Exercise Extreme Caution When Walking Near Sanitation Trucks in New York City – Pedestrian Fatalities Are All Too Common

Having handled personal injury and wrongful death cases involving sanitation truck accidents over many years, I was saddened to see a rash of such accidents in the news very recently. Due to the size of the trucks and the sometimes limited visibility of the sanitation truck drivers, pedestrians struck by sanitation trucks often sustain horrific injuries or death.

If there is proof that the sanitation truck was negligently operated, seriously injured pedestrians would be entitled to money damages for their resulting pain and suffering. If death resulted, their estates would be entitled to wrongful death damages.

New York City Department of Sanitation workers injured on the job have special rights that entitle them to sue their employer, the City of New York, if injured on the job (such as truck accidents and falldown accidents) by the negligence of their employer or a New York City Department of Sanitation co-worker. Of course, if their injuries were sustained by the negligence of others, they maintain the usual rights of all injured people to bring a lawsuit against the negligent parties.

This summer the New York Post reported that a New York City sanitation truck killed a pedestrian in Manhattan; WCBS TV New York detailed the death of a pedestrian struck by a
New York City sanitation truck in Staten Island; and a Times Ledger article noted that a New York City sanitation worker in Queens was struck and killed by a sanitation truck driven by a fellow sanitation worker.

While the facts of these recent tragedies remain open to investigation, it is clear that both pedestrians and New York City Department of Sanitation workers must remain very vigilant when in the presence of sanitation trucks and sweepers. The height and width of the vehicles as well as their tremendous power and visibility limitations make these trucks and sweepers almost inherently dangerous when near pedestrians and workers on the street. BE CAREFUL WALKING NEAR SANITATION TRUCKS AT ALL TIMES IN NEW YORK CITY.

To find out more about your rights as a victim of a sanitation truck accident, please call me toll free at (877) CALL-LAW® (225-5529) or (212) 714-0988.