Millions of New Yorkers rely on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA ) every single day. The subway system is the lifeblood of the city, carrying us to work, to school, and back home again. Because we use it so frequently, we expect the stations to be safe, the trains to be properly maintained, and the operators to be well-trained. Unfortunately, when the MTA or its employees act negligently, the results are often catastrophic.
If you’ve been injured in a subway accident, a bus crash, or a slip and fall on transit property, you’re likely facing severe physical pain, mounting medical bills, and the terrifying prospect of missing months of work. To make matters worse, you’re now facing a confusing, uphill legal battle against a massive, heavily protected government agency. The MTA has an army of defense lawyers whose sole job is to deny claims and protect the city’s budget. You shouldn’t have to fight them alone.
The New York subway injury lawyers at Sullivan & Galleshaw, LLP understand the unique, highly complex challenges of suing the MTA. We have the courtroom experience, the investigative resources, and the sheer tenacity required to hold them accountable and secure the maximum compensation you deserve.
You have an incredibly short, 90-day window to file a claim against the MTA. Do not delay. Contact Sullivan & Galleshaw today for a free, completely confidential case review.
The Unique Challenges of Suing the MTA: The 90-Day Deadline
Suing the MTA is vastly different from filing a standard personal injury claim against a private citizen or a local business. The MTA is a public benefit corporation, which means it is protected by specific, rigid laws that make pursuing a claim highly complex.
The most critical difference—and the biggest trap for injured New Yorkers—is the Notice of Claim requirement. Under New York law, you cannot simply wake up one day and file a lawsuit against the MTA or the City of New York. You must first file a formal, highly detailed legal document called a Notice of Claim.
You have exactly 90 days from the date of your injury to file this Notice of Claim.
This 90-day window is unforgiving. It doesn’t matter if you were hospitalized for a month, if you’re still recovering from surgery, or if you simply didn’t know the law existed. If you miss this deadline, your case is almost certainly over before it begins. The courts rarely grant exceptions, and when they do, it requires a complex legal motion to file a “late Notice of Claim,” which is very difficult to win. To understand the exact timeline, read our detailed guide on how long you have to sue the MTA for a subway injury.
Furthermore, the Notice of Claim must be drafted flawlessly. It must contain specific information, including the exact location of the accident, the precise time, a detailed description of how the MTA was negligent, and a description of your injuries. If it is vague, inaccurate, or filed with the wrong specific MTA subsidiary (such as the New York City Transit Authority versus the Long Island Rail Road), it can be rejected, and your case dismissed.
After the Notice of Claim is filed, the MTA has the right to conduct a 50-h hearing. This is a pre-lawsuit examination under oath where an MTA attorney will question you aggressively about the accident and your injuries. A seasoned MTA injury attorney in NYC will ensure your Notice of Claim is perfect, filed on time, and will fiercely protect your rights during the intense 50-h hearing. If your injury occurred in Queens, our dedicated Queens Personal Injury Lawyers are ready to step in immediately.
New York Subway Injury Attorneys for MTA Accident Lawsuits
The New York City subway accident attorneys of Sullivan & Galleshaw may be able to help you obtain compensation if you were injured on a subway line or at a subway station in New York City, including:
- Train (Broadway-7 Avenue Local)
- Train (7th Avenue Express)
- Train (7th Avenue Express)
- Train (Lexington Avenue Express)
- Train (Lexington Avenue Express)
- Train (Lexington Avenue Local / Pelham Express)
- Train (Flushing Local)
- A Train (8th Avenue Express)
- B Train (Central Park West Local / 6th Avenue Express)
- C Train (8th Avenue Local)
- D Train (6th Avenue Express)
- E Train (8th Avenue Local)
- F Train (6th Avenue Local)
- G Train (Brooklyn-Queens Crosstown Local)
- J Train (Nassau Street Express)
- L Train (14th Street-Canarsie Local)
- M Train (Queens Boulevard Local / 6th Avenue Local / Myrtle Avenue Local)
- N Train (Broadway Express)
- Q Train (2nd Avenue / Broadway Express)
- R Train (Queens Boulevard / Broadway / 4th Avenue Local)
- S Train (42nd Street Shuttle / Franklin Avenue Shuttle / Rockaway Park Shuttle)
- W Train (Broadway Local)
- Z Train (Nassau Street Express)
Our MTA accident lawyers handle subway accident claims in Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and beyond, including Astoria, Bayside, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Bensonhurst, Bushwick, Crown Heights, DUMBO, Elmhurst, Flatbush, Forest Hills, Gramercy Park, Greenpoint, Jackson Heights, the Lower East Side, Lower Manhattan, the Meatpacking District, Murray Hill, Park Slope, Rockaway Beach, Sheepshead Bay, the Upper West Side, Washington Heights, West Village, Williamsburg, and more. To find out if you may have an MTA accident claim in a free and confidential legal consultation, call our law offices as soon as possible at (718) 843-0300.
