Access-A-Ride Accident Lawyer NYC

Access-A-Ride is operated by the MTA through private carriers, which means an injured rider often has claims against both a public authority and a private company — with two different sets of deadlines. The public side requires a notice of claim within 90 days and suit within one year and 90 days. Missing the notice while waiting for the carrier to respond is the most common way these claims are lost.

• Wheelchair lift failures and drops during boarding or exit.
• Improper securement — an unsecured or partially secured wheelchair tipping in transit.
• Failure to assist a rider with mobility, vision or cognitive impairment.
• Driver negligence: hard braking, curb impacts, collisions.
• Drop-off in an unsafe location — in a travel lane, on ice, or away from a curb cut.

The lift gave way while I was on it

Lift maintenance and inspection records are central, and so is the identity of the maintenance contractor. We demand preservation of the vehicle and the lift before repairs erase the defect.

My wheelchair was not strapped down and I was thrown

Securement is the operator's legal responsibility, not the rider's. Onboard footage and the driver's training records establish the failure.

I was dropped off somewhere unsafe and fell

Drop-off location decisions are part of the service and can create liability for both the carrier and the authority.

Serve notice of claim on the MTA and NYCTA, identify and put the private carrier and its insurer on notice, demand onboard video and trip manifests, obtain maintenance and securement records, and file no-fault for medical bills and lost earnings.