Subway & Bus Accidents
Brooklyn Subway & Bus Accident Lawyers Assist Those Injured While Utilizing the MTA Throughout New York City
Aggressive personal injury attorneys fight for full compensation
The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) governs most of the New York City bus lines. If you are involved in a New York City bus accident, you must file a no-fault insurance claim with your own car insurance company or the insurance company of a person in your household. However, many New Yorkers do not own a vehicle and therefore do not have an insurance policy. These bus passengers must file claims against the MTA if they are injured. The MTA provides up to $50,000 in no-fault benefits, regardless of the severity of the injury. If you meet the threshold of a “serious injury” under state law, you may file a lawsuit to cover additional medical costs, lost wages and compensation for pain and suffering.
Understanding what it means to claim damages from the MTA
The Metropolitan Transit Authority oversees more than just the bus and subway lines of the five boroughs. The MTA is a public benefit corporation encompassing numerous subsidiary agencies, including the Long Island Rail Road, the Metro-North Railroad, the MTA Staten Island Railway, MTA Capital Construction and MTA Regional Bus Operations. If you are injured on the grounds or equipment of any of these systems, the defendant in your case will likely be the MTA. This raises a few issues. First, you’d be suing a government agency, which requires you to file a notice of claim within 90 days of the incident that caused your injuries. You must be careful to name the proper subsidiary agency in your notice or your claim can be denied. Secondly, since the MTA is self-insured, it has a vested interest in limiting its losses, so it would rather pay lawyers to fight your claim than hand over what your injuries are worth. In short, an injury claim against the MTA is often a David versus Goliath battle, so you need experienced and knowledgeable attorneys on your side.
Injuries from MTA bus accidents
You can sustain injuries while boarding a bus or while the vehicle is in transit. Many bus accidents in New York are caused by:
- Driver negligence
- Driver inexperience
- Driver fatigue
- Slippery floors and stairs
- Sudden stops
- Hazardous bus stops
- Inadequate safety and security
- Mechanical failures
- Rowdy passengers
Such accidents could cause minor injuries, such as cuts and bruising, or major health problems, including brain injury and even death.
Safety concerns on New York City’s subways
The MTA also operates the NYC subway system, which transports about 5.7 million passengers on any given weekday. In 2017, the MTA reported a customer injury rate of 2.82 per million subway riders. That’s 16 people a day suffering an injury serious enough to file a legal claim. These injuries include:
- Falling or being struck due to an abrupt, sudden stop
- Slipping and falling due to slick surfaces or debris
- Getting pinned between a platform and a train because of gaps
- Falling onto the tracks from a platform
The sad truth is that New York has not kept pace with safety innovations seen all over the world. The subway system, with virtually every platform lacking safety guards, presents significant dangers, especially given the crushing volume of ridership.
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Contact a personal injury law firm with the resources to take on the MTA
Rubenstein & Rynecki and its predecessor firms have represented victims of bus and subway accidents since 1972. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a transit accident, you may be entitled to money damages, and Rubenstein & Rynecki may be able to help. Call 718-522-1020 or contact us online today for a free consultation. No recovery, no fee.