Posted by freakgirl at 5361-240.022.popsite.net on December 15, 1999 at 14:03:09:
Boy awarded $50 million in Pennsylvania escalator accident
December 15, 1999
Web posted at: 9:41 AM EST (1441 GMT)
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- A jury has awarded $50 million to a 7-year-old boy who lost a foot in an escalator at a subway stop, saying a transportation agency was negligent and violated his civil rights.
Jurors also awarded Shareif Hall's mother, Daneen, $1 million plus $65 for the shoes Shareif was wearing at the time of the 1996 accident. Shareif has a prosthetic foot to help him walk.
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority vowed to appeal Tuesday's decision. One official said the damage award, if allowed to stand, would affect the agency's ability to provide service.
The boy's attorney, Thomas Kline, said SEPTA showed deliberate indifference to Shareif's safety, allowing escalators to operate without repairs, maintenance and inspections.
SEPTA board member Robert T. Wooten called the jury verdict a "very, very serious financial blow."
If the award or any substantial fraction of it is upheld on appeal, Wooten said, it could lead to service cuts and fare increases.
The $51 million judgment amounts to 7.2 percent of SEPTA's $700 million annual operating budget, Wooten said, and equals the amount of money SEPTA pays annually for fuel and insurance claims.