Seattle Area Public and Transit Bus Accident Attorneys

Public Bus Injuries and Transit Authority Lawsuits in Washington

Seattle Bus Accidents Lawyers Helping You Through the Red Tape

For many reasons, more and more residents of Washington are beginning to look to alternative modes of transportation. This may be due to the suffering economy, the high cost of fuel or the desire to burn less carbon on a daily basis. Whatever the reasons, when more people use public transportation, more people are put in immediate situations of risk when a bus accident occurs in Washington.

Below you’ll find information regarding the reasons that public transit bus accidents are so dangerous, the technicalities involved with pursuing your legal rights against the public entity that owns the bus line and finally how you should proceed after contacting our Seattle bus accident attorneys if you or someone you love has been injured or killed in a public transit bus accident in WA.

Dangers That Arise in Washington Bus Accidents

When bus accidents occur, they generally leave behind a wake of devastation. This is how things generally play out for several reasons, and below are a few of examples of why these situations present so much risk for anyone in the area at the time a WA bus accident occurs.

Preparation

When passengers are riding a public transit bus, they are generally free to allow themselves to be distracted by their phones, a newspaper or anything else. That’s one of the reasons for using this mode of transportation – to eliminate the need to concentrate on the road. Therefore, most passengers have little idea of what could be happening with the traffic around them.

This lack of attention can add to the potential dangers if a public transit bus accident occurs. The reason is that if an impact occurs and a person is not prepared for it, the force generated can throw a person’s body about the cabin because the passenger has not grabbed onto a restraint or defensively prepared his or her body for this force. This can exacerbate a person’s injuries.

Lack of Safety Devices

Unfortunately, most public transit buses do not come equipped with seat belts and passenger air bags. Those that do have these safety restraints do not generally require the passengers to use them. When a public transit bus accident occurs, passengers are left to their own protections even if they are prepared for an impact. Any traffic accident in which passengers are not restrained safely will lead to more serious injuries.

Size of the Vehicle

As anyone can see, buses are enormous vehicles. When something of that size that’s moving at the same speed as much smaller vehicles in a collision, the force generated can be devastating for anyone who feels the effects of it. This not only includes those who are in the other vehicles, but also the passengers of the public transit bus.

Lack of Maneuverability

Public transit buses must navigate through many tight spaces on any given day. When sudden defensive action is required by the bus driver for whatever reason, vehicles of this size tend to sway, spin out of control and roll over easily given their uneven weight distribution. When a bus full of passengers is involved in this sort of violent movement, passengers can be thrown about the cabin and suffer severe injuries.

Technicalities with Legal Claims Filed against Public Transportation Buses

Aside from the extreme risk that’s present when a public transit bus accident occurs, the legal aftermath can be difficult to understand as well for someone who does not have a legal background and experience in pursuing claims against these types of public entities. In short, there are additional steps involved in the pursuit of a legal claim, even if it’s valid.

Basically, before a private party can file a lawsuit against a public entity, he or she must comply with requirements that include filing public notice of intent to sue and other documentation that must be handled properly in order for a lawsuit to be seen as valid by the court that has jurisdiction over the matter.

Even one minor mistake in this regard can put the entire claim in jeopardy and lead to delays that could put the claim at risk of violating the statute of limitations. Lawsuits filed after the statute of limitations has run will be dismissed as a matter of law, even if the claim is obviously and clearly one that would favor the plaintiff.

How a Seattle Bus Accident Lawyer Can Help

If you have been involved in a public transit bus accident in Washington, you need to concentrate on your recovery and do not need to take on city hall. Rather than attempt to navigate through all of the red tape that’s part of any legal claim against a public entity, contact the Seattle bus accident lawyers at Phillips Webster today to schedule a free initial consultation, as the firm has a long history of holding negligent parties of all types accountable for the damage they have caused.