The family of 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan, who died after falling from a runaway horse carriage in New York's Central Park, is seeking $105 million from New York City, alleging stray electrical voltage caused the horse to bolt.
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Four notices of claim were filed on Friday on behalf of Mahajan, his parents Deepak and Priya Mahajan, and his 11-year-old brother. The filings name the city and several departments, including Parks and Recreation, Health and Mental Hygiene, Consumer and Worker Protection, and Transportation,The New York Times reported.
The family alleges that city officials knew about a stray-voltage problem near the site before the June 17 incident but failed to address it.
What happened to Romanch Mahajan?
Mahajan was visiting New York with his parents and younger brother when the carriage ride turned fatal.
According to the family's account, the carriage driver stepped away to take a photograph of the family when the horse suddenly bolted.
Priya Mahajan was thrown from the carriage. Her son jumped down in an attempt to help her, fell and struck his head on the ground. He died from his injuries, while his mother survived.
Romanch's father later described the moments inside the carriage during a New York City Council hearing.
“It was shaking, it was speeding, there was no one holding the reins. We could do nothing but hold on to each other and scream,” Deepak Mahajan said.
He told lawmakers that the family had arrived in New York together but was now trying to cope with the loss.
“We came to New York as a family of four. We are learning to cope with life as a family of three.”
Family blames alleged electrical fault
The notices of claim allege that the city was aware of stray voltage in the area before Mahajan's death.
The family's lawyer, Sagar Chadha, described the incident as preventable and said the claims point to previous warnings and incidents that should have prompted action.
“An 18-year-old young man came to New York City with his family and never made it back home,” Chadha said.
He added that the family wanted answers, accountability and changes to prevent a similar incident.
The electrical cause alleged by the family has not been established.
Con Edison spokesman Jamie McShane told NYT that the utility detected “very low levels of stray voltage” on July 16 and July 23, but determined that it was not coming from its equipment.
The New York City Law Department said it was reviewing the claims.
New York weighs horse carriage ban
The lawsuit comes as the New York City Council considers legislation that would end horse-drawn carriage rides in the city within two years.
Council Speaker Julie Menin supports the ban and has said the industry raises concerns about both public safety and animal welfare.
The proposal gained additional support after Mahajan's death. It had 26 sponsors by Wednesday, more than half of the Council's 51 members.
Menin said the city needed to act after the teenager's death.
“He could be alive if only we had acted sooner,” she said at a Council hearing. “The time to act is now.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani also supports a ban and has said the city should provide workers with a transition to other employment.
Carriage industry opposes ban
The horse-carriage industry has rejected calls for an outright ban.
Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents carriage drivers and owners, says the horses are properly cared for and that ending the rides would threaten the livelihoods of around 170 licensed drivers.
Union president John Chiarello offered condolences to the Mahajan family while arguing that the industry should not be abolished.
Drivers have also raised concerns about what would happen to their livelihoods if the carriages disappear.
Menin has said she has spoken with representatives from the hospitality and tourism sectors about possible jobs for affected drivers.
The Council's Health Committee is expected to decide whether to advance the proposed ban for a full Council vote. If approved, the legislation would then go to the mayor.
