Woman who lost arm and leg in NYC subway strike awarded nearly $82M by jury

Federal Jury Hands Down $81.7 Million Verdict to NYC Subway Victim

A federal jury has delivered a staggering verdict in favor of Luisa Janssen Harger Da Silva, a 21-year-old Brazilian woman who suffered devastating injuries when she fell onto the tracks at the Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center station in Manhattan in 2016. The MTA must now pay Da Silva nearly $82 million for her catastrophic injuries.

The incident occurred on the B and Q train platform when Da Silva fainted and fell onto the tracks, resulting in the amputation of her left arm and leg. Her lawyer, Elliot Shields, described the moment she heard the verdict as a "long road to justice finally coming to an end."

However, the MTA's response to the incident has been criticized. In 2019, the agency commissioned a report that concluded installing platform doors was too costly and disruptive to implement on all platforms throughout the city's 472 stations. Yet, the MTA had looked into installing screen doors as far back as 2011 and even considered partnering with private companies to install them for free.

The lawsuit claimed that the MTA's inaction was avoidable and that they should have taken steps to prevent people from falling onto the tracks. The jury agreed, ruling the MTA negligent and awarding Da Silva a substantial sum of money. While the MTA has already begun installing fixed barriers on platforms at 100 stations, critics argue that these measures are insufficient.

The case has sparked outrage among advocates who argue that the MTA should have taken proactive steps to address the hazard posed by subway trains. "Every rider should feel safe standing on the platform," said Brian Fritsch, associate director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA. The agency has committed to installing platform barriers at more than 100 stations by the end of the year.

However, lawyers for Da Silva have vowed to continue fighting and are preparing to file additional lawsuits against the MTA on behalf of other victims who have been struck by trains. As one lawyer said, "They knew about this hazard, they knew there were feasible solutions, and they did nothing. Our client and thousands of other people in New York over the past few decades have suffered catastrophic injuries or been killed, and it was all preventable."

Ugh, I'm so annoyed when I see stuff like this happen! The MTA knew about the risk of ppl fallin onto the tracks for years, but they just did nothin' to fix it. I mean, $81.7 million is a lot of money, but can u imagine if someone had died? It's crazy that they're still installin barriers at only 100 stations and not all of 'em. What's the point of havin some barriers if ppl are still gonna get hurt? I'm glad the jury awarded the girl who fell ill, but we need more action from the MTA. They gotta take responsibility for their inaction and make safety a priority. It's not like it's rocket science or anything!

"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind"

omg i cant even right now!! $81.7 million is just crazy! like what even is that? Luisa Janssen Harger Da Silva deserves EVERY PENNY OF IT!!! she went through so much pain and suffering just because the MTA was too lazy to install platform doors. its not like it wouldve cost them an arm and a leg (no pun intended)!! they had been looking into screen doors as far back as 2011 but still didnt do anything about it

and now theyre trying to say that installing barriers on platforms is enough? are you kidding me?! its not the same thing at all! my heart goes out to Luisa and all the other victims who have been hurt by this. the MTA needs to be held accountable for their negligence and i hope they dont get away with this

and can we talk about how ridiculous it is that they only started taking action after a jury ruled against them? like, what happened to accountability in this country?!

OMG, I'm so glad justice has been served for Luisa ! $82 million is a huge sum, but considering what happened to her, it's totally justified. I mean, can you even imagine falling onto the tracks and losing a leg or arm? It's horrifying!

But seriously, this verdict highlights the need for better safety measures in our subway system. Installing platform doors has been on hold due to cost concerns, but it's clear that they're not just a luxury, they're a necessity . The MTA needs to prioritize the safety of its riders and take proactive steps to prevent these types of incidents from happening.

It's also concerning that there are still victims out there who haven't received justice yet . I hope the lawyers for Da Silva can continue to fight for their clients' rights and push the MTA to do better. We need to make our subways safer, people!

