Citi Bike docking stations are more than just parking spot destroyers — they’re health hazards, legal filings say.
A pair of pedestrians have moved to sue the city over injuries they say they sustained when they tripped on the bicycle parking stations earlier this year.
Lashonne Shelton, 50, and Howard Orlick, 52, have filed notices of claim – the first step towards suing the city – charging they were the victims of a “trap-like” condition created by the racks.
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The filings with the city Controller’s office are the first personal injury claims stemming from the controversial and popular program, which launched this past May.
Shelton, a single mother of two adult children who works for the NYPD, said she was walking by Centre and Worth Streets in Lower Manhattan when she took a tumble on a newly installed dock there in April.
“It’s our claim the bike rack was positioned in a manner that created a dangerous and defective condition,” said her lawyer, Mark Grodberg.
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Shelton suffered neck, back and leg injuries as a result of the fall, and was treated at a hospital. Grodberg said some of her injuries “may be permanent.”
The lawyer said his client, a lifelong Brooklyn resident, isn’t a fan of the program.
“She understands the bike system is good for the tourists, but she notes that it’s also a significant nuisance,” Grodberg said.
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Orlick had his run-in with a dock near Union Square on May 5, about three weeks before the program launched.
The legally blind Orlick said he hurt his ankle when he took a tumble thanks to an optical illusion created by the dock, the street and the sidewalk.
“Visually, it looks l like the bike rack is on the sidewalk, because it is the same color as the sidewalk. However, it actually is the street,” he wrote. “May I suggest you paint the bike rack base a different color, like black?”
He said he’ll be seeking $ 500 in damages to cover his medical costs. Shelton is seeking $ 1 million.
A rep for the city Law Department had no immediate comment.
The filings were first reported Wednesday by DNAinfo.com.
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