A tragic incident occurred in Central Park on August 15, 2017, when Anne Monoky and her children were struck by a 75-foot-tall tree near 62nd Street and West Drive.
According to her lawyers, Monoky’s injuries included a traumatic brain injury, concussion, and spinal fractures – injuries which have left her with the lifelong threat of paralysis.
The children were injured as well, including her 2-year-old who sustained a brain hemorrhage.
The incident led Monoky to file a $200 million lawsuit in early 2018 against the city, the Central Park Conservancy, and the tree maintenance companies. She accused the defendants of neglecting the tree and contributing to its decay through practices like overwatering, reducing its root space, and even battering it with snowplows.
Last month – six years after the incident took place – a settlement of $5.5 million was reached, Gothamist first reported.
The city and Central Park Conservancy will cover $3.1 million of this amount, with $1.4 million going directly to Monoky and more than $1 million to her legal team. F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Company will be responsible for the remaining $2.4 million.
