New York City’s government agencies owe a duty of care to keep the subway transportation system safe and operable. Faulty systems and malfunctioning trains carry the potential to cause devastating injuries. Taxpayers provide funds to enable the city’s various agencies to maintain safe trains, unobstructed stairways and functioning elevators.
The safe and smooth functioning of the NYC subway system, however, may not always reflect a reliable guarantee. The Manhattan Borough President’s Office revealed, for example, that nearly 38% of the signs in subway stations needed improvement. More than half of the stations’ escalators required cleaning.
Failing to provide commuters with adequate warnings
A failure to maintain a station’s infrastructure may indicate that an agency official or employee overlooked a potentially hazardous issue. If employees cannot immediately attend to problems, such as broken stairs or wet floors, passengers need to know of the possible dangers.
Employees typically place orange cones around a flooded area or yellow construction tape over an inoperable elevator to warn commuters to stay away. An unexpected slip or fall that occurs without a warning sign means that the transportation agency’s employees failed in their duty of care.
Filing a legal action after an accident occurs
When an accident occurs, an injured commuter may need to gain closure by holding NYC government officials accountable. Whether an incident occurred while waiting for a train, walking through the station or getting on or off a subway car, an injured commuter has a right to seek damages.
A judge may award relief for pain and suffering, medical expenses and lost time from work. When an accident results in a permanent disability, the court may also award compensation for lifelong treatment and a lessened quality of life.
