The New York City Metro Transit Authority operates the seventh largest subway system in the world, with over 1.75 billion riders per year and 5.6 million riders every week. The MTA’s job is to make sure that all those riders are safely delivered to their destination.
Statistics show that there were over 50 fatal New York subway accidents in 2015, and this number continues to rise with every year that passes. Most actual casualties are the result of people falling into the trenches and tracks while embarking or disembarking from a subway car, and over one-third of those fatalities from falling onto the tracks are accidental. There are some regulations being considered having to do with speed limits and more, but the public needs to be aware of the possibly dangerous conditions of our current subway system so that improvements can be made to enhance rider safety.
Most common types of subway station accidents in which the transit authority could be fully responsible:
- Faulty equipment
- Inadequate lighting
- Broken platforms
- Broken or deteriorating stairs
- Missing or broken stair railings
- Wet or icy conditions
- Defective escalators
- Defective elevators
Most common types of subway/train accidents in which the transit authority could be fully responsible:
- Operator/conductor error
- Sudden train stops and starts
- Subway crashes
- Train derailments
- Car door malfunctions
- Inadequate security
If you, or a loved one has been seriously injured riding the subway, or while moving in and out of the subway stations, it is important to contact an experienced subway accident lawyer who knows transportation law and can make sure that the New York Metro Transit Authority is held fully responsible for any of their riders’ injuries. Mitchel Ashley of The Ashley Law Firm has had over 40 years experience filing these claims for his clients and getting the compensation they deserve.
We recently won a case in which our client slipped and fell on snow and ice while going down the steps into NYC subway station. She came to us, and we were able to prove that the MTA had not properly shoveled the steps after a heavy snowfall, which led to a dangerous condition. Our client did sustain injuries, including a herniated disc in her back, and the jury found that the Transit Authority was responsible and awarded our client $424,000.
Especially if you are visiting New York, subway accidents are a real concern, and you need to be fully knowledgeable of potential issues. With over a billion riders a year, things happen, and there is a time limitation at play. In a NYC subway accident claim, you are filing a claim against a state agency, and you only have 90 days to file before the time limit is up. Any claims filed after 90 days against the MTA are automatically dismissed.
Train Accidents can happen on any train line, and our subway accident attorneys can take on any of them. Some of our opponents have included:
- Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)
- Long Island Railroad (LIRR)
- Metro North
- New Jersey Transit (NJT)
- New Jersey Rail and Port Authority
- PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) train
- Amtrak
- Freight trains
Train conductors and operators and their employers and umbrella companies have a real and required professional obligation to ensure the safety of all riders and passengers. When someone is injured due to the negligence or mistakes of any of these people, then people can and do get hurt. Remember, negligence is the failure to use reasonable care, resulting in damage or injury to another, which is important. These are not accidents that could not have been avoided, but preventable situations that should not have happened.
Here are some of the more common injuries sustained:
- Cuts and bruises
- Whiplash
- Back injuries
- Broken bones and fractures
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Permanent head injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Asphyxiation
- Spinal cord injuries
Defective or broken equipment is a very real concern on or near subways and in the stations. You may be wondering what exactly a train accident lawyer can do for you? We will not only help you deal with insurance companies and interview transit personnel, but we will make sure to get you the compensation you deserve to cover for medical bills, recovery expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.
What do you do if you’ve been in a subway accident resulting in injuries?
- Assess yourself and see if you are injured
- Seek immediate medical attention
- Document the scene
- Document your injuries
- File a report with the transit authority or the police
- Get names and information for any eyewitnesses
- Contact an experienced NYC subway accident lawyer
The Ashley Law FIrm has successfully litigated, both in front of a jury and argued for settlements, MTA injuries and other subway and train accident injuries. Our attorneys understand transportation law and can make sure that you get the compensation you deserve for being injured in an avoidable accident due to the negligence of transit authority employees. Your injuries and your pain and being able to in some way compensate for that is important to us. We will fight to make sure that you are taken care of and getting anything you deserve under the bounds of the law.
