"A jury determined that the driver, Jermaine Spence, was 92 percent responsible for the crash, while the MTA was held 8 percent liable."
"Spence, then 21, didn't have the cash - nor the kind of insurance - to cover his $3.7-million share of liability, so under state law, the MTA will likely end up paying all of the damages."
"Gov. Hochul contends that lawyers keep targeting the transit agency with frivolous lawsuits - but the effort to reduce the MTA's own liability costs is actually a radical idea that runs counter to hundreds of years of common law."
"The reason for that centuries-old reasoning is simple: the victims themselves can't be left holding the bag when they've been wronged through no fault of their own."
On May 6, 2017, a driver crashed into two pedestrians in Brooklyn, resulting in $4 million in injuries. A jury found the driver 92% responsible and the MTA 8% liable. The driver lacked sufficient insurance to cover his share, leading to the MTA likely paying all damages. Governor Hochul cited this case to advocate for auto insurance reform, but the proposed changes contradict established legal principles that protect victims from bearing the financial burden of others' negligence.
Read at Streetsblog Empire State
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