New York City Subway Accident Lawyer

Hurt in a New York City subway accident? Contact the top New York City subway accident attorney today for a free consultation and fight for the compensation and justice you deserve.

Millions of New Yorkers ride the subway every day and trust the MTA to get them where they’re going in one piece. When that trust is broken by a slamming door, a violent stop, a fall on a wet platform, or a collision that never should have happened, the injuries can be severe and the medical bills can pile up fast.

A subway injury case is not a standard personal injury case. It runs on a different clock, follows different rules, and puts you across the table from one of the most heavily lawyered government agencies in the state. You need a firm that has handled these claims before and knows exactly how to move on day one.

Grigor Law Injury & Car Accident Lawyers fights for injured New Yorkers. Our New York City subway accident lawyers are sharks in the courtroom, plain-talking advocates in every conversation with you, and relentless from the first phone call to the final check.

Call (718) 249-7447 now for a free consultation. You pay nothing unless we win.

Do You Have a Case against the MTA or NYCTA?

The New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) is the MTA subsidiary that operates the subway and bears primary responsibility for rider safety. A valid injury claim requires three things: proof that a party was negligent, evidence that the negligence caused your accident, and documentation that you suffered real harm as a result.

You do not need to have been on a moving train to qualify. Riders injured on platforms, in station stairwells, near escalators, or anywhere within MTA-controlled property can pursue compensation when the transit authority’s failure was the cause.

A pattern our New York City subway accident attorneys consistently see in MTA claims is that clients come to us believing they have the standard three-year window to file, without realizing the 90-day notice of claim clock started running the day of the accident.

We file that notice within the first two weeks of taking a case specifically so a missed municipal deadline never becomes the reason a valid claim gets thrown out.

Who Is Liable for Your Subway Injury?

Liability in a subway accident does not always end with the MTA. Under a legal principle called vicarious liability, a transit authority is legally responsible for harm caused by its on-duty employees. But depending on how your accident occurred, other parties can share that responsibility too.

Potential defendants include:

• MTA/NYCTA: For negligent train operation, deferred maintenance, or unsafe station conditions

• Private Contractors: For defective repair work on signals, escalators, or track infrastructure

• Equipment Manufacturers: For injuries caused by a defective train part or mechanical failure

• Third Parties: Individuals who assault or recklessly harm another rider may be held personally liable

• Construction Companies: For hazards created near active stations or tracks

Identifying every responsible party from the start is how we build the most powerful claim and pursue the highest possible recovery for you.

What we see in platform and door-related subway claims is that a second liable party, often a maintenance contractor responsible for a broken escalator or a malfunctioning door sensor, turns up more often than riders expect. We request the station’s maintenance and repair logs early, because that record can open a claim against a party beyond the MTA itself.

Common Causes of New York City Subway Accidents

Train Collisions and Derailments

Signal failures, deteriorating track conditions, and operator error cause the majority of serious collisions and derailments in the New York City subway system. The MTA has a continuous duty to inspect and maintain all rail infrastructure, and when that duty is neglected, passengers are left to pay the price.

Door and Platform Edge Injuries

Doors closing on a limb or a rider falling into the gap between the train and the platform can result in crushing injuries, nerve damage, and amputation. These incidents are regularly traced to inattentive operators or chronically overcrowded platforms that the MTA failed to manage.

Slip and Fall on Platforms and Stairs

The MTA is legally required to keep stations in a reasonably safe condition, which includes addressing wet floors, accumulated snow, broken tiles, and unlit stairwells before someone gets hurt. When they fail to act, the resulting injury becomes the basis of a premises liability claim.

Negligent Security and Assaults

When an attack occurs in a station or car where criminal activity was documented and foreseeable, the MTA can be held partly responsible. Failing to station adequate security in high-risk areas is not a policy decision, it is actionable negligence.

Sudden Stops and Operator Error

Violent, unannounced braking and uncontrolled acceleration throw standing passengers to the floor, causing spinal injuries, skull fractures, and traumatic brain injuries. These are preventable incidents that fall directly on the operator and the authority that trains and oversees them.

Track Electrocution and Third Rail Contact

Falling onto the tracks, from a push, a stumble, or a chaotic evacuation, puts riders at risk of contact with the electrified third rail, resulting in severe electrical burns and death. These are among the most catastrophic injuries our New York City subway accident lawyers handle.

Station Maintenance and Lighting Failures

Broken escalators, malfunctioning elevators, defective turnstiles, and dark stairwells are not mere inconveniences, they are documented hazards the MTA is required to inspect and repair. When they allow these conditions to persist, they are liable for every injury that follows.

What to Do after a New York City Subway Accident

Every decision you make in the hours following a subway accident shapes your legal claim. Move quickly.

Step 1: Get Medical Care Immediately

See a doctor as soon as possible, even if injuries feel minor in the moment. Medical records created close to the date of the accident are some of the strongest evidence your attorney can use.

Step 2: Report the Incident

Notify an MTA employee or a police officer on-scene and make sure a formal report is filed. Request a copy, or at minimum a reference number you can pass directly to your attorney.

Step 3: Document the Scene and Locate Witnesses

Use your phone to photograph the hazard, the surrounding area, and your injuries from every angle. Get the names and phone numbers of anyone who witnessed the accident, those contacts become difficult to recover later.

Step 4: Do Not Give a Statement to Anyone

MTA claims investigators and insurance adjusters will approach you quickly. Their job is to get you on record saying something that weakens your claim. Do not speak with them, sign any documents, or accept any payment before consulting with a lawyer.

