Groundbreaking Motor Vehicle Accident Verdicts and Settlements in New York

Serious motor vehicle accidents often result in catastrophic injuries and complex litigation. The trial attorneys at Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf have obtained some of the most significant verdicts and settlements in New York arising from car, truck, and bus accidents, including cases involving collisions that severely injured motor vehicle occupants, pedestrians, and cyclists. Through meticulous investigation, aggressive litigation, and a willingness to take cases to trial, the firm has secured substantial compensation for victims harmed in motor vehicle crashes throughout New York City and across the state.

Among the most significant motor vehicle accident verdicts and settlements obtained by our firm exceeding $10 Million are:
  • $85 Million verdict – Pedestrian catastrophically injured after being struck by a double-decker sightseeing bus in Manhattan; the largest motor vehicle accident verdict in New York State in 2018 and the 25th largest verdict in the United States that year.
  • $71 Million verdict – Lumbar spine fracture sustained by a former Cornell student in a New York car accident resulting in lifelong medical needs; the largest car accident verdict in New York in 2017.
  • $41.5 Million verdict – Sanitation worker fatally struck by a sweeper truck inside a city garage; the largest truck accident verdict in New York State in 2017.
  • $27.5 Million verdict – Pedestrian struck by a bus suffering traumatic amputation of her leg, believed to be the largest verdict in New York State history for this type of injury.
  • $26 Million settlement – Family of a 35-year-old pedestrian struck and killed by a truck on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, believed to be the largest wrongful death settlement in New York for one individual.
  • $17.5 Million settlement – Wrongful death case involving a three-year-old child and her grandmother killed by a negligent left-turning sanitation truck in Dutchess County.
  • $12.5 Million verdict – Pedestrian who sustained severe degloving injuries to her leg and buttocks after being struck by a bus.
  • $10.75 Million settlement – Pedestrian severely burned and suffering brain injury after tractor-trailer wheels detached due to negligent maintenance by a shipping company.
  • $10 Million settlement – Woman rendered blind after being struck by a drunk driver.
  • $10 Million settlement – Woman who suffered severe leg injuries due to the negligence of a bus driver in Nassau County.

These results reflect decades of experience litigating complex, high-stakes motor vehicle accident cases involving cars, trucks, buses, and other commercial vehicles, including crashes that cause catastrophic injuries or wrongful death to vehicle occupants, pedestrians, and cyclists throughout New York. For additional details about these and other cases, please visit our Notable Cases page.

