Figuring out how to proceed after an accident involving SEPTA services such as buses or trains can often be a complicated process. Due to the communal nature of public transportation, SEPTA damage awards are often split among the group of injured passengers when another driver is responsible for the accident ignoring the following will only detract from the money you could recover.
- First and foremost, keep any evidence which proves that you were actually on the bus. Because of the level of fraud involved in SEPTA accidents, insurance companies or SEPTA’s claim adjusters will sometimes contest whether a person was actually on the bus involved in the accident. The SEPTA bus driver or a representative of SEPTA will almost always issue a copy of an incident report to any party involved in an accident. Hold on to that incident report! If you use a SEPTA pass, hold on to the pass until your case is settled.
- Secondly, don’t embellish your story! All SEPTA buses have cameras on them, and the footage from these cameras will be reviewed by every party involved in the accident. In addition, bystanders may also be recording the aftermath of the accident and these videos can also be admitted as evidence. Any exaggeration of injuries which can be refuted by video evidence will be used by insurance companies to attack your credibility and weaken your overall case.
- Lastly, document your injuries! Take pictures of all injuries on the day of the accident. Seek treatment right away. Injured parties who try to tough out injuries are devaluing their cases. Insurance companies (and courts) need to see well documented records of treatment in order to verify your injuries. Remember that injuries that occur on non-private commercial vehicles are automatically full-tort, regardless of tort option on your own insurance coverage.
For more information, check out my video about SEPTA bus accidents. Give me a call at (267) 627-4JOE (267-627-4563) to schedule a free consultation. Visit my website and blog for related articles, and get the first chapter of my Pennsylvania Car Accident Playbook.
