General Overview of Public Transportation in Raleigh and North Carolina?
North Carolina has a vibrant and well-established public transportation system. The system encompasses buses, light rail systems, and trains, serves both urban and rural areas, and provides a vital service to almost 150 million passengers per year.
Additionally, public transport is essential to North Carolina’s infrastructure, providing residents with reliable, affordable, and sustainable means of getting around. This significantly helps reduce traffic congestion, air pollution, carbon emissions, and more.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is the agency responsible for overseeing public transportation in the state. NCDOT obtains funding, planning, and technical assistance for local transit systems and oversees Amtrak passenger rail service in the state.
Triangle Transit serves the Triangle region, which includes Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. It also operates a regional bus system, express bus service, and the Triangle’s first commuter rail line.
So, when an accident occurs, and you’re severely injured, the legal maze that must be overcome to get the compensation you deserve successfully is highly legally challenging. Many of these accidents can be severe, and you need compensation for current medical bills, recovery, lost wages, and more. Therefore, the only way to successfully challenge, litigate, and win against this mix of agencies and insurance companies is to have the professional, compassionate, and legally adept help of a highly qualified Raleigh personal injury law firm.
Some Legal Facts About Public Transport Accidents in North Carolina.
It’s widely known among legal professionals that all public transport accidents are complicated to litigate, especially for all the agencies and insurance carriers that may be involved. When litigating your personal injury case, numerous factors must be considered when determining liability and who is responsible for your accident.
A significant factor to consider is the type of public transportation involved in your incident. For example, bus accidents may have different legal considerations and regulations than accidents involving trains, subways, or light rail. Additionally, the unique circumstances of your accident, such as the weather at the time, mechanical failure of safety systems, and more, can also impact liability and responsibility.
It’s widely known that public transport agencies have a legal obligation to maintain safe operations for their passengers, but things can go wrong. When this occurs, public transport accidents often cause severe injury to passengers.
However, determining liability in these cases is always complicated. Let’s say a mechanical failure of the train or bus caused the accident. In this case, the vehicle or equipment manufacturer may be held responsible, and their insurance company must be part of your lawsuit.
Therefore, it is mandatory to obtain the right lawyer with thorough and proficient knowledge of the public transport system, its insurance companies, etc., to successfully litigate and win your case.
How Do I File a Claim Against a Public Transport Provider and Their Insurance Company?
You must remember that if you are involved in a public transport accident in North Carolina and are injured, you and your experienced lawyer can usually file a claim against the provider; however, this legal process is challenging and complex.
For example, every Raleigh public transport provider usually has specific procedures for filing a claim against them, and strict deadlines exist. Additionally, these providers have legal teams and insurance company lawyers who will begin working immediately to minimize their client’s liability and responsibility for your injuries.
One key aspect of your case will be collecting evidence and witness statements. This information will help your skilled, thorough, and highly knowledgeable lawyer build a strong and effective case.
Evidence such as photos of the accident scene, contact information from witnesses, and more will be essential to document and reconstruct the scene so that you have all the information required to support your case.
Your lawyer’s investigative team will take photos of the damage to the equipment and vehicles involved and the area surrounding the incident. Additionally, it is important to note any weather conditions or other factors that may have contributed to your accident.
Remember that the public transport carriers and their insurance companies have lawyers in place to dispute your claims and minimize their client’s liability in your case.
Therefore, It’s wise, prudent, and highly advisable that you seek the guidance of a qualified and well-versed lawyer who can help you navigate this legal maze, collect the proper evidence, and maximize your chances of receiving the compensation you need and deserve.
Most importantly, your Raleigh personal injury lawyer will thoroughly understand the varying aspects of public transportation litigation in North Carolina and the significant legal implications of these dire accidents for you and your family.
Must My Lawyer Sue the Transit Authority To Obtain Compensation?
For example, the Charlotte Transit System (CATS) is one of the main transit systems in North Carolina. CATS buses, streetcars, light rail lines, and more that provide reliable and cost-effective travel throughout its area.
The CATS system does offer a vital service for the residents they carry. However, accidents involving buses, light rail cars, and streetcars happen. It’s essential to note that if you have suffered an injury from riding any public transport in North Carolina, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries, recovery, lost wages, pain & suffering, and more.
If you are injured while riding public transport, your well-versed and highly competent personal injury law team may have to sue multiple parties, municipalities, insurance companies, and more.
Sadly, though, attempting to hold local governments responsible for transit accidents is always legally challenging. Transit passengers injured on government property in North Carolina can also sue the city for the impropriety and negligence of their transit employees. However, it is critical that when you do file your claim against the city, you must follow their rules and regulations for filing a civil suit against them for the negligence of a city employee.
The state government of North Carolina allows its residents to file a “Notice of Claim” for injuries sustained due to the negligence of a state or city employee or agency. The purpose of filing the Notice of Claim is to inform the government that you are considering filing a claim against them for compensation for your injuries.
Your accident’s specific type and circumstances will determine the forms you must complete.
Usually, though, your lawyer will include the following information in your Notice of Claim:
- The date, precise time, and location of the accident.
- An explanation of exactly how and why the accident occurred.
- Solid evidence that demonstrates and explains your injuries.
- Evidence that a city employee’s negligence or other factor was at fault
- The total compensation you require and claim for your injuries.
Hiring a skilled, passionate, and highly proficient Raleigh public transport personal injury lawyer to file your Notice of Claim is crucial to presenting and winning your case.
Your lawyer and their team will thoroughly investigate the facts of your transit public transport collision and use their findings to draft a persuasive and effective Notice of Claim.
I’ve Been Injured While Riding Public Transport in Raleigh; What Should I Do?
When your lawyer must legally manage accidents involving public transportation, virtually all aspects are complicated. Multiple parties, such as the driver, the transit authority, outside maintenance companies, and, more importantly, insurance companies, may be held responsible and named in your lawsuit.
Due to the legal complexity of these lawsuits, you must have a highly experienced public transportation personal injury lawyer fighting on your behalf. Your thorough and highly experienced public transport lawyer will determine and identify all the individuals and entities who should be held responsible and navigate the legalities of filing your claim.
The highly trained, compassionate, and informative personal injury lawyers at O’Malley Tunstall PC have a long and winning history of professionally representing Raleigh accident victims in taking necessary legal action.
Call them today at 919-277-0150 for an initial consultation, and they will begin analyzing and building a successful case to get you the compensation you need to ensure your and your family’s lives get back on track.