Additional Major Auto Accident Litigation Results
($5 million - $10 million)
  • $8,570,000 verdict for a bicyclist who suffered a degloving injury to her right leg as well as fractures to the distal tibia and fibula of her left leg after being struck by an MTA Bus in Manhattan.
  • $8,000,000 settlement for the mother of a 4-year-old child who was killed by a drunk driver. This is the largest award in NY State for the death of a mother living with one child surviving her.
  • $7,250,000 award — NYC Motorcycle Accident / Brooklyn Personal Injury Case. Recovered on behalf of a NYC Corrections Officer injured when an Access-A-Ride van made an improper left turn on Atlantic Avenue and struck his motorcycle.
  • $7,125,000 verdict for a 41-year-old man who suffered knee injuries in a car accident that happened on the West Side Highway. This is the highest verdict for a knee injury in New York State.
  • $7,500,000 wrongful death settlement for a mother who was fatally struck by a truck in front of her husband and her son.
  • $7,000,000 settlement for a 68-year-old man who was struck by a bus that turned into him while he was crossing the street. The Judge stated that he believes this was the highest settlement ever in any case he has handled in the last 20 years in Morris County N.J.
  • $6,500,000 settlement for an 80-year-old woman who was struck by a MTA bus.
  • $6,000,000 settlement for the family of a Westchester County man who was killed in an automobile accident when a drunk driver struck a stopped Police car resulting in an explosion and fire.
  • $6,000,000 settlement in Bergen County, New Jersey in a combination car accident / medical malpractice case for a 61-year-old woman who sustained a herniated disc as a passenger in a motor vehicle accident. She subsequently underwent a neurosurgical procedure to remove the herniated disc during which the surgeon slipped and lacerated the dura of her spinal cord.
  • $5,000,000 recovery in a bicycle accident lawsuit in New York County for the widow of a physician struck and killed by an N.Y.P.D. tow truck while he was riding his bike on the Green Way on the West Side when the truck made a right turn onto the path and crashed into him.
  • $5,000,000 settlement in a wrongful death case in which a bar permitted a man to continue to drink alcoholic beverages before he started driving. That man then drove while intoxicated, killing a father of two children.
Significant Auto Accident Verdicts and Sedttlements
($1 million - $5 million)
  • $4,800,000 verdict for the wrongful death of an 8-year-old child killed as the result of the negligence of a truck driver.
  • $4,500,000 settlement awarded for the emotional trauma endured by a young girl who witnessed her brother being fatally struck by the defendant's tractor-trailer truck in Brooklyn. The two children were on their way to school.
  • $4,000,000 verdict for a woman who was injured in a car accident when a car crossed into her lane of travel. Her seven-year-old daughter was killed in the accident, and she suffered a fractured leg.
  • $4,000,000 settlement in a New York Personal injury case in which a young woman was crossing a New York City street when she was struck by a New York City Transit Authority bus.
  • $3,500,000 — New York Bicycle Accident Case. Awarded to the daughter of a 68-year-old retired man who was fatally struck by an air-freight delivery truck while riding his bicycle on Manhattan’s West Side.
  • $3,500,000 settlement for a 70-year-old pedestrian who was hit by an SUV while crossing the street at night in an area without a crosswalk. Despite suffering a traumatic brain injury from the accident, she made a significant recovery before the settlement, managing to travel to Europe and resume work.
  • $3,250,000 settlement on behalf of a man injured when struck by a van in front of Bloomingdale's in Manhattan. The injuries included multiple leg fractures and a bladder injury.
  • $3,075,000 settlement on behalf of several children injured when a hayride went out of control and flipped over.
  • $3,025,000 against Long Island Bus and The County of Nassau for a 9-year-old boy with Down Syndrome whose mother was killed as she carried him across a Hempstead intersection when a bus collided with an SUV that had run a red light. The bus driver and the municipal bus company were found liable (along with suv operator) and are responsible to pay the entire judgment.
  • $3,000,000 award obtained by our Bronx Auto Accident Attorneys for a 72-year-old woman who sustained serious leg injuries after being hit by a private sanitation truck.
  • $3,000,000 settlement for a woman who suffered significant leg injuries when thrown from a boat after an engine exploded.
  • $2,750,000 verdict for a man who suffered injuries when a vehicle crossed into his lane of traffic. The City of New York was held 80% responsible (affirmed on appeal) for failing to erect jersey barriers to prevent crossover accidents.
  • $2,600,000 recovery in an automobile accident case for the death of a man struck by a car while sitting in a restaurant when the car crashed through the window.
  • $2,600,000 settlement after a bus accident on behalf of a pedestrian who suffered leg injuries after being struck by a New York City Transit Authority Bus.
  • $2,300,000 settlement for a young man injured as a result of negligent placement of a LILCO power line contributing to an auto accident. The man suffered head and leg injuries.
  • $2,500,000 wrongful death settlement for a 53-year-old passenger who died from injuries sustained in a three-car collision. Initially, a vehicle ran a red light and T-boned the car the plaintiff was in. Following this, a delivery truck immediately behind the plaintiff's vehicle hit it a second time, ultimately leading to her death.
  • $2,250,000 settlement for a pedestrian suffering significant leg injuries when struck by a car.
  • $2,075,000 settlement for a taxi passenger who was seriously injured after his cab was struck by a police car.
  • $2,050,000 verdict for a man struck by a transit authority bus while riding his bicycle. He suffered pelvic injuries and urethral injuries.
  • $1,900,000 settlement for a woman who suffered loss of her spleen and psychological trauma following an automobile accident
  • $1,570,000 recovery for a woman who suffered serious injuries in an automobile accident. Although there was only $ 500,000 in Auto Insurance 1,000,000 was paid on a homeowner's policy as a result of proof of an improper disclaimer.
  • $1,565,000 settlement for a 48-year-old football coach who required elbow surgery after sustaining an injury in a motor vehicle accident.
  • $1,500,000 settlement for a woman injured in an auto accident who suffered jaw and elbow injuries.
  • $1,500,000 settlement in a truck accident claim for a woman who sustained serious injuries to her hand in Suffolk County when her vehicle was rear-ended by an asphalt truck whose brakes failed due to the company's failure to maintain them properly.
  • $1,450,000 settlement for a plaintiff who suffered traumatic brain injury in a car accident.
  • $1,425,000 award obtained by our New York Personal Injury Lawyers for a hospital executive who suffered a crushed foot after being struck and run over by a car while walking in Nassau County.
  • $1,380,000 arbitration award in an automobile underinsurance claim stemming from injuries suffered in an auto accident. The injured woman had a fracture of a lumbar vertebra.
  • $1,350,000 wrongful death settlement for a 27-year-old teacher who was struck by an oil truck making a left turn.
  • $1,300,000 settlement for the wrongful death of a 73-year-old pedestrian struck by a MTA Bus.
  • $1,250,000 recovered by our New York Car Accident Lawyers for a teenager who sustained a fractured arm, concussion, and scarring when the vehicle she was riding in lost control on wet pavement and overturned.
  • $1,250,000 settlement for a pedestrian struck by a left turning vehicle in New Jersey
  • $1,250,000 recovery for a man in an automobile accident case who suffered leg fractures when struck by a car while riding his motorcycle.
  • $1,250,000 settlement for a woman who suffered significant leg injuries in a car accident.
  • $1,200,000 verdict for a man who suffered a herniated cervical disc when an adolescent dropped a pumpkin from an overpass onto the Long Island Expressway.
  • $1,200,000 settlement in an automobile accident case on behalf of a Staten Island motorcyclist who sustained serious foot injuries when he was struck by a vehicle making an unsafe left-hand turn.
  • $1,200,000 verdict for a woman who was struck by a car while riding her bicycle and suffered a lower back injury (herniated disc).
  • $1,150,000 settlement in a wrongful death case for a father who was hit by a vehicle while crossing against the light. The vehicle had the right of way, and the case settled for the full policy limits.
  • $1,000,000 settlement for an 85-year-old pedestrian who was struck by a truck while crossing the street. At the time of the accident, she was crossing against the light and outside the crosswalk. It was argued that the defendant, who had been stopped at a traffic signal just before the incident, failed to use the mirrors on the front corners of his truck to check for pedestrians crossing in front, who could not be seen due to the height of the truck’s grill. The case settled for the full policy limits.
  • $1,000,000 settlement for a 65-year-old female pedestrian who sustained multiple fractures after being struck by a turning school bus. The case was settled for the full policy limits.
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