A 39-year-old mom of three announced on Monday, Feb. 26 of her intentions to sue both the Central Park Conservancy (CPC) and the City of New York. She’s seeking to recover $200 million to go towards paying both her and her kids’ current and future medical costs and other damages stemming from a tree falling on them on Aug. 15 at the famed park.
In an interview with the press the same day she filed the lawsuit, she chronicled how she and her kids were taking a stroll in Central Park early in the morning on that fateful day. The next thing she remembers is a large, 3,000 pound elm tree collapsed on top of her, her 2-year-old, her 4-year-old and her infant.
The mother contends that she did her best to shield her kids from injury as the tree began to fall. It’s because she did so that she suffered four distinct fractures to her neck. She claims that they nearly paralyzed her. The woman lost consciousness as she was struck by the tree.
Her 2-year-old fractured his skull when the tree fell, but her 4-year-old and infant were the lucky ones. Although they were both were transported to the hospital for observation, they were released later that same day.
The woman, through her attorney, argues that this incident would have never occurred had it not been for the CPC failing to do regular maintenance on the tree. Their internal investigation revealed that the elm tree’s rotting roots and its decay ultimately led it to collapse. The CPC has long been the party the city has relied on for upkeep of the park.
As for why the woman decided to move forward in filing the lawsuit, she notes that she wants to hold both parties accountable for what occurred. She also wants to ensure that such an incident never occurs to another family in the future.
If you’ve suffered an injury due to someone’s else’s negligence, then a New York personal injury attorney can advise you of your right to file a lawsuit in your own case.
Source: Patch, “Mom Hit By Tree In Central Park To Sue City: Reports,” Brendan Krisel, Feb. 26, 2018