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New York has one of North America’s most extensive transportation networks, with millions of people relying on buses for public transport each year. Unfortunately, bus accidents sometimes occur. Suppose you were involved in an accident with a New York city bus. In that case, you should immediately contact an NYC Bus Accident Lawyer and sue the at-fault parties, especially if you were seriously hurt. But who exactly is liable for your injuries in a New York City bus accident?
New York City Bus Accident Liability
If you are a passenger on a New York City bus and that bus is involved in an accident, whoever owns and operates that bus is liable for your injuries. Of course, other parties may be liable for your injuries, such as a distracted driver that caused the crash, a manufacturer that produced faulty equipment, or an entity responsible for that vehicle’s maintenance or road maintenance.
This is also partially the case if you are a pedestrian or driver involved in a New York City Bus accident. Most New York City buses are owned and operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority/NYC Transit Authority/ Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority (MTA/NYCTA/MaBSTOA).
Those authorities are responsible for keeping their passengers safe, both in terms of properly maintaining their vehicles, providing safety exits, and other safety measures, and regarding hiring and training drivers who undergo background checks to ensure they are qualified.
Filing a Claim
It doesn’t matter whether the bus was owned or operated by the entities and their employees mentioned above or if you were involved with other public or private buses because proving liability implies taking the same steps.
However, finding out who is liable as soon as possible matters because other laws might come into play restricting a citizen’s right to sue. For example, suppose the MTA, NCYTA, or MaBSTOA is liable. In that case, as the victim, you must file a Notice of Claim within 90 days of the incident since you are suing a city agency. It can be quite difficult to file a late notice of claim so keep that 90 day time limit in mind if you are involved in a bus accident.
Regardless, the Notice of Claim is where you will include a detailed account of the incident. If the accident was due to another driver’s negligence, which caused the bus driver to crash into your vehicle, then filing a car accident claim also makes sense. Still, you should file the claim as soon as possible.
New York’s statute of limitations for personal injuries is three years from the accident date and one year and 90 days against the NYTA, MTA or MaBSTOA. You should contact a personal injury attorney if you were involved in a New York City bus accident. They will help you find out exactly who is liable for your accident because, sometimes, multiple entities can be held liable for your injuries, property damage, and trauma. Your lawyer will ensure that you are compensated properly for your troubles by all the entities at fault.
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