases?
New York law sets strict deadlines and liability rules for pedestrian accident claims. These resources are a useful starting point.
The statute of limitations for personal injury in New York is three years from the accident under CPLR Section 214.
If a government-maintained crosswalk, sidewalk, or signal contributed to the crash, a notice of claim must be filed within 90 days under General Municipal Law.
New York applies pure comparative negligence under CPLR Article 14-A, allowing injured pedestrians to recover even when partially at fault.
Nassau and Suffolk County court information is available at nycourts.gov.
Federal pedestrian safety data and prevention resources are maintained by NHTSA.
Reach Out to Rosenberg & Rodriguez Personal Injury Lawyers to Schedule a Consultation
Evidence in pedestrian cases can disappear without legal intervention. Camera footage gets overwritten. Witnesses forget or move. Rosenberg & Rodriguez Personal Injury Lawyers takes pedestrian accident cases on contingency. No fee unless we recover compensation for you. Contact us to schedule a free case review.
Pedestrian Accident Statistics on Long Island
State traffic safety officials rank Nassau and Suffolk among the most dangerous counties in New York for serious and fatal crashes. Wide state routes carry heavy traffic past shopping centers, bus stops, and train stations, and the sidewalks along some of those stretches simply end.
Speed and inattention cause much of the harm. Higher impact speeds sharply raise the risk of death for a person on foot, and distracted drivers often never brake at all. Risk also climbs in late fall and winter, when the sun sets before the evening commute ends and many crossings sit in poorly lit stretches.
58 pedestrians died in crashes in Nassau and Suffolk counties in 2024.
The number of pedestrians killed or injured across both counties rose 10% between 2022 and 2024.
Speed-related crashes on Long Island killed 62 people in 2024 and injured 2,859 more.
New York committed $110 million to pedestrian safety upgrades on Long Island and upstate between 2016 and 2021 through its Pedestrian Safety Action Plan.
Nationwide, more than 8,000 pedestrians died in motor vehicle crashes in 2022, according to CDC injury data.
Mistakes That Can Damage Your Long Island Pedestrian Accident Claim
Insurance carriers look for reasons to reduce or deny pedestrian claims. A Long Island pedestrian accident attorney often finds that those reasons trace back to decisions made in the first few weeks after a crash.
1. Leaving the scene without a police report. Some pedestrians feel well enough to walk away without calling 911. Without a report, the driver’s identity, insurance carrier, and account of events may never be recorded.
2. Delaying medical care. Adrenaline can mask a fractured wrist or a concussion for hours. A gap of one or two weeks between the crash and a first doctor’s visit gives the carrier room to argue that something else caused the injury. Consistent medical documentation ties the injury to the collision.
3. Giving a recorded statement. An insurance adjuster for the driver may call within days and ask to record the conversation. The questions often center on where you were looking and whether you were inside the crosswalk. Answers given while you are medicated or in pain can later be used to assign you a share of the fault.
4. Accepting an early settlement offer. First offers usually arrive before anyone knows the full extent of the injury. A hip fracture in an older pedestrian can mean surgery, months of rehabilitation, and home care. A signed release closes the claim for good.
5. Posting about the accident or your recovery. A photo from a family gathering three weeks after the crash can be presented as proof that the injuries are minor, even if you spent most of that day in pain. Keep social media activity private until the case resolves.
6. Assuming partial fault ends the case. Many pedestrians blame themselves for crossing mid-block or against the signal. New York’s comparative fault rules reduce an award by the injured person’s percentage of responsibility. Under CPLR Section 1411 as amended in 2026, most motor vehicle injury claims filed on or after May 26, 2026 are barred only when the injured person’s fault is greater than the defendant’s. A pedestrian who shares some blame, but less than the driver, can still recover.
7. Losing track of out-of-pocket costs. Prescription co-pays, rides to physical therapy, and missed hours at work all belong in the claim. Without receipts and pay records, those losses are difficult to prove.
8. Discarding damaged clothing and belongings. The shoes, coat, or bag you wore can show the point of impact and how far you were thrown. Store those items in a bag rather than washing, repairing, or throwing them away.
Long Island Pedestrian Accident Lawyer FAQs
How much does it cost to hire a pedestrian accident lawyer on Long Island?
We handle pedestrian cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing upfront and nothing by the hour. If we do not recover compensation, you owe no fee. If we do, the fee comes from the settlement or verdict at a percentage agreed to in writing before work begins.
Is the first consultation free?
Your first meeting with a Long Island pedestrian accident attorney at our firm costs nothing and creates no obligation to hire us. We review the police report, your injuries, and where the crash happened. Then we explain whether we see a viable claim.
How long do I have to file a pedestrian accident lawsuit in New York?
Most personal injury lawsuits in New York must be filed within three years of the accident. Shorter deadlines can apply when a county, town, or other public entity may share responsibility for the crash.
What if the driver was working for a delivery or rideshare company?
