Queens Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Why Choose Us to Represent Your Pedestrian Accident Case

At the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe – Queens Personal Injury Lawyers, we have a strong record of dedication, results, and community commitment. We focus on building trust with clients, guiding them with care, and pursuing the best possible outcomes. Here is why many in Queens choose us:

• Decades of Combined Experience – Our attorneys, Stephen M. Cohen and Richard S. Jaffe, have decades of experience representing injury victims throughout New York, achieving significant verdicts and settlements in complex cases. Mr. Cohen has secured results such as $4 million for a motorcyclist with paraplegia, $1.2 million for a child with a fractured skull, and $1.5 million for a worker injured in an elevator accident.
• Distinguished Education and Credentials – Mr. Cohen earned his B.S. from Bradley University and his J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law. Mr. Jaffe earned his B.A. from SUNY Binghamton and his J.D. from Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center. Fluent in Spanish, he began advocating for injury victims in 1988 as a paralegal for a personal injury law firm.
• Award-Winning Advocacy– Our firm’s accolades, recognized by respected legal organizations and professional publications, such as Martindale-Hubbell, the American Institute- Personal Injury Division, Super Lawyers, AVVO, and BBB Accredited Business, reflect a strong commitment to justice and outstanding client service.
• No Fee Promise – You pay no legal fees unless we win your case, allowing you to focus entirely on your recovery without financial stress.
• Deep Community Roots – Our community involvement includes scholarships, charitable programs, and local initiatives that underscore our dedication to families.

Trusted High-Rated Reviews

We’ve earned stellar reviews on Yelp and Google :

• Mary Beams: “I was very pleased with the service that I received. Everything was very organized. Everything was very prompt. The people were very kind and nice everyone I spoke to everything was explained proper. I was not inconvenienced once everything went very smooth. I would definitely recommend them.” Read more
• Yanu Alexandra. “My name is Yanu and I am a client of the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP. I have had a pleasant experience with both the attorneys and staff. I was impressed with their professionalism and customer service and their staff is not only friendly but also highly skilled.” Read more
• Dalivid Solano. “I felt HONORED and GRATEFULLY to have legal representation & settlement for my Injury Related case By COHEN & JAFFE. This is by far THE BEST law firm I have ever work with. The lawyers are extremely good, kind , highly professional and they were always Available I HIGHLY Recommend this Team”. Read more

Common Pedestrian Accident Locations and Scenarios in Queens

Queens streets handle some of the heaviest pedestrian and vehicle traffic in New York, and that volume creates conditions where accidents are never far away. Knowing where collisions concentrate and how they typically unfold helps injured pedestrians understand why legal representation from a Queens pedestrian accident lawyer matters from the first step.

Dangerous Intersections: From Queens Boulevard to Main Street

Queens Boulevard has built a record over the years, with decades of pedestrian fatalities along its wide, fast-moving lanes. Main Street in Flushing, Jamaica Avenue, and Northern Boulevard present similar challenges, where high vehicle speeds, dense foot traffic, and inconsistent signal timing create predictable hazards. 

According to the Queens Motor Vehicle Collision Report, recent collisions at locations such as Beach 116 Street and Beach Channel Drive resulted in injuries due to following too closely, while driver inattention contributed to crashes at other Queens intersections during the same period. These data points reinforce what injured pedestrians often know firsthand: dangerous conditions exist throughout the borough, and the consequences can be severe. 

Hit-and-Run Accidents and Uninsured Motorist Claims

When a driver flees the scene after striking a pedestrian, victims can feel as though their legal options disappear along with the car, but they do not. New York requires motor vehicle policies to carry uninsured motorist coverage, which may provide a path to compensation even when the at-fault driver is never identified. 

Hit-and-run cases require prompt action, as witness accounts, surveillance footage from nearby businesses, and traffic camera data can fade or become unavailable quickly. Our attorneys at the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe – Queens Personal Injury Lawyers can work to preserve critical evidence and identify every available source of recovery on your behalf. 

