Common Accidents on Public Transportation Buses

Few months ago, the American Public Transportation Association recorded that not less than 30 million people ride on mass transit every day. Sadly, a lot of passengers also get injured due to accidents caused by public transportation. Not ignoring this fact, people within and outside still depend on mass transit as a means of transport to from work, sporting events, school, medical treatment, shopping, to mention a few. They are called common carriers- individuals or corporate body that have been granted the license to transport people within and outside the city. They include;

• Planes
• Trains
• Subways
• Buses (public, school, tour, etc.)
• Movable walkways

Notable causes of public Transit Injuries

Below are the most common causes of public transportation accidents:

• Collisions with solid objects; bridge abutments, etc. and getting jolted about the vehicle.
• Driver’s negligence often cause collision with other vehicles and solid objects . Instances of driver’s negligence include failing to observe traffic signals, sleeping while driving, over speeding, faulty vehicle maintenance, drunkenness’, etc.

Slipping and falling

Carriers do not have the power to stop rain or snow, and its also impossible for them to stop people from spilling their drinks. Meanwhile, there’s need for everyone of them to have sufficient tactics and mechanisms ready to mitigate the effects of these events. For instance, they must know the right time to de-ice exits and entryways. Sufficient personnel must be available at all time ready to mop up areas flooded with water or other. Passenger service should be cut short whenever the effects of the weather put the transporting passengers in the danger zone.

Common injuries encountered in public transportation

Did you know? That you’re entitled to compensation for you losses if you were a victim in a public transportation accident. Highlighted below are the common injuries that passengers suffer on public transport:

• Sprained and torn ligaments
• Back injuries
• Contusions, lacerations and abrasions (Cuts, bruises, and scrapes)

Delicate injuries include:

• Broken bones
• Severed limbs
• Brain concussions
• Carbon monoxide poisoning
• Death

Statute of Limitations

If you suffer injuries from a public transport accident and intend to file a personal injury claim, you can only do that within a specific statute of limitations period. For non-public transportation, the statue of limitations ranges from one to five years in some states. This isn’t the same with a public transportation accident. The statue of limitations injury claim is sometimes as short as 30 to 60 days!

Proving Negligence

We already know that negligence is the main cause of injuries caused by public transportation accidents. Before you can make headlight in your filing, then you must have substantial evidence that proves that the carrier’s negligence was the proximate (legally acceptable) cause of the accident and also your injuries. You have to collect as much evidence as possible, don’t forget you’re not dealing with a private transport.

In order to mitigate your damages, it’s important that you avoid actions that might injure you the more. This means you have to take care of your injuries by seeking medical treatment without wasting time. If you refuse to treat injuries gotten from riding on public transportation, or if you do not mitigate your damages, it’s going to be difficult to get compensation and could severely limit the amount you receive at the end.

Here are an instance of mitigation and how to go about it;

If a piece of metal cut your arm or leg and you fail to treat it on time, and as a result of this it got infected, you may not receive any compensation or you might get a reduced amount.