New York MTA Wants to Cut Down on Personal Injury Lawsuits

June 4,2009

The city of New York is trying to cut down on the number of personal injury lawsuits that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority receives each year. According to the most recent numbers, almost 3,000 claims are made each year. This expense costs the city anywhere from $30-60 million in legal fees and payouts to those who are injured on the subway system in New York.

Several ideas have been proposed to bring this number down to a more reasonable expense. One such idea is to implement stricter safety measures. Signs can be posted, instructing passengers of how to best protect themselves by staying off the electrically charged tracks and by staying clear of the doors when they close.

In addition, transit officials are planning to ask the legislature if it can ban suits when people get themselves into dangerous situations beyond the MTA’s control. For example, a Brooklyn man received a settlement of $2.3 million this year after falling onto the tracks and being hit by a train. However, his blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit when he fell.