LIRR Derailment In Brooklyn: Man To Sue MTA For $5 Million

BROOKLYN, NY — A man plans to sue the MTA for $5 million in damages sustained during the Long Island Rail Road derailment at Atlantic Terminal that left more than 100 people injured, according to a notice of claim sent to the agency.

Clifford Jones, 48, was on the train that slammed into the "bumping block" at the end of the Brooklyn station, hopping over the end of the track and plowing through a barrier, according to the notice. Jones suffered injuries to his right knee, right shoulder, back and neck, the notice says.

Jones is asking for $5 million to cover injuries, physical and emotional trauma, medical expenses and future loss of income, among other things. The notice was filed by Sanford Rubenstein of Rubenstein & Rynecki. It's the first notice of claim against the MTA in connection with the accident.

The MTA did not immediately return a Patch request for comment.

The National Transportation Safety Board is conducting its investigation into the crash, which happened in the middle of the rush hour commute on Wednesday morning.

An NTSB official told reporters yesterday that the train's conductor told investigators he could not recall what happened at the time of the crash. The official said the train was going 10 miles per hour when it crashed, double the speed limit inside the station.

"The NTSB must find the cause of this crash so disasters such as this won't happen again," Jones' attorneys said in a statement sent to Patch.

The exact extent and severity of Jones' injuries were not immediately clear. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the worst of the at least 103 injuries suffered Wednesday was a woman who may have a broken leg.

READ MORE: LIRR Derailment Investigation: Conductor Doesn't 'Recall' Crash, Train Was Going 10 MPH