Can you believe that the MTA had looked into screen doors as far back as 2011 ?! Like, what were they waiting for? This is not a complicated fix at all. And now we gotta pay with our taxes because they didn't do their job . I'm still shook by the fact that Luisa fell onto those tracks in the first place... it's just crazy. The MTA needs to step up their game and make subway safety a priority .

idk how can 81.7 million be justified?? that's like, insane! think about it, the mta knew about this issue since 2011 but did nothing. they're gonna keep installing barriers at a few stations and call it a day? not good enough for luisa da silva

this verdict is just a drop in the bucket for luisa da silva... i mean $82 million is a big chunk of change, but you gotta wonder how many other people have fallen onto the tracks and walked away with nothing. the mta's been saying they can't afford platform doors or screen doors, which is just plain lazy. it's not like they're talking about installing them on all 472 stations at once, that'd be a huge undertaking. but still, you gotta wonder how many lives could've been saved if the mta had taken proactive steps to address this hazard. the fact that there are already 100 stations with fixed barriers is a good start, but it's just not enough.

and now we're hearing from other victims and their lawyers, demanding justice and accountability... i'm all for it!

this verdict is a good start but its way too little considering how long the mta's known about this problem 81.7 million is almost like saying sorry and then doing nothing else. i think they should've installed those screen doors or platform barriers years ago, especially since there were already talks of it in 2011 . its not just about one person, luisa da silva, but thousands more who might get hurt on the trains because of this negligence

This verdict is insane! I mean, can you even imagine falling onto the tracks and losing a leg? It's like something out of a horror movie. And to think that the MTA knew about this hazard for years but did nothing... it's just not right.

I'm all for safety measures on our subways, especially with platform barriers. I've been riding the trains for years and never had any issues, but hearing that there are thousands of people who have been hurt or killed by train accidents is heartbreaking.

The MTA needs to step up its game when it comes to rider safety. Installing screen doors in 2011? That's not a lot to ask! And now they're just installing barriers at 100 stations... what about the rest of us? We deserve better.

I'm glad that Luisa Da Silva is getting some justice, but there are still so many victims out there who haven't received fair compensation. My heart goes out to them and their families. This verdict might be a start, but it's not the end of the fight for subway safety.

Wow the amount of money awarded to Luisa Harger Da Silva is insane $81.7 million is crazy the fact that the MTA knew about platform doors since 2011 but didn't implement them makes me think they're not being transparent enough they should've done more to prevent accidents like this from happening in the future

omg 82 million is a crazy amount i feel bad for that girl who fell on the tracks like what even is that she's gonna need a lot of help financially now. i'm so glad the mta got caught not taking care of the platforms long enough though it's all about safety, you know? shouldn't be hard to put up some screens or barriers or whatever why did they wait this long to do anything about it?!?! and now there are going to be more lawsuits like what even is the point of installing barriers at 100 stations if others can still get hurt?

"Justice may be delayed, but it is never denied."

OMG, $81.7 million is like, soooo much money!!! I feel for Luisa, she went through so much trauma and now she's gonna get that kind of compensation . But what's crazy is that the MTA knew about this problem as far back as 2011 and they still didn't do anything . Like, come on! They could've installed screen doors or platform barriers for free with a private company or something . Now, it's all gonna cost them $82 million . And the worst part is that people are still getting hurt . I'm all about layout and structure, but this MTA thing is like a total mess .

I'm just soooo relieved that Luisa got justice after everything she went through! $82 million is a huge amount of money, but I guess it's not enough to bring her back . Can you even imagine falling onto the tracks and having to lose a part of your body? It's just unimaginable . The MTA should've done so much more to prevent this from happening in the first place... it's just heartbreaking . I hope they learn from this case and start taking action ASAP!

man... 82 million dollars is a crazy amount of money . but you know what's even crazier? how can one agency ignore a life-changing hazard like that for so long ? the MTA knew about screen doors since 2011, but they just couldn't be bothered to install them. it's like they were more concerned with cost over people's lives .

and what really gets me is the phrase "long road to justice finally coming to an end". isn't that a bit misleading? justice shouldn't have to take a long time to come around, especially when you're talking about preventing avoidable tragedies . it feels like the system is more concerned with protecting itself than with actually taking care of its citizens.

anyway... I guess this verdict might motivate them to finally do something about it . but at what cost?

I don't think $82 million is enough for someone who's life was forever changed by falling onto the tracks . I mean, yeah, the MTA had some options, but still... they knew about this hazard and didn't do anything about it, at least not on a mass scale . And now we're seeing more lawsuits coming in, which is just part of the problem . The MTA's response has been "okay, we'll install barriers here and there", but that's just not good enough . I wish they would've taken proactive steps to fix this problem years ago instead of waiting for someone to get hurt .

omg can u believe the mta had known about installing screen doors since 2011 but didn't do anything about it until now . like what were they even waiting for? this verdict is definitely a major step in the right direction, but i'm not sure it's enough - we need more concrete solutions to keep riders safe on the platforms . and can you imagine how many people have been hurt or killed by falling onto the tracks because of these avoidable hazards? $82 million might be a huge payout for Luisa, but it's still not enough for the countless others who've suffered .