New York City reached a settlement with a mother who was badly hurt when a large Central Park tree fell on her and her three young children in 2017, according to a report.
Anne Monoky Goldman was left "completely immobilized," unable to breastfeed her infant daughter or even move her neck in the months that followed the Aug. 2017 incident near West 62nd Street and West Drive, her lawyer Jordan Merson previously said.
She was left her pinned underneath the tree, going in and out of consciousness. Merson said it was possible his client would never be able to walk the same way again.
Goldman's three children — a newborn girl and two boys, a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old — were also hurt, but none suffered any lasting injuries. The newborn girl was strapped in a carrier at the time, as Goldman pushed the two boys in a stroller.
As a result of the injuries, Merson and Goldman filed a $200 million lawsuit against the city, the Central park Conservancy, and the companies that took care of the tree, claiming there were "clear and obvious signs that it was decayed" and said it was set to fall at any moment.
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On Wednesday, the city said they had reached a $5.5 million settlement with Goldman, according to Gothamist. In a statement, a City Hall spokesperson said it was "a deeply tragic incident, and our hearts go out to Ms. Monoky and her family for the trauma they suffered." The spokesperson called the settlement "in the best interest of all parties.”
Gothamist reported that the city and Central Park Conservancy will be responsible for $3.1 million, while the company that was contracted to tend to the trees will have to pay $2.4 million of the settlement.
