Bus accidents and other public transport accidents can be caused by a variety of factors.
Driver negligence, poor weather conditions, vehicle defects, and other causes routinely contribute to bus accidents and other transportation crashes.
Common causes of public transportation accidents in St. Louis are listed below.
Bus Or MetroLink Defects
A defect in the vehicle or failing to properly maintain the vehicle can lead to a bus crashes, especially considering buses and MetroLink trains are often driven for many miles and long periods of time.
The manufacturer of the bus, the owner of the bus, the bus company, or even the mechanic can be held liable for accidents caused by defects or failure to maintain.
Bus Or MetroLink Company’s Negligence
The company that owns and maintains the bus owes a duty of care to its passengers.
Failure to do so can not only cause an accident but render them responsible.
Bus companies, bus drivers, and other drivers may be held liable for negligent behavior that results in crashes and serious injury.
St. Louis City’s Negligence
The same sentiment as above applies to the City of St. Louis.
Because public transportation is funded by the City, they are responsible for the integrity and safety of all of its vehicles.
You may be wondering, “Is it possible that multiple individuals or companies could be at fault for the accident?”
The answer to the question is yes.
Example:
An accident has occurred and there are multiple injuries.
Not only are riders of the bus injured in the accident, but the driver of the other vehicle was injured, too.
After an investigation, it appears that the driver of the other vehicle ran a red light, but the brakes of the bus also weren’t working properly and the bus was not able to stop in time to avoid hitting the other car.
In this case, the driver of the other vehicle will be partially at fault because of his or her lack of attention, but the bus company also failed to properly inspect the brakes and ensure they were working properly, causing them to be at fault as well.
While this is only one example, there are many instances where multiple parties can be held responsible for an accident.
This concept is called comparative negligence.
