Hopefully when you get onto a New York bus or subway, you arrive at your destination safely. However, accidents do sometimes happen. Maybe there’s something on the stairs of the bus and you trip. Or maybe a subway platform wasn’t quite cleaned properly and you slip. When this happens, who’s responsible?
If you do get injured while using New York’s public transportation, it could not only cost you the initial pain and suffering, but also a loss of income, medical expenses, and more. The financial burden can quickly become too much for one person to bear, and if someone is to blame, you should be able to get the help you need. In New York City, that will depend on whether you were injured at a bus station or on a bus, or on the subway or on a subway platform.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is the agency responsible for New York’s subways. It’s even in their mission statement, which states, “The MTA preserves and enhances the quality of life and economic health of the region we serve through cost-efficient provision of safe, on-time, reliable, and clean transportation services.” A failure to provide “safe” or “clean” services will ultimately make the MTA responsible for any slips, trips, or falls on any New York subway.
If your accident didn’t occur on the New York subway but rather a New York public bus, there could be many parties at fault. These parties may include the bus driver, the bus company, the bus manufacturer, and the transportation authorities that oversee those routes or buses. A few of the New York companies that provide these services are the Port Authority, City Hall Metro Station, and New York State Metro Transit. Each of these agencies have mission statements similar to that of the MTA, placing them at fault for any failure to provide safe and secure services.
If you’ve had a slip, trip, or fall on a New York subway or bus, don’t take on the challenge of dealing with the transportation authorities and/or the bus companies yourself. Let us at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP do that for you. We know how New York public transportation agencies work, and how to hold them accountable for any accident or injury you’ve incurred while using their services. Don’t suffer with silent pain any longer – call us today at (212) 986-7353.