Suffolk County Subway Accident

Accidents in the subway are common. Occasionally trains collide or derail, resulting in victims suffering serious physical injuries. Such accidents make the front page of newspapers and headline the evening news. However, there are other types of accidents that are not widely publicized that leave victims with severe injuries. More common than a collision or derailment is the trip and fall accident where a victim falls on the subway staircase or platform. A fall down a concrete staircase or a concrete platform can result in the victim suffering a serious head injury, broken bones, neck injury, back injury or spinal cord injury. If you or a loved one was seriously injured in a subway accident, it is important that you immediately contact an experienced Suffolk County subway accident lawyer to learn more about how you can obtain just compensation for your injuries.

New York is a huge city and commuters rely on its subway system every day to move around. While most people feel that subway travel is safe, no form of transportation can boast a perfect safety record. Conductor error, equipment malfunction, and negligence can all lead to serious accidents that injure both passengers and workers. The New York Transit Authority may even be liable if he accident was caused by conductor error and it was determined that the conductor should not have been hired in the first place. This is known as negligent hiring.

In addition, accidents that take place on the subway platform or elsewhere in the subway station make up for a significant number of serious injuries. Trip and fall accident cases account for a high percentage of all subway accident cases. It is not uncommon for someone to slip on a stairway or trip on crack in a platform. Even debris caused by routine maintenance can cause someone to slip and fall. A wet or icy staircase are the types of hazards that could easily lead to a fall. Common causes of subway slip and fall accidents include:

• Broken stairs or platforms
• Broken escalators
• Defective equipment such as a broken turnstile
• Slippery floors
• Poor lighting
• Debris
• Obstructed warning signs
• Negligent maintenance

As a subway accident attorney in Suffolk County will explain, depending on the facts of your case, if you are hurt in a subway accident due to another person's negligence you may be entitled a number of types of compensation.

• Medical bills: Compensable medical bills include hospital bills, emergency room bills, bills from the ambulance service, medication, MRI, and lab work fees, bills for seeing specialists, and fees for medical equipment.
• Loss of income: Loss of income refers to paychecks missed, as well as the loss of other benefits for employment such as accruing vacation days, bonuses and promotions.
• Pain and suffering: Pain and suffering is related to both the pain from your physical injuries as well as the psychological suffering from the accident. In cases where the accident left a permanent injury such as in the case of an amputation, there is an increased chance of a significant pain and suffering award.
• Wrongful death: If the accident was fatal, the family of the victim may pursue damages through a wrongful death claim. Not every family member has the right to file a wrongful death claim. Only the deceased's personal representative has that right. The personal representative is often the person named as the executor in the deceased's will such as the spouse, parent, or child. If no personal representative was named, the court will appoint one.

It is important to note that when suing a government entity such as the New York City Transit Authority there are special rules that you must follow, and the time frame for filing a claim is limited. If you do not file your claim within 90 days of the accident, you claim will be denied regardless of its merit.

For example, a young man was walking on a subway platform when he slipped on a wet area on the platform and fell onto the tracks. The trainman saw the man on the tracks and slammed on the brakes. However, he was not able to stop into to avoid hitting the man. Paramedics were on the scene quickly and were able to get him to the hospital. While the man survived this horrific accident, the doctors were not able to safe his legs. Both of them were amputated. The filed a claim against the New York City Transit Authority. He intends to demand compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering.

Subway accident cases are extremely complicated and may involve governmental entities as well as private companies and private citizens. Furthermore there may be complex procedural rules and timelines that must be followed. To make sure that your case is properly handled it is critical that you are represented by attorneys with experience handling subway accident cases in Suffolk County where the government is involved. Contact the Law Offices of Stephen Bilkis & Associates to discuss the details of your case. Contact us at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your case. We represent clients in the following locations: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan, Nassau County, Queens, Staten Island, Suffolk County and Westchester County.