Helping New Yorkers Sidelined by Injuries
Injuries Sustained in Train, Subway, Bus, Taxi and Small Aircraft Accidents
Recently, the attorneys of RGG&L represented a young actor in New York who suffered severe injuries to his foot when a train slammed into the platform where the actor was waiting to board. The actor would later lose three toes and the left side of his foot to amputation, and will have difficulty walking for the rest of his life.
RGG&L attorneys obtained a verdict for the actor totaling $2,750,000. During our extensive investigation of the case, we were repeatedly reminded of the hazards that the current network of trains, subways, taxis, buses and ferries present to New Yorkers, who are uniquely dependent on a reliable and secure mass transit system.
As a population that is always on the move, New Yorkers have the right to demand the highest safety standards possible from New York port and transportation authorities. Recent accidents in mass transit in and around New York show that these demands aren’t always met, and that much more can be done to protect the personal safety of New Yorkers.
As personal injury lawyers, we know that the injured are invariably discouraged from pursuing legal options for the harm they sustain as a result of negligence. But it’s important to remember that lawsuits are the most effective catalysts for change that private citizens possess, especially when municipalities, insurance companies, businesses and other large institutions are the defendants. These days, with state and federal safety standards viewed by many elected officials as pesky impediments to profit for their corporate supporters, it’s critical for those who have been injured to have their day in court, and prove why safety must never become an afterthought in America.
If you’ve suffered an injury on any of New York’s mass transit systems, or in an accident in which you were a paying passenger in a taxi, limousine, bus or other commercial vehicle, the personal injury attorneys of RGG&L encourage you to call us for a free and confidential review of your case. If we can help you, we will.
Train Accidents
Train accidents cause more deaths and injuries each year than all other modes of mass transportation combined. From January, 2000 through the end of 2004, 51,597 injuries and 4623 fatalities occurred in train accidents, according to the Federal Railroad Administration’s Accident/ Incident Tool. While there has been a marginal decline in train accident injury and fatality rates during the past two years, the numbers are nowhere near what they should be.
More than half of all railroad accidents occur as a result of preventable human error. Other causes include derailments and other track defects, signal defects and equipment defects. Annually, about half of those injured in train accidents are railroad employees, who have special rights to direct compensation from their employers under the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA).
Train accident fatalities usually involve private citizens, who on an annual average comprise more than 95 per cent of those who die in train wrecks. If you don’t work for the railroad and you’ve been injured as a passenger, bystander, pedestrian or driver at a train station, on railroad tracks or at a grade crossing, then you’ll quickly find that only attorneys experienced in representing victims of train accidents can ensure that railroad companies pay for the negligence that caused your injury. If you’ve been injured in a train accident in New York, contact RGG&L today.
Subway Accidents
4.5 million people ride daily on New York’s subway system, which consists of 660 miles of track. While far less frequent than railroad accidents, subway accidents do occur. Some of the more infamous subway accidents in New York history can be found at NYC Subway.org.
Our attorneys also have experience representing those who suffer injuries that occur at subway stations, such as slips and falls, stairway or escalator injuries. Contact RGG&L today if you’ve suffered an injury on any of New York’s subway premises.
Ferry, Cruise Ship and Watercraft Accidents
Most New Yorkers remember the October, 2003 Staten Island ferry crash that killed 10 and injured 34, leaving survivors traumatized and many dismembered after the ferry smashed into a pier while docking. The tragedy was a grim reminder of the destruction and harm that human error can cause, and made many re-examine the safety of New York’s waterways.
After the tragedy of 9/11, New York’s Port Authority gained authority over the day-to-day operations of New York’s extensive ferry system. When the oversight and administration of a mass transit system shifts from one entity to another, gaps in safety standards often emerge. Clearly, the ferry’s pilot (who fled the scene, attempted suicide, and then refused to cooperate with the investigation) was incompetent. But if this was true, why was the pilot in charge of the ferry in the first place? Was there a failure in training, screening or evaluation of the pilot? Could the Port Authority have taken steps to prevent the tragedy? When tragedies like the Staten Island ferry crash occur, families and survivors of the injured have the right to know what went wrong. The bereaved must often rely on attorneys who are determined to get those answers, and justice for the victims. Those are the kind of attorneys you’ll find at RGG&L.
RGG&L attorneys also represent those injured on watercraft, boats and ships throughout the waterways of New York. If you’ve been injured or have lost a loved one in a boating or watercraft accident, contact our law offices today.
