$725,000 Red Light Accident Settlement in Queens

The light was red. The defendant drove through it anyway. A Queens driver proceeding lawfully through an intersection had his car destroyed and his body damaged by a motorist who ignored the most basic traffic signal.

Red Light Collision at a Queens Intersection

Our client was driving through a Queens intersection with a green light when a vehicle approaching from the cross street drove through a steady red signal and struck the side of his car. The impact was severe enough to push our client's vehicle across the intersection and into a parked car on the far side. The defendant never braked before entering the intersection — witness testimony confirmed the vehicle entered at full speed against the red.

The collision caused cervical disc herniations with radiculopathy, lumbar disc injuries with nerve compression, and bilateral knee damage from the dashboard impact. The cervical injuries produced progressive arm weakness and numbness, while the lumbar damage caused sciatica that radiated into both legs. Treatment included epidural injections, physical therapy, and ultimately cervical disc surgery to decompress the affected nerve roots.

Proving the Red Light Violation in Queens

Our attorneys secured witness statements from two independent bystanders who were waiting at the crosswalk when the defendant ran the red light. Both confirmed the signal was steady red — not yellow, not changing — when the defendant's vehicle entered the intersection at speed. The police accident report corroborated the witness accounts, noting that the defendant admitted to being distracted and not seeing the signal.

The defense carrier did not dispute liability. Instead, their strategy focused on minimizing damages by challenging the extent of the cervical injuries and the necessity of surgery. Our attorneys presented the progression of treatment — from conservative care to injections to surgery — demonstrating that the surgical intervention was not elective but medically necessary after conservative measures failed to resolve the worsening nerve compression.

"Two independent witnesses, the police report, and the defendant's own admission all confirmed the same thing — steady red light, no braking, full-speed entry into the intersection. With liability that clear, we focused every resource on proving the full value of our client's injuries and the necessity of surgical intervention." — Steven Gershowitz, Attorney

$725,000 Settlement for a Queens Red Light Accident

This $725,000 settlement covers cervical disc surgery, lumbar treatment, bilateral knee recovery, physical therapy, lost wages, and the permanent spinal and joint limitations our client now lives with. It reflects the full impact of a collision caused by a driver who ignored a red traffic signal.

If you were struck by a driver who ran a red light in Queens, our vehicle accident attorneys have the evidence-gathering resources to prove the violation and fight for fair compensation, and are ready to review your case.