Claiming After An Accident Involving Public Transport

Nowadays, many of us use public transport for different reasons. The rising price of fuel means that more and more people are turning to buses as a more cost-effective mode of transport making it a common form of transport for people travelling to and from work and school. Whilst buses are a good way of cutting down congestion during rush hours periods, the quantity of people travelling on one vehicle means that any potential accidents may result in multiple injuries. People are also turning to trains as a cost-effective and convenient alternative to driving. Nowadays trains are faster, more comfortable and allow commuters to use their laptops and mobiles on the way into work thus making them a desirable choice of public transport.

Public transport is a good alternative mode of travel that helps both the environment and congestion levels. However, the amount of people injured in an accident involving public transport can be on a much larger scale than that of a regular road traffic accident. Accidents that involve buses, trains, planes, trams or boats are not always straightforward and it is worth seeking professional legal advice from a company who has experience in the different laws that surround your specific circumstances.

Making a claim after experiencing an accident involving a form of public transport is usually successful as you are not in control of the vehicle and the accident is usually a result of the driver’s negligence. The driver has a duty of care towards his or her passengers and if it can be proved that they failed to do this then it is very likely that you can make a successful claim.

Although it is more likely for accidents involving buses occur abroad due to poorly maintained roads or adverse weather conditions, they can still happen in the UK and when they do the results can be devastating. In 2001 a law was passed to ensure that all buses were fitted with seatbelts by the manufacturers but unfortunately this only applied to buses travelling long distances and excluded regular buses that operate in urban areas and still have standing passengers aboard. A whole rang of injuries can be sustained from an accident involving a bus such as whiplash, head and back injuries. There are also a range of scenarios in which passengers can become injured, for example a passenger can be thrown from their seat if the driver brakes harshly or turns a corner too quickly, falls can happen when getting on and off the bus; and in the case of double-decker buses people can injure themselves going up and down the stairs if the bus-driver is driving erratically. It is true that travelling on a bus is safer than travelling in a car, but accidents can still happen and when they do it is your right to claim compensation for your injuries.

Train accidents are considered to be a relatively safe mode of transport but over the past 90 years the UK has seen some horrific rail accidents. Most accidents occur when trains either derail or collide with each other as a result of faulty signalling or negligence on the part of the driver. Passengers can suffer from crash injuries such as head, neck or limb damages or be injured by falling luggage if the train was to veer off the line or break suddenly.

Major airline crashes are fortunately very rare, but when they do happen they can be fatal. The time limit in which you can make an airline claim can differ to other accident claims therefore it is important to seek advice from a professional who is aware of the different laws surrounding accident claims. Lesser claims can also be made in regards to travelling on an airplane such as food poisoning from the pane food.

If you think that you have evidence enough to make a public transport accident claim then speak to our impartial advisors who will be able to give you free, comprehensive advice on how to handle your claim.

Tags: accidents, buses, commuters, congestion, different reasons, duty of care, negligence, professional legal advice, public transport, road traffic accident, rush hours, seatbelts