Our office is proud to announce a $1.525 million trial verdict on behalf of a client who was seriously injured in a fall on a Brooklyn subway stairway. The case was tried by associate Barlet A. Lucaj.

Our client was descending the stairs to catch his train when he slipped and fell on vomit that had been left on the steps, fracturing his ankle. The injury required multiple surgeries to repair.

The Transit Authority's defense was the one we see in nearly every subway case: even if the hazard was there, the TA had no notice of it and no opportunity to clean it up. We dismantled that defense at trial. Through the testimony of our client and his cousin, who was with him, we established that the vomit had been on the stairs for a significant period of time — it appeared old and dried, and it lacked the odor you would expect from a fresh spill. We also showed that the station cleaner who arrived was already aware of the condition: he came carrying a cone, which he then set down right in the area of the hazard.

The case was tried in two phases. The first jury found the Transit Authority 100% liable, assigning no comparative fault to our client. A second jury was then selected to hear damages, and returned a verdict of $1.525 million.

The Transit Authority argued our client had made a good recovery. The jury disagreed.

Congratulations to Barlet A. Lucaj on an excellent result, and to our client.