A Brooklyn pedestrian succumbed to his injuries two days after a pole struck by an MTA bus fell on him. It all happened just after 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 8, 2021, as the bus driver was driving on Eastern Parkway near Utica Avenue when he swerved to avoid a disabled vehicle, striking a pole on the sidewalk with the side mirror of his bus. The victim, 59-year-old Lance Margolin, happened to be walking by when the pole fell on top of him, authorities said.
Margolin was rushed to Kings County Hospital with head and body injuries. He died two days later on Saturday, April 10 from his injuries. The unidentified 36-year-old bus driver is reportedly unharmed. After the accident, he remained on the scene and was not immediately charged. Pending an internal review by the NYPD Highway District Collision Investigation Squad, the driver has been removed from passenger service, according to MTA Bus Company President Craig Cipriani.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Margolin’s family and loved ones at this time.
Bus accidents involving pedestrians and riders are not uncommon, especially in New York City. Every weekday New Yorkers take more than two million rides on city buses. According to a 2018 article from the New York Post, MTA buses in particular were involved in 21,823 crashes and collisions over 31 months. The MTA defines collisions as any time a bus comes into contact with anything, regardless of circumstances, according to a spokesman.
Bus drivers are responsible for multiple passengers and therefore have a huge responsibility when it comes to safety. It is important for these drivers to undergo thorough training programs, including bus simulator tests and written tests. They should also refresh their knowledge with continued education and defensive driving courses.
Practicing good safety habits can reduce the number of accidents, but when driving any vehicle there is always the risk of outside factors.
Some outside factors that may lead to a pedestrian accident include:
- Reckless drivers
- Distracted drivers
- Weather conditions
- Road conditions
- Traffic accidents
The attorneys at Block O’Toole & Murphy know all too well the pain and devastation brought on by accidents like these. Our firm has decades of experience handling bus accidents in New York. Some of our notable bus accident results include:
- $6,000,000 settlement for a passenger injured on an NYC Transit Authority bus when it collided with another vehicle, causing the passenger to suffer shoulder, knee, and spinal injuries
- $3,500,000 settlement for a bus driver who sustained neck, shoulder, and back injuries when the bus he was driving was rear-ended by a sanitation truck
- $3,450,000 settlement for a pedestrian who was struck and dragged 25 feet by an Access-a-Ride bus while walking in the crosswalk, suffering leg and hip fractures
- $3,000,000 settlement for a motorist who was struck by an MTA bus, suffering rib and hip fractures
- $2,056,656 jury verdict for a pedestrian who was struck by a New York City Transit Authority bus while crossing at an intersection, suffering neck injuries
If you or someone you know has been injured in a bus accident, you may be entitled to compensation.
Call us at 212-736-5300 or contact us online to speak with an attorney today.