Types of MTA and Subway Accidents We Handle
The MTA operates a vast, aging infrastructure that requires constant, meticulous maintenance. When they cut corners, accidents happen anywhere—from the platform to the train car itself. Our firm represents victims in a wide variety of devastating transit-related accidents, including:
Train Derailments and Collisions
When subway trains collide or jump the tracks due to mechanical failure, track defects, or operator error, the impact on passengers is horrifying. These high-speed accidents frequently cause traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and severe fractures.
Slip, Trip, and Falls on Platforms or Stairs
The MTA is legally responsible for maintaining safe stations. We handle complex premises liability cases involving broken or uneven stairs, icy platforms, inadequate lighting, and wet floors left without warning signs.
Subway Door Injuries
Passengers frequently suffer severe crush injuries, broken bones, or even amputations when subway doors close prematurely, malfunction, or when conductors fail to ensure the doorway is clear before departing the station.
Gap Accidents
Falling into the gap between the train and the platform can result in catastrophic injuries or death. The MTA must ensure the gap is a safe distance and provide adequate warnings or gap fillers at curved stations.
MTA Bus Accidents
We represent passengers injured in violent bus crashes, as well as pedestrians and cyclists struck by negligent, speeding, or distracted MTA bus drivers.
The MTA starts building its defense on day one. They will secure surveillance footage and interview witnesses immediately. You need a lawyer fighting for you right now. Schedule your free consultation immediately.
Seeking Maximum Compensation for Your Transit Injury
If the MTA’s negligence caused your injuries, you have the absolute right to seek comprehensive compensation. Our attorneys meticulously investigate your accident, demanding maintenance records, securing station surveillance footage before it’s deleted, and interviewing witnesses to build an airtight case. We fight aggressively to recover:
- Past and Future Medical Expenses: Including emergency care, surgeries, physical therapy, and lifelong medical needs.
- Lost Wages and Diminished Earning Capacity: Reimbursement for the time you missed from work and compensation if you can no longer perform your job.
- Pain and Suffering: Compensation for the physical agony you’ve endured.
- Emotional Distress: Recovery for the psychological trauma, anxiety, and PTSD that often follow a terrifying transit accident.
- Disability and Disfigurement: Compensation for permanent scarring or loss of mobility.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a lawsuit after filing the Notice of Claim?
Once the Notice of Claim has been filed and the MTA has had time to investigate (including the 50-h hearing), you can file your actual lawsuit in court. However, you still face a strict overall deadline. For most personal injury claims against the MTA, you must file your lawsuit within one year and 90 days from the date of the accident.
Who is responsible if I am injured on an MTA bus?
If you are injured while riding an MTA bus, the MTA may be held liable if the driver was negligent (e.g., speeding, sudden stops, distracted driving) or if the bus was improperly maintained. If another vehicle caused the crash, that driver’s insurance company may also be held liable. Our attorneys will investigate to identify all responsible parties.
Do I still have a case if I fell on a subway staircase that was covered in snow?
Yes. The MTA has a legal duty to clear snow and ice from its stations, platforms, and exposed stairways within a reasonable amount of time after a winter storm ends. If they failed to do so and you slipped and fell as a result, you may have a strong premises liability claim against them.
Contact an Experienced MTA Injury Attorney in NYC Today
Time is your biggest enemy when dealing with an MTA injury. The New York subway injury lawyers at Sullivan & Galleshaw, LLP are ready to act immediately to protect your rights, file your Notice of Claim, and preserve crucial evidence before it disappears.
Visit our Homepage to learn more about how we help injured New Yorkers take on massive government agencies, or Contact Us immediately to schedule a free, completely confidential consultation. Let us handle the complex legal deadlines so you can focus entirely on your recovery.
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