4 Steps to Take After a New York City Subway Injury
The New York City Subway is among the most heavily used mass transit systems in the world, and sees more than five million rides recorded every single weekday. Accidents on the New York City subway system are common.
When most people think about subway accidents, they imagine train derailments, crashes, or even fires, but those are not the most common causes of accidents and injuries in the New York City subway system.
The vast majority of injuries involve tripping, slipping and falling, or falls down the stairs.
Other injuries and accidents may occur as a result of subway doors closing, subway operator error, platform or turnstile injuries, electrocution, and a number of other possible sources of serious injury.
The New York City Transit Authority is the entity responsible for all aspects of the subway system including maintenance and operation, and they may be liable for accidents that are caused by hazardous subway car or subway station conditions.
If you’ve been injured in the New York City subway system, you should be sure to follow the following points:
- Notify an employee or uniformed official from the NYCTA of your injuries and what caused the accident in order to ensure that no one else gets hurt in the same manner that you did. Be sure to take the employee’s name and information as well.
- If possible, take photos with your cellphone of the conditions and what caused the accident or injury, whether it was due to poorly maintained premises, slippery floors, poor lighting, obstructed pathways, broken or poorly maintained equipment, or simply a lack of warning signs.
- Try to get the contact information of any potential witnesses (either bystanders or fellow passengers) to the accident. Even if they didn’t see the accident when it occurred, they may be able to testify about the conditions, your injuries, and the response following the accident or injury.
- Seek out immediate medical attention for your injuries even if you believe the injury might only be minor. Professional medical attention can identify injuries that may not be apparent in the short-term but may have long-term effects.
While the majority of subway injuries are only minor bumps and bruises, some injuries can be much more severe, resulting in painful and long-lasting injuries that may affect your quality of life, ability to perform your job, and require long-term medical treatment and rehabilitation—all of which can lead to financial hardships for the injured party.
Often, the only manner to receive compensation for these sorts of subway injuries is by filing a lawsuit.
It is important to note that because the New York City subway system is run by a public authority, there are different factors at play than other personal injury claims. The most important thing to note is that the filing deadline to present a claim before the NYCTA is only 90 days, otherwise your subway injury claim will be denied automatically.
With this important fact in mind, it is critical that you contact an experienced subway injury attorney in New York City as soon as possible following your accident if you hope to receive compensation for the financial hardships posed by mounting medical bills and lost wages.
The team at Greenberg & Stein has more than 75 years of combined experienced and has tackled many different types of subway injury claims and lawsuits over the years. In fact, our attorneys teach other attorneys how to win cases against the NYCTA. Attorneys from our firm have received recognition from prestigious organizations such as the Million Dollar Advocates Forum as well as the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an honor that less than one-percent of attorneys ever receive.
Greenberg & Stein has a reputation for winning difficult cases, and we will fight for you no matter how big or small your case is. Every case is unique, and you can be assured that our team will explore every legal option available to ensure that you receive a fair and just compensation if you’ve been injured on the New York City subway system.
We offer a free consultation and a 24-hour phone line, so don’t hesitate to call us following a subway injury in New York City. Call us today at 888-411-3966 to schedule your free legal consultation.