A man's fall into the subway tracks is now cause for a lawsuit. Angel Diaz, a nurse's aide who was headed to Lincoln Hospital for a job application, says he slipped on the wet platform at the 143rd Street Station and then "tripped on a bump in the cement used to repair a leak from a janitor's closet." Diaz's lawyer says he "flew" onto the tracks, where a subway car ran over his hand.
The Post reports that Diaz lost three fingers and half his palm, and his lawyer says the MTA is guilty of "double negligence": The poorly maintained platform and a train operator who could have stopped in time but didn't. While the MTA didn't have a comment, we bet they'll try to determine how fast Diaz was walking before settling. But the thing is, so many stations platforms are slippery, especially with leaks that create pools of water. While it's near impossible to attend to all of them immediately, hearing how MTA Chairman Kalikow is quick to fix a low-trafficked LIRR station drives home the point that many hopes are literally riding on MTA Executive Director Elliot Sander's shoulders.
Also bad: Many stairs between the street and the subway stations. Some stairs have metal tread-guard things on top of the concrete steps, but those many of those guards are worn down and are very smooth - perfect for slipping.
