Making use of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) can be a great way to get around. SEPTA offers commuters bus, trolley, train, and subway routes for their travels. It is usually safe, but accidents do happen. SEPTA accidents most commonly involve buses, but all of the different transportation methods can be involved in accident cases as well. Taking into account that SEPTA is such a commonly utilized mode of transportation used by people throughout Philadelphia and the State of Pennsylvania, SEPTA accidents put residents at risk of what can potentially be devastating injuries.
Causes of SEPTA Accidents
Negligence is generally the root cause of all accidents. The type of negligence and the person responsible for the negligent action or inaction will dictate who will be responsible for compensating the parties injured due to the negligence. With SEPTA accidents, the causes are most commonly:
- Driver and Operator Negligence. The operators of SEPTA vehicles and modes of transportation have a duty to exercise due care in an effort to keep passengers and others safe. Unfortunately, when drivers fail to uphold this duty, accidents happen and people are injured as a result. Some telltale signs of driver or operator negligence include a driver operating the vehicle while distracted by things such as a phone or other mobile device. Drivers that eat while working also put people at risk. Some drivers proceed to drive despite being exhausted and over-tired. Drowsy driving is particularly dangerous as it leads to slowed reaction time and the ability to effectively judge vehicle operating conditions.
- Non-SEPTA Driver Negligence. Sometimes, it is not the SEPTA driver whose negligence caused an accident. Oftentimes, it is other drivers of cars, trucks, and other vehicles that let to an accident that involved a SEPTA vehicle. Other drivers on the road can cause accidents by failing to observe the rules and laws of the road. Like SEPTA operators, these people can engage in dangerous behavior such as driving while drunk, drowsy, or distracted.
- Negligent vehicle maintenance. The buses, trolleys, subways, and trains operated by SEPTA must be properly maintained in order to remain safe for passengers and others. Failure to conduct the necessary, regular maintenance can be dangerous and lead to accidents resulting in injuries.
- Negligent property maintenance. In addition to vehicles needing regular maintenance, SEPTA property need to be properly maintained as well. Lack of property maintenance can cause dangerous conditions on SEPTA property such as train platforms. In the past, there has been evidence that SEPTA has taken shortcuts regarding property maintenance and accidents have occurred as a result.
What these frequent causes of SEPTA accidents all have in common is their potential for causing serious injury. Victims of SEPTA accidents have been left with spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries (TBI, broken bones, and other devastating injuries.
Pennsylvania Personal Injury Attorneys
If you have been injured in a SEPTA accident, the dedicated personal injury attorneys at Cooper Schall & Levy are here for you. We fight for our clients’ rights to full and fair compensation for their injuries. Contact us today.
