Losing your close friend or family member is highly upsetting, and more so if the cause of death is a road traffic accident. Traffic accidents account for a significantly large part of all unnatural deaths in the United States every year. The number of deaths due to accidents not involving vehicular collisions has been on the rise in recent years. The statistics can dilute the gravity of the situation, but the fact remains that the death of your loved one in such an accident is an unimaginable loss.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, also called MTA, is a metro bus service that sees a large volume of passengers daily. Owing to the high-volume nature of this public transportation system, accidents involving pedestrians and bystanders have become common. If someone close to you has lost his or her life in a Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus accident, with the help of experienced bus accident lawyers at Salamati Law Firm in Los Angeles,CA you may be entitled to compensation in a monetary form.
Why is the Claim Necessary?
In the case of serious accident injury or even death as a result of an MTA bus accident, filing a claim and obtaining financial compensation can be very useful. It can help you in the payment of medical bills, mitigation of any damage to property, loss of income, as well as any future medical or surgical expenses for the treatment of injuries caused due to the accident.
In some cases, insurance companies make settlement offers before the claim reaches a court of law. In some cases these offers are for lesser amounts than required to cover the expenses and, therefore, should only be considered after a thorough consultation with your legal representation.
Causes of MTA Accidents
MTA bus accidents occur due to many of the similar issues that cause other road traffic accidents. Factors like overspeeding, driving while tired, drunk driving, breaking red signals and stop signs or speeding in populated areas cause MTA bus accidents. The public transit nature of the MTA buses further compounds these accidents.
There can also be issues with the manufacturing or repair of the buses leading to a compromised safety profile of the buses. Narrowing down a factor causing the accident is an essential part of building a legal case. It is where having an expert legal representation comes into play.
Who Is Responsible?
In an accident caused by an MTA bus, there can be different parties responsible for it. Some of these include the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, bus driver, third-party bus manufacturer, and local government, etc. For the MTA to be held liable for the accident, it is necessary to prove that either the Metropolitan Transportation Authority or the bus driver were responsible for the accident due to their negligence.
It is also vital to file a claim within three months from the date of the accident. In case you were also negligent and hold part of the liability, the financial compensation will diminish in value accordingly. All of this information complies with the laws of the State of California regarding absolute and comparative negligence.