A driver making deliveries or carrying passengers may be covered by commercial insurance on top of a personal auto policy. That can increase the coverage available to you. Our firm handles delivery accident cases and rideshare accident claims across Long Island, and many of them involve pedestrians struck near the curb.
How much is my pedestrian accident case worth?
No honest pedestrian accident attorney on Long Island can name a figure at the first meeting. Value depends on the severity and permanence of the injury, your medical costs and lost income, the available insurance, and how fault is divided. We look at each category of recoverable damages before giving you a realistic range.
What can my family do if the accident was fatal?
Surviving family members may pursue a wrongful death claim. In New York, the personal representative of the estate brings the action, and it generally must be filed within two years of death. Damages can include funeral expenses, lost financial support, and medical bills incurred before the person died.
Do I need a lawyer if the driver’s insurer already admitted fault?
An admission of fault settles who caused the crash. It does not settle what your injuries are worth. Carriers that accept liability still dispute treatment costs, future care, and lost earnings. Most people benefit from hiring a lawyer before they negotiate the amount of the settlement.
What if I was hit in a shopping center parking lot?
The driver is usually the primary responsible party, but the property owner may share fault when poor lighting, faded crosswalk striping, or a confusing traffic layout contributed to the crash. A Long Island, NY pedestrian accident attorney may pursue those claims under premises liability law as well as driver negligence.
Does it hurt my claim if I was struck at night?
Being struck at night does not automatically weaken a claim. Some stretches of Long Island’s state routes have limited lighting between commercial areas. Insurers often argue that a pedestrian in dark clothing could not be seen. But a Long Island pedestrian accident attorney can show that drivers still have a duty to keep a proper lookout and drive at a speed that suits the conditions.
Does your firm handle pedestrian cases in both Nassau and Suffolk counties?
Our firm represents pedestrians injured throughout Nassau and Suffolk from our Long Island office in Freeport. You can also speak with a pedestrian accident lawyer in Long Island, NY in Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Portuguese, Uzbek, or Farsi.
Important Resources for Long Island Pedestrian Accident Cases
Most Dangerous Locations for Pedestrian Accidents on Long Island
A Tri-State Transportation Campaign analysis of 2014 to 2016 crash data ranked these Long Island routes among the deadliest for people walking and biking.
Dangerous streets
Hempstead Turnpike (Route 24). Frequent bus stops and long gaps between signals; the state completed pedestrian safety upgrades here in 2021.
Merrick Road. South Shore storefronts and constant driveway traffic.
Old Country Road. Heavy turning traffic near Roosevelt Field.
Route 110. Suffolk’s deadliest road in that analysis.
Route 25 (Middle Country Road). New crosswalks and signals were added in Selden, Coram, and Centereach.
Dangerous highways
Sunrise Highway (Route 27). Most walking and biking deaths in Nassau County.
Montauk Highway (County Route 80). Among Suffolk’s deadliest routes.
Route 107. Rounded out Nassau’s top five.
What Are Important Local Resources for Long Island Pedestrian Accident Cases?
A police report and trauma care records are often the first documents in a pedestrian claim.
Nassau County Police Department, Headquarters: (516) 573-8800. Accident reports are available online or in person in Mineola.
Suffolk County Police Department, Non-Emergency: (631) 852-2677.
Nassau University Medical Center: (516) 572-0123. Level I trauma center in East Meadow.
Stony Brook University Hospital, Emergency Department: (631) 638-3600. Suffolk County’s only Level I adult and pediatric trauma center.
Rosenberg & Rodriguez, PLLC does not endorse and is not affiliated with any organization listed above. This information is provided for reference only.
About Rosenberg & Rodriguez, PLLC
Laura Rosenberg, a 2000 graduate of Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, is admitted to practice in both state and federal courts. She holds the AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell and advises the moot court team at Freeport High School, close to our Long Island office. Ivan Rodriguez holds a criminal justice degree from John Jay College and is fluent in Spanish. In one pedestrian case, our firm obtained a $250,000 jury verdict after a three-day trial for a middle-aged woman who was struck by a car as she crossed the street and suffered a fractured arm and back injuries.
What Our Clients Say
★★★★★
“I would definitely recommend Laura Rosenberg to my family and friends. She is very knowledgeable, professional and always available to help. She represented me when I got into a car accident. She answered all my questions and got me a great outcome.”
Moarina Shlez
Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.
Additional Resources for Long Island Pedestrian Accident Cases
Contact Rosenberg & Rodriguez, PLLC
If a driver struck you while you were walking anywhere in Nassau or Suffolk County, a Long Island, NY pedestrian accident attorney at our firm can explain your options. There are no fees unless we win. During your free consultation, we’ll review the police report, your treatment, and any contact with an insurance company. Then we’ll tell you plainly whether the claim is worth pursuing. Contact us online at any time, and we will follow up promptly to schedule your meeting.
