Tow truck driver fatally struck while working along Route 19
PATERSON, NJ, (November 03, 2024) - The Passaic County Prosecutor's Office is investigating a Sunday morning vehicle vs. pedestrian accident that fatally injured a tow truck driver as he was working in Paterson.
Manuel Perez was fatally injured Sunday morning when he was hit by a vehicle while assisting a disabled motorist along Route 19 in Paterson.
According to authorities, 64-year-old Paterson resident Manuel Perez was outside of his tow truck along Route 19 near mileposts 2 and 3 assisting a disabled motorist at approximately 11:40 a.m. Subsequently, a passing Toyota struck Perez, careened into the tow truck, and flipped.
Sadly, Perez succumbed to his injuries at the site of the crash.
The driver of the Toyota suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital.
The incident remains under investigation.
FATAL PEDESTRIAN CRASH INVESTIGATION
Despite being protected by various laws, pedestrians continue to be the most vulnerable users of streets and roads in our country. Every day, pedestrians are seriously injured or killed by motorists who ignore warning signs, are distracted or impaired.
According to data from the Governors Highway Safety Association, the number of pedestrian fatalities in the United States has grown substantially faster than all other traffic deaths. An estimated 7,342 pedestrian fatalities occurred in 2021, an increase of 13 percent from the previous year.
“Generally, driver’s negligence is to blame for most pedestrian accidents. Whether it’s being distracted by something such as their cell phone, being in a rush, or simply not paying the proper attention, these accidents result in catastrophic injuries, said Andrew G. Finkelstein, an experienced pedestrian accident attorney.
Finkelstein, the Managing Partner at Jacoby & Meyers Law Offices, stressed that it is important that a competent attorney handles investigations into cases such as this to protect the rights of the victim’s family.
“It is essential to reconstruct the accident to identify all the vehicles involved and determine the circumstances that led to the accident or the driver at fault,” he added.
WRONGFUL DEATH CLAIM
Pending the investigation, the family of Manuel Perez may be entitled to a wrongful death claim. Family members of wrongful death victims may seek damages for loss of companionship, pain and suffering, and emotional distress following a catastrophic accident such as this tragic incident.
“People who get into accidents such as this suffer unimaginable consequences in the form of mental and physical pain, and, in cases of fatalities, the victim’s family and loved ones are left devastated,” added Finkelstein, who is also a national legal analyst for Newsline.
“As a pedestrian accident victim, you will most likely face an insurance company expert who will attempt to place partial or full blame on you. The situation becomes even more tragic when the pedestrian is killed and it’s the loved ones that are told that person was at fault. The insurance companies are doing this to reduce payouts and increase their profits, and they are very good at what they do.
“You should never give a statement directly to the insurance company. The best course of action is to hire an experienced pedestrian accident attorney large enough to take on the insurance company and speak up for you as a victim or for your loved one who cannot,” Finkelstein noted.
If you or a family member have been involved in a situation similar to this article and would like to speak to our national legal analyst Andrew G. Finkelstein free of charge, please use the contact information found on this page.
(Andrew G. Finkelstein, our national legal analyst, is a Managing Partner at Jacoby & Meyers Law Offices. Newsline can and does use quotes from prior interviews with our analysts for our news articles. If you would like to contact Jacoby & Meyers Law Offices to help you, please call 855-976-8163 or use the submission box found on this page. Legal analysts quoted may or may not be licensed in your state).