Personal Injury Law

Staten Island Ferry Crash Injures 15

Fifteen people suffered injuries in a Staten Island ferry accident when the boat slammed into the dock, ABC News reports in a story. The ferry apparently had a "hard docking" when it lost power and struck the St. George's Pier. Officials say preliminary investigations show that the ferry had an electrical transformer malfunction. There were between 700 and 800 people on board the ferry at the time of the crash.

All 15 injured victims were taken to the hospital, but no one suffered major injuries, according to the news report. Ferry crew members are undergoing alcohol and drug tests, which is routine procedure. In 2003, a Staten Island ferry carrying about 1,500 slammed into the Staten Island pier killing 11 people. In that case, an investigation determined that the ferry pilot had been taking painkillers and was suffering from extreme fatigue.

It is indeed fortunate that no one was seriously injured in this New York City ferry crash. Ferries are used in many states across the country to transport both people and vehicles. Ferry accidents, as we saw in the 2003 accident, can cause devastating NY personal injuries including spinal injuries, fractures, head injuries and even death. Accident-related expenses could easily amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Full post as published by New York Injury Talk Blog on July 22, 2009 (boomark / email).