The $82M Call for the End of MTA Negligence

---

In 2016, a woman traveling the New York City subways fainted and fell from a station platform into the path of an oncoming train.  Her left arm and left leg were severed, leaving her permanently disabled at 21 years old.  Now, nearly a decade later, a verdict was reached after a federal jury ruled the Metropolitan Transportation Association (MTA) must pay Plaintiff a total of $81.7 million.  While the MTA is appealing the case, the standing verdict and discoveries during the lawsuit may set a significant chain of events into motion.

Within MTA records obtained for this lawsuit, there were several instances of hazard identification and proposals for systemwide improvements to mitigate future risk.  However, these proposals were ultimately denied, giving the jury reason to agree with the prosecution’s claim that the MTA was negligent in the face of known safety hazards.  In addition, testifying experts supplemented discovery with research on prior incidents within the NYC transit system, national best practices for train operations and supervision, human-factors literature, and comparisons to how peer transit agencies worldwide manage similar risks.

Recent instances of train strikes in the NYC transit system further highlight the need for hazard identification and greater systemwide safety practices.  According to the MTA’s own Subway Major Incidents summary of 2020 to 2024, there were 241 cases of persons on the tracks, averaging 20 instances per month.  Whether these events resulted in injury or fatality is unspecified; however, “major incidents” are defined as, “incidents that delay 50 or more trains, which cause the most disruption to customers.”

In summary, this case underscores the rising expectations for the NYC transit system to implement available preventative standards and address the dangers at hand with haste. For more information, see the full case summary or view these articles from The New York Post and Gothamist.