New York MTA liable for victim’s severe trip-and-fall injuries

One year, two years, three years can all feel like a long time. Imagine being a family whose loved one is forever changed by an accident waiting for almost six years for some closure following a tragedy.

In 2008, a woman was entering the subway station when she was severely injured in a trip-and-fall in New York. Years have passed. The fall victim’s condition hasn’t gotten better; it’s gotten worse. She is brain damaged, and medical professionals say her health will only get worse as time passes.

Though securing justice following an accident as life-changing as this might take years and years, the plaintiffs in the New York premises liability lawsuit can finally say that they’ve found victory following the long legal process. A court awarded the now 69-year-old fall victim a reported $16 million for her brain injury.

According to the lawsuit and the recent court ruling, the victim was seriously hurt because the MTA’s negligent maintenance of its pavement around the subway. The victim fell down a flight of stairs because she tripped on uneven, broken pavement. She didn’t see the pavement defect, tripped and fell down, injuring her hip and hitting her head.

Brain bleeding led to seizures. Seizures led to neurological complications. Overall, the failure to fix the pavement has severely decreased the victim’s quality of life. She was a worker. She is a mother and grandmother. She understands what happened to her and what she’s lost. Fortunately, she is also the victor in the premises liability case.

Source: New York Daily News, “Bronx grandmother wins $16 million in lawsuit against MTA for subway slip,” Dareh Gregorian, Feb. 4, 2014