The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has agreed to pay $5 million to the family of a man who was dragged to his death by a subway train in Boston three years ago.
Robinson Lalin died on April 10, 2022, after his arm got stuck in the doorway of a subway car that dragged him as it left the platform, leading to fatal injuries.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report revealed that Lalin tried to exit the six-car train through a side passenger door of the car. But as the train doors closed, his right arm became trapped in the doorway.
When the train departed the station, it dragged Lalin along the platform approximately 105 feet and onto the surface below, near the tracks. Lalin was killed after his body collided with a wall at the end of the platform.
NTSB officials said MBTA trains are equipped with safety features to prevent them from moving when passenger doors are obstructed. Federal investigators discovered that the door control system short-circuited and prevented the train from stopping even when the doorway was obstructed.
The railcar was removed from service, and the train conductor was placed on unpaid leave a few months after Lalin’s death. Shortly after Lalin’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2023, the MBTA stated the conductor was no longer employed with the agency.
The family’s lawsuit said Lalin’s death was caused by “carelessness and negligence,” according to local reports.
The complaint alleged that MBTA failed “to properly inspect, maintain, repair and monitor the subway cars and station, including the door and alarm systems of the cars; failing to timely replace and upgrade subway cars and take unsafe cars out of service.”
“Prior to his death, and while he was being trapped and dragged to his death by the MBTA train, Mr. Lalin’s body was damaged and dismembered, and he experienced great pain of body and anguish of mind resulting in his conscious pain and suffering prior to his death,” the original lawsuit said, per WCVB.
Lalin was 39 and a father of two children when he died.
A judge signed off on the multi-million dollar settlement in April.
According to The Boston Globe, the settlement will be split between his two children. His nephew, Kelvin, is also receiving part of the award. Kelvin Lalin issued a statement through his attorney about the settlement.
“He is glad the case is resolved and he accomplished his goal for some justice for his brother Robinson,” the statement said, per The Globe. “He welcomes closure for his family.”
Lalin’s death happened shortly before a Federal Transit Administration review in Aug. 2022 that ended in a 90-page report detailing findings that the MBTA was not “effectively balancing safety-critical operations and maintenance activities with its efforts to deliver capital projects.”
