Eighteen people were injured on Tuesday, February 25, when a train knocked a piece of equipment into the third rail at a Washington Heights subway station, sending heavy smoke into the air. Sixteen of the injured individuals were taken to the hospital for smoke-inhalation treatment.
According to the FDNY, the incident happened shortly before 1 p.m. at the 191st Street station at St. Nicholas Avenue in the Fort George neighborhood.
Attorneys Ronemus & Vilensky represent a husband and wife who were on the train and hospitalized for smoke inhalation. The firm is asking for $500 million to be awarded to their injured clients.
The train’s conductor is responsible for seeing any objects and should have stopped the train so as not to hit anything that could cause a fire. According to the MTA, the southbound 1 train hit a piece of equipment on the track as it entered the 191st Street station, knocking it into the third rail, which is electrified. This caused an electrical arc and created the smoke condition.
