Families Have Rights When New York Buses Strike Pedestrians

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Working in transportation is not an easy job. Driving large vehicles, whether they are filled with products or people, can be scary and also very demanding. There is a lot that a professional driver has to take into account every day at their job, from road conditions to weather issues. For those who drive city buses in New York, there is also the stress of unpredictable behavior on the part of passengers.

In many ways, driving a New York City bus is a thankless job. It is also a job that could endanger countless people on the streets if the driver is not attentive and professional while working. City buses can and do strike and kill pedestrians in New York City. It happens with stunning frequency, and sometimes the drivers face criminal charges.

Regardless of criminal issues, the surviving family members of victims may have the right to seek compensation and hold the driver and the transit authority accountable for their losses.

Safely driving a city bus requires constant vigilance

New York is known as the city that never sleeps. People have places to go and things to do at all times of day, regardless of the day of the week or the weather.

As a result, bus drivers have to be acutely aware of pedestrians on either side and in front of their bus, as well as behind the bus.

Even at lower speeds, a bus striking a pedestrian could result in catastrophic injuries or death. The bus itself may cause minimal damage, but it may knock a person into traffic or throw them back onto the pavement, resulting in traumatic brain injuries, broken bones or spinal cord injuries. The faster the bus is going at the time of the collision, the more likely it is that the trauma of the collision will prove fatal.

Individuals who survive a collision with a bus as a pedestrian likely have the right to seek compensation for their injuries, as well as their lost wages. Those who lose a loved one due to a pedestrian accident involving a city bus have the right to seek compensation as allowed under the state's wrongful death statute.

Legal action helps hold those responsible for injuries accountable for their actions

Many people fail to understand that when a public transit bus causes injuries through the negligence or wrongful act of its driver, the victims of that incident have rights. Those legal rights include the right to seek compensation for losses related to the crash. Flexing your right is important, as pedestrian deaths seem to be on the rise in recent years.

Medical bills, lost wages, loss of consortium and other real-life, provable expenses can all be part of an injury or wrongful death lawsuit that results from a pedestrian accident involving a bus. If you are unsure of your rights, it may be time to speak with someone who has a better understanding of New York law.

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