Manhattan, NY – After a city bus hit a Brooklyn man’s car in Times Square, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority added insult to injury by rejecting his claim to pay for the damages.
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Brooklyn resident Avraham Cohen says his car did not have a chance when it was hit by an Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus in Times Square, resulting in $3,800 worth of damage.
“It was apparent to everybody that it was the bus’s fault, and the police report reflected that as well,” says Cohen. “The police report said the bus was coming out of his lane and sideswiped my car.”
Cohen claims an MTA supervisor came to the scene, acknowledged the accident was caused by the bus and gave him a number to call to start the claims process.
After calling the MTA, Cohen says he got a voicemail asking him to leave his information and wait 10 days for paperwork to be sent to him. Cohen says 10 days turned into a month, as the clock was ticking down on his 90-day deadline to file his paperwork.
“I had basically a month left to put all this paperwork together, get an estimate, get it notarized, send it to them and whatever,” says Cohen. “And at my office I have FedEx, so I sent it overnight, I got it to them within two days of the deadline. And I got a letter back from them in a couple of days saying, ‘Sorry, you didn’t send it to us via registered or certified mail, therefore we’re disallowing your claim.'”
Cohen resent the information through registered and certified mail, but got another letter stating the claim was now disallowed because it was past the due date.
NY1 reached out to the MTA and a spokesman said the agency is clear in requiring service be by certified or registered mail. He also said even though the 90 days had elapsed, Cohen was afforded an additional 10 days after receipt of the rejection letter to serve the agency properly.
Cohen says that does not equal the month-long delay it took to receive the paperwork in the first place. He also says he cannot believe a technicality will prevent the MTA from paying him the money it owes.
“If I had hit their vehicle, they would have found me and come after me with everything they had, and they would have gotten their money,” says Cohen. “I just want them to pay for what they did.”
NY1 will continue to follow this story.
Just had this with the MTA bus: bus pulls out from bus stop, on the police report the it said I hit him from the back. Watch out , if you ever get hit by a MTA bus get a lawyer on the scene. I can give you more stories with these buses , don’t have the time.
Why didnt he just go through his insurance company and let them handle it, thats what you pay them for.
why didnt he just contact their insurance company directly. thats how i did it when some shnook hit me and was giving me a hard time. i got paid within a week
Bloomberg’s administration charges citizens hundreds of dollars for tickets and spends hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees to prevent citizens from getting their due. This is how a billionaire treats common folk.
The kid has a point. He should be compensated!
Why is he bothering with them? He should go directly to small claims court. They won’t be able to play the games there, plus they will have additional costs.
BTW, if you are ever in an accident where the other person is at fault, and you are not happy with what their insurance is offering, you should tell the insurance that since you are not happy with their offer, you will not deal with them, and you will go after their client (the driver) directly, for damages, in small claims court. You will see how quickly they will renegotiate, as no insurance company wants their clients dragged to court over a small claim, as it’s a sure way to lose customers. In addition they will have to provide an attorney for the client, which will just adds to their cost.
Next time file the notice of claim immediately or retain an attorney to ensure it gets done correctlu
it’s like this when dealing with the IRS or any other government agency. They are the ones in charge. it is their game and there is no way we can win when they are the ones making up all the rules… as we go along.
My advise is this. Three years ago an MTA bus sideswiped my car on fifth Ave in NYC. An MTA supervisor arrived and acknowledged that it was the bus drivers fault. I also had witnesses in my car. After filing my claim, on time, the MTA refused to pay me for the repair of the damages. When I called them on the phone they said it was now my fault. I was livid. I took them to small claims court, had my witnesses and won my case. NY allows you to sue for up to $5,000. Within 30 days I received a check from the MTA. Boy, did I feel good.
I had a similar incident with an FDNY ambulance. The ambulance hit my PARKED car on shabbos and i had damages over $2000 plus i had to rent a car since i work about 1 1/2 hrs away from where i live. The insuarnce company covered the damages but i never got reimbursed for the rental. Anytime you deal with the city its a lose lose situation…..
Sue them for the full 5K in Small Claims Court. You should also call Bloomingidiot’s Friday call in segment when he is together with John Gambling on WOR-710 AM. He is on from 8-9 and they are more than happy to put you on.
Jonathan Hill was hit by a city bus and then run over and killed in 2000. The MTA driver, to this day, never acknowledged what he did. The MTA would not let their Rabbi (Chaplin) talk to the family to do grief councelling. The MTA lawyer accused Jonathan of drinking and being drunk. They offered his widow of 10 months almost nothing as settlement.
These are the animals that we have to deal with. I know, because Jonathan was my brother. I have been suffering for the past 10 years.
Jay Hill
1. you should have timely filed the apropriate notice.
2. you should sue all apropriate parties, e.g., the mta, the city, the driver.
3. you should hire all apropriate independent contractors and advisors.
you are just not aplying your resources apropriately.
Contact CBS radio station, sometimes they can help.