The team of personal injury lawyers at BOYNECLARKE LLP represents people who have been injured in accidents involving public transit vehicles. This includes injuries sustained in accidents involving:
- Buses (including municipal bus services; charter services; school buses etc.)
- Trains
- Airplanes
- Taxi
- Shuttle Services
Causes of Transit Passenger Accidents
We are experienced in dealing with the various municipal and regional transit authorities to resolve injury claims quickly and effectively as possible.
Some possible causes of public transit accidents include:
- Driver/Operator error or fatigue;
- Impaired (alcohol or drug) driving;
- Distracted driving;
- Vehicle maintenance failure;
- Defective equipment;
- Inadequate training.
Who is liable?
Different legal principles apply when you are injured while being carried on or in a public transit vehicle for a fare. Our Courts have held that there is a duty on a public transit authority to carry a passenger “…safely as far as reasonable care and forethought could attain that end.”
If a paying passenger is injured, there is a heavy burden on the carrier to establish that it used all due diligence and reasonable care (to a very high degree) to avoid or prevent injury to the passenger. Cases dealing with public carrier liability establish that once an accident occurs and a passenger is injured, a prima facie case in negligence is raised and the onus shifts to the public carrier to establish that the passenger’s injuries were occasioned without negligence on the company’s part.
How We Can Help
Connect with a member of our team today to schedule your free consultation. To contact a member of our team email us at personalinjury@boyneclarke.ca, call us at 902-469-9500 or 1-866-339-3400 or complete an online contact form.