Injured NYC Worker Awarded $13M After Falling Through Subway Platform

A New York City transit worker who fell through an elevated subway platform in Brooklyn suffered severe and permanent injuries and was in a coma for over two months. NYC Transit tried to blame him for the accident, but his personal injury attorney was able to prove otherwise – and a jury awarded him $13 million.

NY personal injury

This New York personal injury lawsuit involves 51 year old George Nunez. According to an article in the Daily News, Nunez and his work crew were replacing wooden slats on a subway platform for Brooklyn's J train. The metal bolts that had secured the wooden slats to the platform had already been cut, but no one informed Nunez. As Nunez walked on the slats, they gave way and he fell 30 feet landing face down on a metal sewer grate. He shattered his face, pelvis and wrists, remained in a coma for two months and now has lingering brain damage and metal plates bolted inside of both of his arms. He sued New York City Transit.

$13M Verdict

Although NYC Transit lawyers tried to blame Nunez for the accident because he wasn't wearing a safety harness, his personal injury attorney was able to prove that he didn't need to wear a harness because he wasn't told that the metal bolts had already been cut from the platform. The jury agreed and awarded him $13 million in damages.

Types of damages available

There are many types of damages which might be available to you in a personal injury case depending on the facts and circumstances of your situation. These include both special and general damages – sometimes referred to as economic and non-economic damages respectively. Here's what each refers to:

• Special / Economic: Special, or economic, damages allow you to recover for monetary expenses you accrued from your injury such as past and future medical bills, past and future lost wages and other items you've had to pay for due to your accident or injury.
• General / Non-economic: General, or non-economic, damages allow you to recover for things like pain and suffering and the impaired ability to live the way did before the accident.

To determine the types of damages for which you may be entitled, consult with an experienced personal injury attorney. He or she will be able to evaluate your situation and discuss your options.