If you are in a transit vehicle or struck as a pedestrian, your injuries can be severe.
Vehicles that weigh hundreds or thousands of pounds often wreak havoc when they are involved in an accident. The cost of treating these injuries, as well as continuing care, such as physical therapy, quickly adds up.
Even with health insurance, you could find yourself owing thousands of dollars. Find out how you can help yourself or a loved one if involved in a transit accident.
Understand Your Rights in a Workers’ Compensation Case
If you are involved in a transit accident because of your occupation, the case could fall under the workers’ compensation laws for your state. Talk to your attorney before filing a claim with the insurance company. Workers’ comp may pay for your injuries if the injuries happened during the work day, while you were performing your duties. If you operate a vehicle for work and are injured while in the vehicle, it’s a workers’ comp case. This is another important reason to consult an experienced attorney before proceeding with any insurance claims. The attorney can help figure out if your claim will fall under workers’ comp and walk you through the steps to file your claim and receive your money.
Company Owners May be Liable for Mass Transit Accidents
A mass transit accident case will be worked on differently than a personal vehicle case or a workers’ compensation case. Mass transit involves public transportation that is deemed to be safe. This includes airplanes, buses, taxis, and railroads. If the accident is proven to have been caused by an employee’s negligence, the company who owns the transport may be liable to pay damages to any injured parties. These cases can quickly become tricky. The company is only responsible if negligence can be proven, such as the operator was impaired with alcohol or drugs. A mechanical error can also be blamed on the company. However, a natural disaster or weather-related accidents can be deemed an act of God and may not be eligible for compensation. A mass transit accident attorney will look at the facts of the case and determine whether you have a claim against the company.
A skilled attorney can help you navigate the case and work towards winning a claim for you when it comes to transit accidents.