Near the end of January, a $1.9 million settlement awarded by a New York jury was widely reported in different venues like the Gothamist. The case involves a homeless man who suffered the loss of one foot when an MTA train hit him.
According to reports, the MTA is going to appeal the decision of the court, partially because of evidence that the individual involved may have been under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident. Legal professionals involved in the case claim that the man could not recall how he ended up on the subway tracks and there is other evidence of substance abuse, as well as mental illness, in this particular case. This kind of detail is important to a New York City motor vehicle accident law firm trying to unravel the actual facts of an injury and the context in which it occurred. But getting a correct assessment of a situation will involve a lot of research, including knowledge of local statutes and laws pertaining to these sorts of details in a personal history.
Multi-Factor Accidents
The above award, and the appeal of the New York City Transit Authority, is a good example of the complexities that may be involved in a personal injury case. While a defending legal team may be able to point out other mitigating factors in an accident, personal injuries that happen in public spaces will often focus on the responsibility of local governments, and target the factors of an accident that involved any public safety negligence, or lack of correct safety procedures and planning. That means that when a New York City motor vehicle accident law firm looks at an accident, lawyers must carefully assess each aspect of the situation that may have led to the injury. There will often be a kind of assessed percentage of fault for a vehicle operator, or in the case of public transit, for the department administrating the public transit system. Often, it takes a number of legal professionals to get to the bottom of the case and bring it to a resolution. How that personal injury case is resolved depends greatly on the fact-finding that is done, and how legal teams prepare for the case. The process for developing clear evidence, and negotiating a settlement or other outcome, can involve the collective work of dozens of attorneys, witnesses, experts and others who participate in local court proceedings. All of that work has to be informed by a profound knowledge of personal injury law in general, and local law in particular.
Getting Legal Assistance
If you or a loved one has been injured in or around your city or elsewhere in the state, talk to an established New York City motor vehicle accident law firm: Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff LLP can help to resolve a personal injury case. Our dedicated and caring legal professionals will help you to exercise your rights under the law, and to seek compensation for all of the costs of an injury and recovery process.
