Tragically, another life was taken too soon on Friday, February 4th. At around 11:20 in the morning, April Reign, a 32-year-old mother, was riding an e-bike in Brownsville, Brooklyn, when a yellow school bus hit her near the intersection of Eastern Parkway and St. Marks Ave. She suffered trauma to her body and was found unresponsive when the first responders arrived. She was transported to Brookdale Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
We send our deepest sympathies to Reign’s loved ones. Her mother, Isabel Santos, told reporters April, “…was beautiful in her heart. She was a humanitarian, she loved animals, she loved nature. She cared a lot about people.”
This incident is an egregious beginning to 2022, following a deadly year of traffic fatalities in 2021. In New York City, 299 people died in traffic crashes in 2021, the highest since 2013. Clearly, city officials and lawmakers need to implement more measures to eliminate traffic collisions.
Drivers of school buses and other big vehicles must also be mindful of traffic rules when they’re operating such large vehicles. Pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists are much more likely to suffer catastrophic injuries and even death when they collide with a bus or truck, as evidenced by the incident on Friday.
Reign’s sister, Wendy Feliciano, provided a necessary reminder to school bus drivers, stating, “These drivers, you’re driving children. You should be the carefullest person on the road.”
Reign worked hard to care for her family and even hoped to use her e-bike to eventually pick up a second job to provide further support. Her 16-year-old daughter, Samantha Lozado, shared her mother’s love for animals and said that she and her mother dreamed of one day opening an animal rescue center.
Reign’s death sadly marks the first cyclist fatality of the year, however her family emphasizes she is not just a statistic. “She was our heart, she was our light,” Feliciano said.
Block O’Toole & Murphy attorneys have seen firsthand the devastation that cyclists, pedestrians, and other motorists face when they’re seriously injured in an accident caused by another party’s negligence. We worked with many clients whose lives have been upended because their loved one was taken away too soon or because they suffered serious injuries that will forever impact their quality of life. Every legal battle won is bittersweet, because we understand that the financial compensation will never make up for the injuries and damages that one incurs or – in the case of a wrongful death lawsuit – will never make up for the loss of a loved one. We only strive to ease the burden, including financial burden, caused by a serious injury or by a love one’s untimely death.
If you’re contemplating your legal options, it’s best to speak with a personal injury attorney who understands the laws regarding your particular situation. Our lawyers are well-versed in motor vehicle accident laws in New York State, including those that apply to school bus accident lawsuits. School bus accident cases can be very complex, as multiple parties may be held liable for the accident, including the school district or government entity, the bus driver, the bus maintenance company, and more. If the school district may be held liable, the victim has a limited amount of time to file a Notice of Claim in New York (90 days). After the Notice of Claim has been filed, the deadline to file a lawsuit is one year and 90 days.
Our firm handles all aspects of a personal injury case and will fight aggressively for every dollar that clients are entitled to under the law. We are here to help. Select results obtained on behalf of clients injured in school bus accidents include:
- $2,925,000 settlement for a driver who was hit by a school bus that ran a stop sign. As a result of the crash, he suffered serious injuries, including spinal injuries. He could not walk more than 20 minutes without experiencing great pain.
- $2,250,000 settlement for a 55-year-old pedestrian who was hit by a bus that failed to yield right of way at an intersection. She suffered shoulder, knee, and back injuries as a result of the collision.
- $1,490,000 settlement in a Brooklyn case for a man who was driving home from the grocery store when he was hit by a school bus at an intersection. He suffered neck and back injuries which ultimately required surgery.
To speak with a qualified lawyer today, please call 212-736-5300 or fill out our Contact Form.