BEST PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION INJURY ATTORNEYS

COMMON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ACCIDENTS

These accidents happen more often than you may think, and they can be due to all kinds of factors like driver negligence, equipment malfunctions, or even inclimate weather. Here are some examples of some common ways public transportation accidents happen:

• Collisions with other vehicles
• Collisions with solid objects
• Slip and falls
• Criminal activity

The most common of these is collisions on the road, usually involving busses. When it is a collision between two vehicles, it is usually determined by witnesses or the police report who was at fault and, if the driver of the public transportation vehicle was at fault, you can hold them liable for any injuries.

The other two can be tricky but the public transportation company could be held liable if they were negligent in preventing these things. No one can stop it from snowing or raining, but warnings should be in place to make people aware they could slip and injure themselves.

Also, busses and other forms of public transportation can’t completely prevent criminal activity but, if there was proof of any negligence to prevent it from happening, you could hold them liable for any injuries you received as well.

COMMON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ACCIDENT INJURIES

You could get all kinds of different injuries in a public transportation accident that can range from mild injuries, to more severe, possibly even life threatening ones. Some injuries that you might suffer from are:

• Cuts and scrapes
• Whiplash
• Muscle sprains
• Broken or fractured bones
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Lost limbs
• Spinal injuries
• Carbon monoxide poisoning
• Death

If you or a loved one has experienced any of these injuries in a public transportation accident, you should contact an attorney to help gain a settlement to pay your medical bills and make up for any pain and suffering caused by the accident.

WHO COULD BE AT FAULT IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ACCIDENTS

If you are injured in a bus collision with another driver being at fault, it will be the driver’s insurance company that pays for any injuries you may have incurred.

If the driver of the public transportation is at fault, this makes things a bit more complicated. The public transportation company could be the one paying for any injury compensation claims or the driver themselves if they were proven to be recklessly operating the vehicle.

The public transportation company can also be held liable if the vehicle was proven to be not properly maintained or malfunctioned before the accident occurred. Sometimes, the public transportation is government owned, in which case they will be liable if the public transportation vehicle is not up to standard.

COMMON CARRIER LAWS

Any business or individual that is licensed to transport people for a charge is considered a common carrier. Busses, trains, and many other public transportation options are considered common carriers.

There are many federal and state laws that surround common carriers to ensure they routinely transport passengers safely to their destinations. Some of the standards that common carriers are held to are:

• Providing safe entrances and exits passengers can safely go through
• Providing security to ensure the safety of passengers when necessary
• Qualified drivers that are experienced in operating the particular public transportation vehicle
• Machinery is maintained and fully functional
• Any design flaws are monitored and efforts are made to fix them

These are the basic outlines of these laws that, of course, go into much further depth. Also, there are more than just these laws surrounding common carriers, so keep in mind that public transportation is held to a very high standard.