Millions of locals and tourists use the subway stations in New York City every day. The sheer number of pedestrian traffic in the stations, coupled with adverse weather conditions like snow and ice, greatly increases the risk of slip and fall accidents. The New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) is the body that runs thousands of subway stations situated in NYC. Moreover, they have a duty to keep all stations safe by repairing any hazardous conditions and warning people about any unsafe conditions nearby.
Although the NYCTA does not have control over bad weather conditions and messes that people make in the stations, they are legally required to remove all these hazards in a timely manner or put up signage to warn people about their presence. Thus, if they carry out their legal obligations, most if not everyone will be able to avoid an accidental subway slip and fall in New York City. Therefore, if you tripped, fell, and hurt yourself in NYC because of NYCTA’s negligence maintenance, you can file a lawsuit against them. However, for your lawsuit to be successful, you would need to show that the agency knew or should have known about the hazard that caused your injury.
Common causes of tripping on NYCTA property
Common examples of the organization’s negligence that can be easily spotted by an experienced attorney include:
Poor illumination
Since the system is primarily underground, the stations do not get natural light and need adequate electrical lighting. Therefore, if there is poor lighting, the patrons may trip over an obstacle they did not see and get injured. Unfortunately, it isn’t uncommon to see some lightbulbs that are not working due to the huge number of stations in the system.
Wet floors
Wet floors are extremely dangerous in crowded areas where people are moving fast. Wet floors can be caused by leaks, rain, or by being recently mopped. Regardless of the cause, wet floors need to either be blocked or properly marked to prevent people from walking on them and getting hurt.
Ice or snow
During winter, the steps that lead into the stations may be covered with snow, increasing the risk of accidents which can cause very serious injuries. Therefore, the authorities must remove the snow and ice regularly to protect the patrons from accidents.
Absent handrails
Handrails are important because they help people to maintain balance when going up or down a flight of stairs. Therefore, if the handrails are not properly attached to the walls, a person could lose their balance and land on the ground. Furthermore, if the handrails are completely missing, it could pose a danger to people with poor coordination or the elderly.
Conclusion
If you want to file a lawsuit against the NYCTA, you should hire the best lawyers in NYC since the case can become complicated. This is because the agency has an experienced legal team that always defends it in similar cases and knows how to reduce the plaintiff’s financial recovery. Thus, you should seek the best legal representative who can maximize your recovery and help you get justice.
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