Step 5: Call Grigor Law Injury & Car Accident Lawyers

We take over all communication with the MTA and their insurers on your behalf immediately. our personal injury lawyers in NYC send legal preservation notices to stop surveillance footage and operator logs from being overwritten, and we begin building your case from the very first conversation.

What Compensation Can You Recover after a Subway Accident?

New York law provides for two categories of damages. Special damages cover your measurable financial losses, medical bills, lost wages, and future care costs. General damages address the harm that has no price tag attached, physical pain, emotional suffering, and diminished quality of life. We evaluate both against New York case law to make sure our demands reflect the full, lasting impact of your injury.

Recoverable compensation may include:

• Emergency treatment, surgery, and all ongoing medical care

• Lost income and reduced future earning capacity

• Physical pain and suffering

• Mental anguish and emotional distress

• Long-term rehabilitation and disability-related expenses

• Wrongful death damages for surviving family members

How Long Do You Have to File a Claim against the MTA?

The deadlines for MTA and NYCTA claims are far shorter than most people expect. You must file a Notice of Claim, a formal written notice telling the MTA you intend to seek compensation, within 90 days of your accident. After filing, you then have one year and 90 days to bring a lawsuit. Compare that to the standard three-year statute of limitations that applies to most personal injury cases in New York.

Deadline	Standard NY Injury Claim	MTA / NYCTA Claim
Notice of Claim	Not required	90 days
Lawsuit Filing	3 years	1 year and 90 days
50-h Hearing Required	No	Yes, if requested

Missing that 90-day window will almost certainly forfeit your right to any recovery.

What If You Were Partly at Fault?

New York’s comparative negligence rule means that partial fault on your part reduces, rather than eliminates, your right to compensation, unless your fault is greater than the MTA’s, a bar that took effect May 26, 2026. The MTA will argue you bear as much blame as possible to shrink what they owe. We challenge those arguments at every stage of the case.

How Grigor Law Builds Your Subway Accident Case

We prepare every case as if a jury is going to decide it. The MTA’s insurers know we take cases to verdict, and that reputation is exactly what forces them to bring serious offers to the table.

• Immediate Evidence Preservation: We send legal notices demanding the MTA retain all surveillance footage, train operator data, and maintenance records before they are destroyed or overwritten.

• Independent Investigation: Our team documents the scene, interviews witnesses, and reconstructs the accident entirely on our own, we never rely on the MTA’s version of events.

• Expert Support: We engage transit engineers, medical professionals, and financial analysts to establish liability and accurately calculate the full, long-term cost of your injuries.

• Trial-Ready Negotiation: Because insurance carriers know Grigor Law takes cases to verdict, our demands carry real weight long before anyone sets foot in a courtroom.

In our experience handling MTA injury claims, station surveillance footage is the single piece of evidence adjusters fight hardest to withhold, because it so often shows exactly how the accident happened. Our New York City subway accident attorneys send a formal preservation demand the same day we’re retained, before routine MTA retention cycles overwrite it.

Why Choose Grigor Law for Your Subway Accident Case?

Founded in 2015 by Chrissy Grigoropoulos, Esq., Grigor Law exists to fight for injured New Yorkers, period. Every case we take is handled on a contingency-fee basis, meaning no upfront costs and no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you. With offices in Ridgewood, The Bronx, and Hempstead, we serve all five boroughs, Long Island, and Westchester County. If your injuries prevent you from traveling, our attorneys come to you at home or at the hospital.

Our firm has earned mainstream media recognition and built deep roots in the Bronx and Ridgewood communities we call home. Insurance companies and transit authority lawyers know our name, and they know a Grigor Law case means a team that is ready and willing to take it all the way.

Call (718) 249-7447 or contact us online, your consultation is free, and you pay nothing unless we win.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Is the Right Defendant in a New York City Subway Accident Lawsuit?

The New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA), the MTA subsidiary that runs the subway, is typically the primary defendant. Depending on the cause of the accident, private contractors, equipment manufacturers, or individual third parties may also be named in the claim.

What Is a 50-h Hearing and Do I Have to Attend?

A 50-h hearing is a sworn examination the MTA can require before a lawsuit is formally filed, similar to a pre-lawsuit deposition, and your attorney will prepare you and attend alongside you throughout the entire proceeding.

Can I Sue the MTA If Another Rider Pushed Me onto the Tracks?

Yes, you can hold the individual who pushed you personally liable and simultaneously pursue a negligent security claim against the MTA if they failed to protect riders in a location where violence was foreseeable.

Can I Still Recover Compensation If I Was Partly at Fault in the Accident?

Yes, in most cases. New York’s comparative negligence rule reduces your recovery by your share of fault rather than eliminating it. Being 30% at fault still entitles you to recover the remaining 70% of your total damages. The one exception: a rule that took effect May 26, 2026 bars recovery entirely if your fault is greater than the other party’s.

How Quickly Does the MTA Overwrite Subway Surveillance Footage?

Because MTA surveillance footage is routinely overwritten, contacting an attorney promptly helps ensure a preservation notice is sent before that evidence is lost.

Does Grigor Law Charge Upfront Fees for Subway Accident Cases?

No, we work on a strict contingency-fee basis, which means you pay absolutely nothing unless we successfully recover compensation on your behalf.

Will an Attorney Come to My Home or Hospital?

Yes, if your injuries prevent you from traveling, our attorneys will come to you at your home, hospital, or any location that works for you across the five boroughs, Long Island, and Westchester County.