A Metro rider is suing the transit agency after being injured more than two years ago when a Red Line elevator dropped suddenly under her, the latest problem the transit agency is facing over its escalators and elevators. Juana Maria Foster, 52, seeks more than $500,000 from the transit agency, according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Maryland. She was riding a Forest Glen station elevator on Dec. 31, 2008, when the incident occurred, the lawsuit said.
The Forest Glen Metro station is the deepest of the system’s 86 stations, some 21 stories underground. So unlike the other stations, it doesn’t have escalators. Riders rely on a bank of elevators to get from the street and the train platforms.
Two elevators were out of service that morning when Foster boarded a third, and it “suddenly and without warning dropped down violently,” throwing her to the floor, said her attorney, Joel Finkelstein.
Finkelstein said it’s difficult to know how far she fell but said she was in free fall before it stopped. The doors then opened at the base, he said, and she was able to exit on her own.
Foster tore cartilage in her right knee, which required surgery, and strained her back, the lawsuit said. She is suing more than two years later, she said, because she can no longer avoid having costly surgery and must pay for it.
Metro spokeswoman Cathy Asato declined to comment about pending litigation.
The transit agency has had problems with its escalators and elevators. In the fall, outside consultants faulted Metro for its poor maintenance practices, saying the neglect led to escalators and elevators breaking down. At least six people were hurt in October when an escalator failed at L’Enfant Plaza. Last month, escalator stairs collapsed under riders at Foggy Bottom.
