The Factors that Frequently Lead to Public Transportation Injuries
One of the arguments commonly made to promote buses, light rails, commuter trains and other forms of mass transit is the belief that they offer a safer ride. While mass transit accidents may not be as common as motor vehicle accident, they still happen too often and can result in serious injury and death.
As a general rule, negligence is a contributing factor in most public transportation accidents. Negligence involves the failure to act reasonably in a given situation. Under the laws of personal injury, every person in society has a duty to exercise a reasonable degree of care in all actions. That includes individuals who own or operate mass transit vehicles.
Among the most frequent causes of mass transit accidents are:
- Carelessness or breach of duty by the driver. This may involve distracted driving, fatigue, impairment by drugs or alcohol, inadequate training or failure to obey traffic laws and signals.
- Ineffective or inadequate vehicle maintenance—The owner or operator may ignore known mechanical issues or fail to conduct routine maintenance.
- Dangerous or defective components on the mass transit vehicle—Such components may be defectively designed, manufactured or marketed.
- Roadway hazards, including poorly designed or maintained thoroughfares
- Negligence in hiring, training or supervising a mass transit employee—A supervisor may hire an employee without the necessary skills, fail to ensure that they have appropriate instruction on the use and operation of a mass transit vehicle, or fail to monitor the employee for compliance and skill assessment.
Contact Attorney Howard D. Popper
To learn your options when you have been injured because of someone else’s carelessness, contact our office online or call attorney Popper at 973-993-8787. We have offices in Morristown and Newton, but will come to your home or the hospital, if necessary. There is no charge for your first consultation.
We handle all mass transit accident and injury claims on a contingency basis. You won’t be charged any legal fees unless attorney Popper recovers compensation for your losses.