Injuries Stemming from Public Transportation Accidents

Like anything else that moves, public transportation vehicles can get into accidents. The personnel who run these vehicles are more reliable than most drivers, but like all human beings they can make mistakes.

As you’d expect, people are more likely to be injured in public transportation accidents than they are to be killed. If you or a loved one has been hurt while using public transportation, it’s likely that you have many questions: Who should I talk to? What kinds of injuries are public transportation organizations liable for? Can I sue an organization if I was assaulted on its property? This article will help answer these questions for you and move you forward in the process of justice.

Traffic Accidents

Accidents involving buses, subways, and other forms of transportation are not unusual, and they can lead to serious injuries. In 2015, five people were injured when a train smashed into a bus in Atlanta, Georgia. In cases like this, the injured individuals can bring a personal injury case against the negligent party.

It can be a difficult process to determine the fault in a public transportation accident. Liability may rest on only one person, like the bus driver. Or several parties may share the blame -- perhaps the driver and the maintenance company and the manufacturer of a defective part on the bus. A skilled personal injury lawyer will be able to sort that out and determine how much you should be awarded in damages for negligence.

Preventable accidents happen in every public transportation system. Medical costs can be considerable, and, in the case of serious injury (such as a spinal cord injury), the expenses can be far beyond the means of the average American family. In these cases, legal action is usually necessary to obtain full compensation.

Premises Liability and Public Transportation

Public transportation organizations can also be liable for injuries and other damages sustained on their property. When a station, stop or platform has been negligently maintained, causing a passenger to be injured, the public transportation organization can potentially be held liable for the injury. This is also true if a passenger is assaulted because of negligent security or poor lighting.

This is called premises liability. In a premises liability case, one individual is injured on another individual’s property. When the victim had a right to expect that the property owner would provide a level of care and safety that they failed to give, the property owner may be found negligent and be required to compensate the victim.

Public transportation organizations have a duty to maintain their facilities and ensure that they are reasonably safe. In addition, they are required to take reasonable security precautions so that individuals will not be victims of attack assault on their property. Public transportation organizations that fail in these duties can and should be held liable.

What if You’ve been Injured?

If you’ve been injured in a public transportation accident or suffered injury because of a public transportation organization’s negligence, you should contact a trusted attorney to learn more about your legal options. Many attorneys will offer a free consultation, so you can have an evaluation of your case without committing to any legal action.

legal process. He or she will know the tactics these organizations use in

negotiations and legal proceedings. A good attorney will be able to make sure

you don’t accept a settlement far smaller than what your case is worth. Talk to

a skilled attorney as soon as you can.