If you’ve been involved in an accident with or have been injured while onboard a SEPTA bus, train, or trolley, you may have an actionable claim for negligence.
At Silver & Silver, we’ll guide you through each step of the process of bringing such a claim and will do most of the leg work ourselves to make sure you get the settlement you deserve.
Below are our recommendations for how to document an occurrence and to give yourself the best chance of achieving a favorable settlement.
- Record the name of the driver of the bus, train or trolley you are on, as well as any other vehicles involved.
- Write down the license plate and a description of any other vehicles involved, for example if the bus you are on crashed into someone’s car.
- If you are not able to get the names of the drivers of the vehicles involved, try to write down what they look like, approximate age, and other identifying characteristics.
- Write down the time, route, bus, or train number of the vehicle you were on.
- Ask the driver for a form to report your injuries. SEPTA normally provides these accident report forms to passengers who are on a vehicle that is involved in an accident.
- If there are any witnesses, try to get their names and phone numbers.
- Remember that almost all SEPTA vehicles now have cameras that record video (but not audio) of what happens inside and outside the vehicle. As always, you should be truthful about what happened in the accident when speaking to your attorney. SEPTA has also been known to seek criminal charges against people who give false information about accidents.
- If you are able to do so, take photos of the accident scene and the damage to the cars involved.
- If you have any visible injuries, like scars or bruises, photograph those when you get home.
- SEPTA is required by law to provide medical coverage of up to $5,000 for anyone who is injured while on a SEPTA bus, unless the person has automobile insurance that provides the same or greater coverage. This coverage would be paid to the doctors or hospitals that provide care, not to the injured person. You should never avoid going to the doctor or Emergency Room after an accident on a SEPTA bus because you are worried about the medical bills or not having health insurance.
- If you think you might be injured, go to the emergency room or see your family doctor as soon as possible. Some injuries do not seem serious at first, but can result in long-term problems. It is safest to get checked out as soon as possible.
- When you see a doctor, be sure to explain how you were injured and mention everything that hurts, even if certain injuries seem more serious than others.
If you’ve been involved in an accident with SEPTA, call us as soon as possible. Let the experienced attorneys at Silver & Silver help you get the recovery you deserve.