Dozens of ferry boats crisscross hundreds of routes every day in New York Waterways from Staten Island, to Manhattan, and even across state lines to New Jersey. While the vast majority of these daily cruises go off without a hitch, a surprising number of New York City ferry accidents occur each year. While most result in only minor injuries, a handful of disastrous crashes have claimed hundreds of lives and injured thousands of people in the past.
The most famous of New York’s ferries is the Staten Island Ferry. This single route alone carries roughly 19 million people every year along its 5 mile trek-that’s 33,000 trips made by just eight boats that service the route.
In the past 13 years, Staten Island Ferry accidents have injured more than 120 people and killed 11.
While some of these Staten Island Ferry crashes have involved collisions between ferries and other watercraft, collisions with stationary objects including piers and pylons are far more common. In fact, 71 people were injured and 11 died in 2003 when the vessel Andrew J. Barberi slammed full-speed into a concrete pier.
Though the DOT says that it operates the “safest ferry system” in the United States, unsafe conditions plague New York’s ferry system. These all contribute to the dozens of minor and handful of major ferry accidents each year. Some examples are:
- Operator Error
- Electrical Issues
- Mechanical Failure
- Improper Safety Precautions
- Improper Maritime Practices
Determining who or what was responsible for the ferry accident is essential in order to ensure the victims and their families receive the compensation they deserve. Experienced Attorney Nussin S. Fogel has been fighting for the rights of victims in transportation-related personal injuries lawsuits for more than 25 years. His experience during the investigative phase of any lawsuit puts his clients on even ground with the City of New York and the faceless corporations that operate ferry services across the City’s waterways.
Don’t let your right to monetary compensation you deserve to slip away. If you or a loved one was injured in a New York City ferry accident, contact the law office of Nussin S. Fogel for a free consultation today at or 212-385-1122.