Bronx grandmother wins $16 million in lawsuit against MTA for subway slip

[Turbo19]

^{Maria Alcantara (right), seen here with daughter (left) and granddaughter, won $16 million in a lawsuit against the MTA after a subway slip caused a head injury that left her bedridden.}

A slip on the subway stairs has resulted in a $16 million victory for a Bronx woman.

A Brooklyn jury awarded Maria Alcantara the whopping sum last week, but it came at a terrible cost — the once-active grandmother is so brain-damaged she is unable to communicate at all, except an occasional feeble wave of the hand to let her caretakers know she’s hungry.

“There are moments of cognition, where she understands this is her life, and she’ll cry,” said her lawyer, Brad Kauffman. “She sometimes understands what she used to be.”

The 69-year-old woman suffered the severe brain injury in a December 2008 fall. Kauffman said her condition is degenerative, meaning it will only get worse.

“This was a healthy, hardworking woman, and then everything changed,” said Kauffman. “She worked five to six days a week before this. ... Now she requires around-the-clock care.”

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[Via Garibaldi 8]

lol... The is a trip... I was using a subway station uptown the other day and one of the stairs caved in due to the inclement weather.  The real issue here is that they wait too long to rehab many stations and don't keep up the ones that they do upgrade.  I still find it ridiculous that they allocate so much money to artwork in the stations and don't spend more money on hiring competent contractors that use materials of quality that are durable.

[Vistausss]

lol... The is a trip... I was using a subway station uptown the other day and one of the stairs caved in due to the inclement weather.  The real issue here is that they wait too long to rehab many stations and don't keep up the ones that they do upgrade.  I still find it ridiculous that they allocate so much money to artwork in the stations and don't spend more money on hiring competent contractors that use materials of quality that are durable.

 

That seems to be the main issue with subways these days... Art is more important than upkeeping and durable materials. (with a few exceptions, of course)

[pjbr40]

If 

[RTOMan]

Very sad story regardless..

 

 

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[NewFlyer 230]

Damn 16 million they don't have to worry about living in this city anymore.

[MHV9218]

Damn 16 million they don't have to worry about living in this city anymore.

 

I mean, woman's life is essentially over, $16 mil isn't much for that...

[bobtehpanda]

Damn 16 million they don't have to worry about living in this city anymore.

 

Wait til you see the hospital bill.

[realizm]

Wait til you see the hospital bill.

 

This is something to think about....

[pjbr40]

that is ashamed to see that much money going to them. it seem like a new slogan have to come out "If you see a crack, same something." (i am not here to make funny stuff)

[realizm]

that is ashamed to see that much money going to them. it seem like a new slogan have to come out "If you see a crack, same something." (i am not here to make funny stuff)

 

This poor 69-year-old woman suffered severe brain injury in that subway fall. Which is significant damage and thats what you have to say about the issue?

 

Talk about cold-hearted.

[peacemak3r]

that is ashamed to see that much money going to them. it seem like a new slogan have to come out "If you see a crack, same something." (i am not here to make funny stuff)

 

Really what the hell did I just read here?

[realizm]

Really what the hell did I just read here?

Sure needs to clean up his grammar thats for sure. What a mess of a post LOL.

[Jsunflyguy]

I meant to down vote that comment. Not every payout is someone milking the MTA. I'm sure they'd give the $16M back for her to have a life again...maybe some don't believe that.

[DJ MC]

Really what the hell did I just read here?

 

Another one shows their true colors yet again.

I meant to down vote that comment. Not every payout is someone milking the MTA. I'm sure they'd give the $16M back for her to have a life again...maybe some don't believe that.

 

As for the downvote, it's cool we make mistakes. Also agreed on your post there.

[N6 Limited]

After reading the story, now when I enter the subway I notice just how hard those steps are, metal plates and all.

[peacemak3r]

Yeah but to withstand thousands of customers each and everyday, you will need a hard material to be the steps. Though having an incident like this is not favorable, using a cheaper less adequate material would result in multiple incidents like this every day. We wouldn't want that now would we? 

[N6 Limited]

I'm not saying they shouldn't have the stairs like that, I was thinking how painful that must have been.

[realizm]

Deleted: I'll stay reserved for now at least with this thread.

[Roadcruiser1]

This women is literally almost brain dead from a fall on those stairs. It costs more than $16 million to take care of her medically. The family will literally be on debt taking care of her till she dies.

 

It's the (MTA)'s fault. They literally defer repairs all the time. For example 62nd Street in Brooklyn was only repaired after there was holes in the original wooden staircase. I was scared of transferring over there for years. Just walking there made me wonder if the stairway will give way, and I would fall to the street below. Only recently did they fix it.

 

This is just one example. I am certain that there are many areas around our subway that is just as bad. Maybe it is even worse.....

[Turbo19]

This women is literally almost brain dead from a fall on those stairs. It costs more than $16 million to take care of her medically. The family will literally be on debt taking care of her till she dies.

 

It's the (MTA)'s fault. They literally defer repairs all the time. For example 62nd Street in Brooklyn was only repaired after there was holes in the original wooden staircase. I was scared of transferring over there for years. Just walking there made me wonder if the stairway will give way, and I would fall to the street below. Only recently did they fix it.

 

This is just one example. I am certain that there are many areas around our subway that is just as bad. Maybe it is even worse.....

I must agree with you on this.

 

This practice of deferring periodic maintenance in the name of saving must cease as it is a major liability to the well being of passengers.

[realizm]

This women is literally almost brain dead from a fall on those stairs. It costs more than $16 million to take care of her medically. The family will literally be on debt taking care of her till she dies.

 

It's the (MTA)'s fault. They literally defer repairs all the time. For example 62nd Street in Brooklyn was only repaired after there was holes in the original wooden staircase. I was scared of transferring over there for years. Just walking there made me wonder if the stairway will give way, and I would fall to the street below. Only recently did they fix it.

 

This is just one example. I am certain that there are many areas around our subway that is just as bad. Maybe it is even worse.....

 

Agreed. Speaking of Brooklyn, look at the state of 8th Avenue in Brooklyn on the with wooden stairs on the southbound. Give me a break, its crumbling and a matter of time before metal riser plates gives way leading to accidents. And it only took them until the latest capital construction fiscal plan to realize that in their 'innovative' plan to rehabilitate the Sea Beach Line station by station, benchwall by benchwall that they need to reopen the 7th Ave entrance because ridership at 8th Avenue is extremely high in a huge business district?

 

So they will start in 2015. O' RLY? - They could have remedied that problem ages ago. Well better now then never - like we have a choice but continue to wait ....