Public Transit Accidents Are Common in Illinois: Your Rights After a Bus or Transit Accident

 Posted on June 29, 2016 in Bus Accidents

Public transit certainly has its benefits. Used by millions of Illinoisans each year, it gets people to and from work, school, and their daily appointments. Children, teenagers, and adults alike use it to see a movie, go shopping, or just spend some quality time with friends and family. But there is also a side of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) that few take into account: our city’s mass transportation accident rates are highly concerning, and innocent victims are often severely injured in those crashes.

CTA Has One Accident Every 36 Hours

Late last year, an ABC7 investigative team took a look at the startling number of accidents involving CTA buses. Hundreds of incidents were uncovered; enough to place an average of about one CTA crash every 36 hours. In those accidents, hundreds of public transit passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicle drivers were injured or killed. Yet, during the investigation, CTA officials attempted to downplay their incident rates and responsibility. That unwillingness to admit any wrongdoing is exactly why so many victims struggle to receive fair and just compensation for their CTA accident.

Victims May Be Forced to Bear the Burden of a Public Transit Accident

Due to the sheer size and nature of CTA crashes, victims – particularly pedestrians and cyclists – are at an extremely high risk for severe injury. In the best-case scenarios, they spend days, weeks, months, or even years recovering. All the while, they are unable to work and must rely on their family, friends, or healthcare provider to assist them. In the worst of scenarios, the victims never fully recover or suffer wrongful death because of a CTA crash. For the victim and their loved ones, life will never be the same.

Your Rights after an Accident

Compensation cannot give victims back the time they have lost, nor can it replace the loss of a loved one. It can, however, ease the financial burden they and their families often experienced. It can cover the cost of medical bills, daily living expenses while recovering, final expenses of one who has suffered a wrongful death, and provide much-needed funds to support a family if a victim is not able to return to work.

Sadly, obtaining such compensation is extremely difficult in this complex area of the law. To make matters worse, insurance adjusters and public transit officials often attempt to intimidate victims into taking a smaller settlement or dismissing the claim altogether. Without sufficient evidence and knowledge of the law, even a judge may dismiss the claim. For this reason, victims are encouraged to seek skilled legal representation for their CTA and public transit personal injury cases.

At Tomasik Kotin Kasserman, we fight for the rights of victims and their families. Dedicated to justice and integrity, our Chicago bus accident lawyers have the skills and knowledge needed to fully investigate your case. We cover all the details, including those pertaining to how the accident has changed your life and aggressively assist you in the pursuit of fair compensation for your losses and injuries. Get the quality representation you and your loved ones deserve. Call 312-605-8800 to schedule your free initial consultation today.

Sources:

http://abc7chicago.com/news/crash-factor-one-cta-bus-accident-every-36-hours/995542/

http://dig.abclocal.go.com/wls/documents/2015/092115-wls-iteam-bus-crashes-doc.pdf