Subway Platform Incident Leads to Major Settlement
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is facing a significant financial blow due to a subway platform accident. A Bronx judge recently awarded $2.75 million to Maruf Hossain, a bike delivery worker who lost all five toes on his left foot after falling from a collapsed platform. This means each toe effectively costs the MTA about $4 million.
Hossain, who was just 24 at the time, sustained life-altering injuries back in June 2017 when he tripped on the damaged Parkchester platform, tumbling onto the tracks as a train approached. His lawsuit claims that the incident resulted in the complete amputation of his toes, along with dislocated hips, a fractured pelvis, head injuries, and a broken spinal cord.
In court, Hossain expressed the enormity of his situation, stating that he requires ongoing medical care and additional support at home.
Initially, Hossain sought $20 million in damages, but the MTA attempted to settle for a mere $100,000, his attorney mentioned. Fast forward almost eight years, and the verdict far exceeds Hossain’s original ask.
“After years of transport authorities trying to bully me with unfair settlements, the judge recognized their deception and allowed me to hope for a normal life,” Hossain stated.
His attorney, Nick Leacas, remarked that this case underscores the lengths New York City’s transportation authorities will go to evade accountability for injuries suffered by individuals.
Leacas described the moment when Hossain tripped due to a defect in the narrow platform’s yellow marking. Interestingly, the MTA tried to counter these claims by alleging that Hossain intentionally jumped in front of the train. They even brought forward a teenager who claimed to have seen him leap, along with a transit worker who reported hearing shouts of “Don’t jump!”
However, Leacas argued that the witness statements were likely fabricated. “We demonstrated that the transportation authorities prepared those statements and presented them as if they were genuine,” he noted.
Hossain initiated legal action against the MTA for negligence just six months following the incident, alleging that the organization failed to maintain the subway platform, contributing to his fall. When responders reached the scene, they found he was already severely injured, with expert assessments branding his leg as “really broken.”
This verdict, while substantial, could face challenges in the form of appeals or post-trial motions.
The MTA is currently contemplating its options following the judge’s decision. A spokesperson stated, “The MTA is assessing all legal options regarding the verdict.”
Notably, this isn’t the largest award granted to a plaintiff against the MTA. Last year, a man struck by a train received a staggering $90 million verdict, which was later reduced to just under $40 million. In 2024, a $72.5 million verdict was awarded to a cancer patient involved in an incident with an MTA bus, and in 2019, a young man who was paralyzed after being hit by a falling rail tie won a remarkable $110 million verdict.
Whether those previous awards will hold up is still uncertain.
