Car accidents are the most common type of accidents experienced by Canadians all over the country. They may be the most common, but they are not the only kind of accident. Canadians are fairly frequently injured in public transport accidents every year. If you are one of the people who have been injured after a public transit accident, you may be wondering what your legal options are. You may be wondering if insurance coverage is something you will receive if your injury is severe enough. You may also be wondering if you are liable for the accident or if you are considered not liable for the accident.
Claiming for Damages
If you have been significantly injured in a public transit accident, you may claim for damages to help pay for the cost of treatment or for the loss of wages due to your inability to work because of the injury. You may claim damages against the public transit operator and, sometimes, against the municipality too. If the injury occurred on a bus or subway, the municipality may be liable for injuries caused by the accident, depending on what type of accident it was and what type of injuries. In the case of an injury caused by a trainorprivate bus, both the private operator and the municipality may be considered responsible for the accident.
Some accidents are caused by negligence. If it’s been proved that there was negligence due to the train operator, bus operator, subway operator or other public transit operator, you may be able to file a claim against the party responsible for the damages. Damages is a broad term used to describe how the accident negatively impacted your life. It will include an analysis of the pain and suffering caused by the injuries sustained, as well as the financial losses experienced as a result of no longer being able to work because of the injuries.
Other expenses taken into consideration when determining damages include medical and rehabilitation costs, family expenses, housekeeping expenses, home maintenance expenses and estimated future income loss.
Common Injuries
One of the reasons so many people get injured on buses and trains is because there are no seatbelts to reduce the movement of people during a crash. This makes injuries like whiplash and fractures more common. Other common injuries include spinal injuries, cuts, head injuries and bruises.
There are other injuries when a bus or train driver hits a pedestrian. Pedestrian and large vehicle collisions cause more damage and injuries to the involved pedestrians. In these cases, death is common. So is significant head or brain injury.
The best way to make sure that you get the proper coverage after an injury caused by public transit accident is to talk to an experienced personal injury lawyer in Leamington. A lawyer will be able to tell you what your rights for compensation are and work with you to make your life financially easier. When choosing a lawyer, pick one with specific experience dealing with injuries related to public transit and not simply and lawyer trained in general personal injury law.