Have you ever noticed how many advertisements there are for new vehicles? Whenever you are looking for a new car or truck, there seem to be dozens of options for every use and every part of your personality.
Governments get the same ads all the time. They are often encouraged to innovate ways to save money, keep their cities clean and own or manage better equipment on behalf of their citizens. New York, for example, owned one of the largest original fleets of hybrid electric vehicles when they first hit the consumer market in the mid-2000s.
That trend is continuing as the New York City Transit Authority purchases ten new hybrid-electric buses to add to their fleet as bus ridership surges in the Big Apple. The manufacturer has already made more than 10,000 city-owned or state-owned vehicles operating in the Five Boroughs.
One of the issues with new vehicle models in use is that drivers occasionally need to get used to their operation, especially if their use is distinctly different than previous or standard vehicles. The hybrid systems in the new buses, for example, feature an acceleration potential that may differ from other buses' responsiveness. Drivers are well trained and certified, but there is often a learning curve for similar developments.
If you are involved in an accident involving a vehicle owned by a municipal or state authority, you may have a case for financial damages if the authority or an employee was responsible. An attorney can help review the facts of the case and advise on the best way forward.
