Injured Passenger On A New York City Bus Receives A $750,000 Jury Award

In October of 2011, a 57 year old woman boarded a New York City Bus in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn. The Plaintiff claimed that after she boarded the bus and that while she was standing in the front of the white line and trying to use her MetroCard to pay the bus fare, the bus she was riding on pulled out from the bus stop. As the bus pulled ahead, the bus hit a bump which caused the Plaintiff to fall and sustain serious personal injuries. Plaintiff claimed that she was caused to sustain a right femur fracture and a left tibial plateau fracture. She also claimed that she needed to undergo nine months of rehab to recover from her injuries.

At the time of trial, the Plaintiff appeared in Court in a wheelchair. She claimed that as a result of her accident, she lost her independence and that she now needed the help of an aide with her adult daily activities.

The New York City Transit Authority claimed that its bus driver brought the bus to a full stop. It claimed that the Plaintiff was able to get one foot on the bus before she lost her balance and fell backwards off of the bus. The New York City Transit Authority relied upon a defense expert to claim that the Plaintiff was in poor health both prior to and after the subject accident. The defense expert also testified that the Plaintiff had made a full recover.

A Brooklyn jury found the New York City Transit Authority 85% liable for the Plaintiff injuries. The jury apportioned 15% liability to the Plaintiff. The jury awarded Plaintiff a total of $750,000 in damages.