Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Central Park Rotten Tree Branch Lawsuit Worth $120 Million
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 6, 2009
Modified Dec 6, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 6, 2009
Modified Dec 6, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
On Friday, the NY Times reported that the Google engineer struck by a falling tree branch in Central Park was suing the city and Central Park Conservancy for negligence. Now, it turns out the still-hospitalized Sasha Blair-Goldensohn's lawsuit is worth $120 million.
Blair-Goldensohn was struck by a falling tree branch, estimated to weigh 100 pounds, near West Drive and West 63rd Street on July 29. His lawyer tells the Post, "Sasha sustained severe brain damage, spinal fractures and spinal-cord damage resulting in paralysis, respiratory and other serious injuries, all of which have required multiple operations and his continued hospitalization to this day."
The Post also reports, "The tree branch had been rotten and in danger of falling for some time, the city Parks Department admitted after the accident." (Blair-Goldensohn's wife, who is also a plaintiff, says the city and CPC failed to check the trees' condition.) The city's Law Department told the Times on Friday, "This is a tragic case. We have received the legal papers and are reviewing them thoroughly."
Photo (right) of Central Park by My Upper West
Tagged
central park
central park conservancy
falling tree branch
lawsuit
rotten tree branch
Sasha Blair-Goldensohn
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
People who said they knew her described her as an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .