A mother of three who was critically injured when a massive tree fell on her in Central Park six years ago has reached a $5.5 million settlement with the city and companies that cared for the tree, according to court documents.
Anne Monoky was walking through the park with her three young sons on Aug. 15, 2017 when a 75-foot-tall tree suddenly fell on them near Central Park West and West 62nd Street, leaving her “completely immobilized,” according to her attorneys at the time. The initial complaint said Monoky suffered a traumatic brain injury, concussion and multiple spinal fractures that left her with a lifelong threat of paralysis.
Monoky had said in court documents that she had difficulty breastfeeding as a result of her injures. The kids – who were one month old, 2 and 4 at the time – also suffered multiple injuries, including a brain hemorrhage and a concussion suffered by the 2-year-old.
In early 2018, Monoky filed a $200 million lawsuit against the city, the Central Park Conservancy and the companies contracted to maintain the trees. The suit claimed that the tree had been neglected for years and “had clear and obvious signs that it was decayed and could collapse at any moment.”
The defendants, the lawsuit claimed, had contributed to the tree’s condition by overwatering, reducing its root space and “battering it with snow plows.”
As part of the settlement — which was reached last month but hasn’t been previously reported — the city and Central Park Conservancy will have to shell out $3.1 million, including $1.4 million to Monoky for her injuries, and more than $1 million to the family’s attorneys. One of the companies hired to take care of the trees, F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Company, will be on the hook for $2.4 million as part of the settlement, records show.
The Central Park Conservancy pointed Gothamist to the city Parks Department for comment, which did not immediately respond — nor did the Bartlett company.
City Hall spokesperson…
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