A mother-of-three who had her neck broken by a falling tree as she shielded her three young children is now suing the city for $200million.
Anne Monoky Goldman, 39, had her 41-day-old son James strapped to her chest and was pushing sons Grant, two, and Will, four, in a double stroller when she was struck by the tree on the west side of Central Park back in August.
Attorney Jordan Merson, who is representing Ms Goldman, said she has been ‘completely immobilized’ by the accident, cannot breastfeed her youngest son, and will not be able to move her neck for the next two to three months.
Anne Goldman, 39, was walking in Central Park last month with her infant son James strapped to her chest and other two sons Grant (center) and Will (right) in a stroller when the tree fell
Ms Goldman managed to shield the children from the tree but suffered a broken neck and was taken to hospital in critical condition
Merson told NBC New York that Ms Goldman may never walk the same again even once her neck has healed, and will file a notice of claim against the city Wednesday.
Goldman, an editor for fashion brand Tory Burch, was strolling down West Drive near 62nd Street around 10am on August 15 when the tree fell.
Witnesses said there was a ‘terrible noise’ as the elm ripped away from its roots and toppled over, followed by a baby crying.
When emergency workers got to the scene, Goldman was fading in and out of consciousness, NBC reported.
She was taken to hospital for treatment, along with her sons. Grant suffered a fractured skull while James and will had cuts and bruises, though none of the injuries were deemed serious.
A month on from the accident Ms Goldman’s lawyer says she is still immobilized, cannot breastfeed her son, and may never walk the same again
An initial report by the Central Park Conservancy, which maintains the park, suggests the trees roots had decayed and caused it to fall
Winds were mild on the morning in question, according to the National Weather Services, blowing a mere 0 to 3mph when the tree toppled.
A spokesman for Central Park Conservancy, which is responsible for maintaining the park, told the New York Daily News that the tree fell as the result of decayed roots.
Jordan Jacuzzi told the Daily News: ‘There were no visible signs of decay or disease.
‘The conservancy employs tree crews seven days a week who regularly inspect and maintain Central Park’s nearly 20,000 trees according to industry standards.
‘The safety of all 42 million annual visitors is our number one priority in the management of Central Park in partnership with NYC Parks.’