Baltimore Jury Awards $436K After Woman Is Dragged by Light Rail Car at Patapsco Station

On the afternoon of July 11, 2014, Toni L. Hoffman was stepping off a Maryland Transit Administration light rail car at the Patapsco Avenue Station in Baltimore. As she exited, the car's doors began closing before she had cleared them. Her left arm became trapped, and the train moved forward approximately 20 feet with her arm caught inside, dragging her down the platform before she was freed.

Hoffman, who was 51 years old at the time, suffered a fractured left ankle, lacerations, and a possible rotator cuff tear as a result of the incident. Her attorneys at Saiontz and Kirk, P.A. filed suit on her behalf against the MTA, arguing the agency's operators failed to confirm the platform was clear before the train departed.

Hoffman died of causes unrelated to the accident in June 2018, while the case was pending. The lawsuit was amended to proceed on behalf of her estate, with claims focused on the physical harm she sustained in the four years between the incident and her death.

The case went to trial in Baltimore City Circuit Court before Judge Sylvester B. Cox. The jury deliberated for less than 30 minutes before returning a unanimous verdict in favor of the estate. Jurors found the MTA negligent and assigned no contributory negligence to Hoffman. They awarded $36,211.75 to cover her documented medical expenses and $400,000 in noneconomic damages, for a total of $436,211.75.

The verdict was returned on December 10, 2018. No appeal reduction has been reported. E. Steven Nichols of Saiontz and Kirk handled the case for the plaintiff.