The MTA may owe $90 million after a train ran over a drunk man on the tracks, severely injuring him. He won a significant lawsuit from the incident that occurred back in 2018. According to the New York Post, the man lost a leg, hip joint, and the majority of his arm following the encounter.
Although the 56-year-old man from Brooklyn fell onto the tracks while drunk, his lawyer argued he deserved the payout since the train driver had enough time to avoid the accident.
Ira Newman, the attorney said,
“This is a matter of public safety… This accident never would have happened had the train operator timely pulled an emergency brake according to the MTA’s own rules and regulations when seeing people alerting him to someone on the tracks.”
Lamont Powell fell onto the tracks at Broadway Junction subway station on June 30, 2018, after drinking. His lawyer stated the train operator had hundreds of feet to stop before the collision due to him falling to
“the far end of the tracks away from where the trains enter.”
The train operator had passengers on the platform waving to stop the train as it entered the station. A Brazilian witness returned from Brazil to testify about their actions to prevent the accident. An ex-MTA engineer informed the jury that a train going 16 miles per hour requires about 110 feet to stop, while the operator had approximately 360 feet to halt before hitting Powell.
During the trial, the attorney mentioned he should have braked for anything on the tracks. Now, Powell, with no relatives and unable to work, will live in supportive housing.
Almost a year after the incident that caused his injuries, Powell filed a lawsuit against the MTA.