Five Most Dangerous Injuries on Public Transit in New York City

Public transportation systems require ongoing maintenance and improvements to ensure that they are safe for public use. However, far too often, negligence and mismanagement allow these systems to fall into disrepair, putting you and your loved ones at risk.

Unfortunately, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York City is one of many public transportation systems that frequently cause serious and even life-threatening accidents. In 2019, the MTA bus system reported a total of 494 serious accidents, an 11% increase from the previous year. This shocking statistic demonstrates the dangers that MTA customers face every day when using public transportation.

The New York MTA accident attorneys at Finz & Finz P.C. have provided the following information to explain the dangers you may face while using public transportation. If you were injured in an MTA accident, our attorneys are prepared to protect your rights and fight for the compensation you deserve.

Five Most Dangerous Public Transit Injuries

Any injury you sustain from a public transit accident may have significant consequences for your health and your overall well-being. However, some injuries are more dangerous than others, and they may have a lasting impact on your life long after the accident occurs.

The five most dangerous injuries that occur during public transit accidents include:

1. Traumatic brain injuries: Even a minor injury to your brain can cause severe disorientation, slowed mental processing, difficulty paying attention, and impaired memory. In severe cases, a brain injury can permanently impair your speech and cognitive function and may result in seizures or a coma.
2. Spinal cord injuries: Damage to the spinal cord can limit your ability to move and reduce sensations throughout the body. If the spinal cord is severed, the nerves cannot regenerate, and you may experience partial or total paralysis.
3. Electrocution injuries: A strong electric current can run through your entire body in a matter of seconds, causing severe internal and external injuries. Electrocution often results in burns to the skin, broken bones, nerve damage, heart attacks, and seizures.
4. Burn injuries: Burns can cause multiple levels of injuries ranging from painful blistering to permanent nerve damage, extensive scarring, and disfigurement.
5. Broken bones and crush injuries: These injuries are extremely painful, and they may require surgery and months of limited movement to heal properly. You may also need extensive physical therapy to regain your normal range of motion after breaking a bone.

Even with emergency medical care, serious public transit injuries may cause severe disabilities that prevent you from going to work, caring for your loved ones, and performing daily tasks. In many cases, these dangerous injuries are entirely avoidable when public transit workers and mangers uphold their responsibility to keep you safe.

A severe injury is devastating under any circumstances. However, the pain you experience is often even worse when you know that another person could have prevented your injuries. You should never have to suffer physical harm as a result of negligent public transit management.

Can I Seek Compensation from the MTA?

The MTA is an agency run by the New York City government. In many states, you cannot take legal action against a government agency due to a policy called “sovereign immunity.” Under sovereign immunity, you cannot sue government agencies even when their negligence caused a serious injury or death.

Fortunately, the city of New York has waived its right to sovereign immunity, which gives you the power to take action after a dangerous public transit injury. If the MTA neglects their duty to provide appropriate maintenance or protect your safety on public transit, you can file an injury claim against the city and seek substantial compensation.

Although every public transit injury case is different, your claim may provide compensation for a wide variety of damages including:

• Pain and suffering
• Medical bills
• Rehabilitation services
• Repair or replacement of damaged property
• Lost time from work
• Inability to return to work
• Temporary or permanent disability

The money you receive from a public transit injury claim can never take away the pain that you and your loved ones have suffered. However, it can provide you with the financial support you need to heal after a devastating accident.

Why Do I Need an Attorney?

Although you have the right to take legal action against the city, this process is difficult and complex. You must follow strict guidelines when filing your claim, and you will need to provide sufficient evidence to prove that the city’s negligence caused your injury. Furthermore, you only have 90 days after you are injured to inform the city that you will be pursuing legal action.

When you are already facing the pain stress of a serious injury, you do not have the time or energy to take on the task of filing your claim. You also cannot afford to make any mistakes during this process which could jeopardize your right to compensation. That is why you need to entrust your case to a skilled MTA injury attorney.

Your lawyer will guide you through every step of your injury claim, answering your questions, and offering you high-quality legal counsel. They will take on the task of gathering all the evidence you need to prove your case, and they will build a strong argument on your behalf. Most importantly, your lawyer will negotiate with the city to ensure that you do not have to accept a settlement that is less than you deserve.

Contact Finz & Finz P.C. Today

If you or a loved one were seriously injured in a public transit accident, you have the right to demand compensation. The New York MTA accident attorneys at Finz & Finz P.C. have over 35 years of experience fighting for our clients’ rights, and we are ready to put our skills to work for you.

You need to take action as soon as possible after your accident, to ensure that you can receive the greatest possible compensation for your case. Take the first step today by calling Finz & Finz P.C. at 855-TOP-FIRM for a free, no-obligation case review.