Bus Accidents
A host of government agencies and municipal authorities run a wide and diverse network of public transportation throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. These authorities crisscross the Bay Area with buses, light rail, historic streetcars, electric trolleys, and of course, the iconic cable cars. Unfortunately, motor vehicle and pedestrian collisions are not a rare occurrence. When serious personal injury or wrongful death occurs, the attorneys at Albert G. Stoll, A Law Corporation, work to hold public agencies responsible for the injuries they cause.
Serious accidents can occur involving any of the following carriers:
- San Francisco Municipal Railway (SF Muni) accidents
- Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) accidents
- Cable car accidents
- Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) accidents
Being struck by a bus as a pedestrian can cause catastrophic or fatal injuries. Even an occupant of a large motor vehicle is unlikely to fare well in a collision with a 12-ton bus, and a relatively low-speed impact can result in severe internal injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI), or paralysis-inducing spinal cord injury, causing paraplegia or quadriplegia.
Traditionally, one cannot sue the government (the sovereign) without the government’s permission. However, both the federal and California governments have given their permission to be sued under the Tort Claims Act, which holds that the government is liable for the acts of employees who act with negligence or wrongful misconduct in the course of their employment.
Pursuing compensation for a public transportation injury has many significant differences from a personal injury lawsuit against a private defendant. For instance, before filing a lawsuit, an injured person must give written notice to the applicable governmental entity, and provide up to six months for the government to settle the claim before actually filing the petition with the courts. Also, while most personal injury lawsuits must be instituted within two years from the date of the accident, public transportation claims must be filed within six months after the incident, or within one year in some instances.
These differences make it critical that you choose an attorney with specific experience handling personal injury cases where public transportation was involved. Our attorneys have conducted dozens of trials and settled many more cases involving serious, catastrophic personal injury, including people injured when struck by a car, truck, commercial vehicle, or city bus. If you have been injured by a bus or other form of public transportation, contact Albert G. Stoll, A Law Corporation, to discuss your rights with one of our experienced trial lawyers.