Seeking Compensation for Injuries Suffered in a Mass Transit Accident

 Posted on February 26, 2018 in Blog Post

The Chicago area is a virtual unfathomably bustling hub of activity, with more than 1.5 million people riding the “L” trains and buses operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) every day. Most of the time, the CTA system functions well, safely delivering area residents and visitors to and from home, work, and cultural centers. Sometimes, however, things go wrong.

If you have ever stood outside waiting for a bus at rush hour during the city’s famously inclement wintertime weather, or witnessed the mad dash of a throng of people rushing to catch a train home from a baseball stadium or Michigan Avenue thoroughfare, you have likely marveled with at least some small degree of anxiety over how the overlapping layers of movement can all work without devolving into constant conflict and danger. When, on occasion, things go wrong and an accident occurs, the consequences can be dire, with severe injuries and fatalities a disconcertingly real possibility.

Causes of Mass Transit Accidents

The recent struggles of New York’s aging subway system have shed light on not just the sources of commute delays, but also on the causes of mass transit accidents. It is all too easy to take for granted how many people, moving parts, and how much maintenance goes into mass transit on a daily basis. When an accident occurs, the cause may be one of the following reasons:

• Driver/operator error;
• Inadequate training;
• Improper or inadequate maintenance of vehicles, tracks, or roads;
• Defective parts;
• Inadequate station lighting, security, or safety measures;
• Incorrect dispatching;
• Collisions with other vehicles.

With mass transit passengers not protected by seat belts or airbags, vulnerability and high speeds can combine to cause severe injuries and even fatalities.

Mass Transit Operators Owe Passengers the Highest Degree of Care

With so many moving parts and people involved in mass transit, determining liability for an accident in which an injury or death results may be complicated and take time. Accident victims, however, have every right to seek compensation for injuries and other losses suffered. The CTA, like all organizations and companies who operate public transportation, are classified by law as “common carriers” – entities owe the highest degree of care to passenger customers. When this degree of care is disregarded, whether accidentally or intentionally, and a passenger’s safety is jeopardized, liability may be imposed. If you have been injured in a Chicago area mass transit accident, rely on an experienced Park Ridge personal injury attorney.

Source:

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=1865&ChapterID=50