There are inherent dangers involved in subway stations. Every year, people are victims of crime or accidentally fall onto the tracks. But one danger Nevada residents might not have considered is the possibility of a trip and fall down the stairs. Unfortunately, a woman in a New York City subway station recently died from an accidental fall coming down the stairs.
The accident occurred on the night of Monday, Jan. 28th. The woman was attempting to navigate down the stairs into the subway station while carrying her 1-year-old baby in a stroller. The woman lost her balance, which sent her tumbling the stairs. When first responders arrived, both the woman and the baby were unconscious. The child was returned to its family, but the woman was ultimately pronounced dead.
Elevator construction in New York City subways has long been a sore spot between disability advocates and the city. While the city has promised to pick up the pace of constructing more elevators, the fact remains that only one in every four stations currently has one that is operational. What’s more, even the stations that have elevators frequently face maintenance issues that leave the elevators broken.
Any person injured from a slip and fall accident in a subway station may be eligible for financial compensation under premises liability law. The compensation would be for the damages that person incurred, including medical bills, pain and suffering, and lost wages. An attorney with experience in premises liability law may be able to help that person obtain compensation by negotiating with the responsible premises owner or their insurance company. When an agreement cannot be reached, the attorney might pursue collection of damages through the court system by filing a lawsuit on the injured person’s behalf.
Source: Jezebel, “A Young Woman Fell and Died Trying to Carry Her Baby’s Stroller In a Subway Station With No Elevator, Anna Merlan, Jan. 29, 2019
