Pennsylvania injury victims who have been injured in a SEPTA bus incident often are unaware of whether or not they have an actionable case.
In order to determine whether you have a case of negligence, your SEPTA accident attorney will start with asking whether three elements are present:
- there must be a mistake (known as negligence) by SEPTA
- there must be an injury to you (or a loved one), and
- the injury must have been caused by the mistake
Let’s take these one by one.
First, a Philadelphia SEPTA accident lawyer must make a determination as to whether there was a mistake made by SEPTA. This could be a driver’s error, a mechanical failure, or something else. Driver error could be an accident between the Septa vehicle and another, the Septa driver slamming on his brakes causing passengers to fall, or the Septa vehicle colliding with a fixed object. The most common mechanical failure I come across is when the doors close on a passenger who is entering or exiting.
Second, the SEPTA accident victim must have suffered an injury. This could be contusions (bruises), lacerations (cuts), broken bones, whiplash, etc. The more severe the injury, the more likely it is you have an actionable case. For instance a broken hand is probably actionable, but a sprain may not be. This is simply a factor of how much monetary recovery is possible.
Third, The mistake itself must have caused the injury. For example, if you stepped off a SEPTA bus and broke your ankle, neither the driver, nor the SEPTA bus caused the accident, unless of course, the driver pulled away too soon causing you to fall off the bus as you stepped.
If you are not sure whether you have an actionable claim against SEPTA, it is in your best interest to contact Philadelphia injury attorney Jeffrey Harlan Penneys at 1-800-injury-law for a free evaluation of your situation. That is 1-800-465-8795, and you can call 24/7, 365 days a year.
Don’t let a potential recovery of compensation slip by. If you have been injured, call to find out about your rights. There is no cost to you unless we win compensation for your injury. You have nothing to lose by calling.