Commercial Vehicle and Delivery Truck Strikes

The volume of delivery trucks, box trucks, and commercial vans operating in Queens has grown substantially in recent years, especially in commercial corridors near Jamaica, Long Island City, and Astoria. 

These vehicles pose a heightened danger to pedestrians due to their size, limited driver visibility at crosswalks and loading zones, and the time pressure many drivers operate under. When a commercial vehicle strikes a pedestrian, liability may extend beyond the individual driver to the vehicle’s owner, the employer who set the delivery schedule, or a third party responsible for vehicle maintenance. Identifying every responsible party is essential to maximizing recovery.

Public Transit Accidents Involving MTA Buses

MTA buses make thousands of stops across Queens every day, and each stop is a moment when pedestrians and moving vehicles share the same narrow space. Accidents involving MTA buses can happen when a bus fails to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, when a passenger is struck while boarding or exiting, or when a bus strikes someone on the sidewalk or at a bus shelter. 

Claims against the MTA follow specific procedural rules that differ from standard personal injury cases, including strict notice requirements that can limit your right to sue if deadlines are missed. Acting quickly after an MTA-related accident is not just advisable; it is legally necessary.

Understanding New York’s “Serious Injury” Threshold

New York operates under a no-fault insurance system, which means that after a pedestrian accident, your own medical coverage pays initial treatment costs regardless of who caused the collision. However, stepping outside the no-fault system to pursue a personal injury lawsuit against the driver requires meeting the law’s serious injury threshold.

Under New York Insurance Law § 5102(d), as recently amended and signed into law on May 26, 2026, a serious injury includes death, dismemberment, significant disfigurement, a fracture, loss of a fetus, permanent loss of use of a body organ, member, function or system, permanent consequential limitation of use of a body organ or member, or significant limitation of use of a body function or system.

Many pedestrian accident injuries, including fractures, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal damage, may satisfy New York’s serious injury threshold depending on the medical evidence involved. Our pedestrian accident attorneys in Queens can work with medical experts to document your injuries in terms that satisfy New York’s legal standard.

Who Is Liable for Your Injuries? Proving Fault in New York

Fault in a Queens pedestrian accident is rarely simple. A driver who ran a red light on Northern Boulevard, a delivery company whose employee was speeding on Jamaica Avenue, or a municipality that failed to maintain a crosswalk signal each represents a different path to legal responsibility. Establishing fault requires gathering police reports, eyewitness accounts, surveillance footage, and expert analysis of the collision.

New York’s fault rules were recently amended. Under the updated New York Civil Practice Law and Rules § 1411, in motor vehicle accident cases subject to New York’s no-fault law, a pedestrian whose share of fault exceeds that of the at-fault driver may be barred from recovering non-economic damages. When a pedestrian’s fault is equal to or less than the driver’s, recovery remains available but is reduced in proportion to their share of responsibility. 

Insurance companies usually argue that pedestrians share some of the blame to reduce payouts. Our team at the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe – Queens Personal Injury Lawyers can build the evidence needed to counter those arguments and present the picture of what actually happened.

Statute of Limitations: How Long Do You Have to Sue in New York?

If your pedestrian accident occurred in Queens, NY, you typically have three years to pursue a personal injury lawsuit, per CVP §214. The deadline is determined based on the date of your accident.

When it comes to filing a wrongful death lawsuit, however, you have less time. Under EPT §5-4.1, you only have two years beginning from the date of your loved one’s death to take action.

Do not hesitate to reach out to our law firm, as time plays a major role in your chance to recover compensation. We can begin negotiations as soon as possible to protect your right to financial recovery.

You do not have to do any of the work alone, whether you begin with an insurance claim or have to file a lawsuit. We can handle your case and give it the attention it deserves. For a free consultation about how our personal injury lawyers in Queens can help you, call the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe – Queens Personal Injury Lawyers at (866) 878-6774.

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