The City of Murfreesboro Transportation Department (a.k.a., Murfreesboro Transit) offers $1 bus travel throughout the city across 7 routes, giving low-cost transportation to thousands of people. However, just because this is a government-run program does not give them any leeway to skimp on safety.
If you were injured while riding a Murfreesboro Transit bus or if you were hit by a Murfreesboro Transit bus, then you could be entitled to compensation for your injuries. In many cases, this means filing a lawsuit against Murfreesboro Transit and the City of Murfreesboro itself, which has special rules and requirements. In other cases, you might file your case against another responsible driver.
For help with your case, call the Murfreesboro Transit accident and injury attorneys at Howe Law today by dialing (844) 876-4357.
Suing for Murfreesboro Transit Bus Accidents in Tennessee
Suing for a bus accident does not necessarily mean suing Murfreesboro Transit itself for the accident, depending on the facts of your case. Our Murfreesboro Transit accident and injury attorneys can review your case and determine who you can sue for your injuries, and then we can help you bring an insurance claim or lawsuit to get the compensation you deserve.
In a transit accident case, the passengers on the bus are often the victims of the crash. They have no control over the vehicle and might be subjected to all kinds of injuries if the bus driver or another driver makes a mistake on the road or otherwise drives unsafely. The important thing to note here is that either driver could be at fault.
If the bus driver is the one who caused the crash, then you likely have a case against Murfreesboro Transit, since its drivers are likely government employees under T.C.A. § 29-20-107, and the government can be sued for auto accidents under § 29-20-202. There are some additional details that make this lawsuit a bit different than other lawsuits, which we will discuss below.
The alternative is that another driver was responsible for the crash, and you could be entitled to sue them instead. Sometimes you, the other passengers, and the bus driver are all victims of someone else’s negligence, and you could be entitled to file an insurance claim and injury lawsuit against that driver instead.
If the other driver was a commercial driver, such as a truck driver, then you could be entitled to sue the company they work for. Injuries caused during the scope of an employee’s job duties can often lead to a lawsuit directly against the employer. So for trucking companies, taxi companies, and private bus companies whose drivers might have hit your bus, you could be entitled to sue them directly, though things work a bit differently when Murfreesboro Transit caused the crash.
Suing Murfreesboro Transit for a Public Transportation Accident
As mentioned, suing Murfreesboro Transit is a bit different than suing other companies. There are special rules under the Tennessee Governmental Tort Liability Act that specify how and when the government can be sued. Traditionally, government entities were immune from suit, but this law creates specific carve-outs like auto accidents where the government and its departments can be sued for injuries they cause.
Under these rules, there are filing deadlines, limits on liability, and other specific rules that affect your case. First, victims have 1 year to file a claim under T.C.A. § 28-3-104. Second, damages in claims against the government are ultimately capped at $300,000 for injury per person under § 29-20-403(b)(4). In these cases, you usually cannot sue the driver, but you instead sue the government directly. This is a bit different than in most cases where a professional driver causes a crash since you would file your lawsuit against both the driver and their employer. Instead, the government is the main party you sue in these cases.
These caps on damages are often quite strict, as taxpayer funds are used to pay for the insurance that covers these damages. As such, these caps prevent victims from being fully compensated in many cases. This is why it is important to look into whether the Murfreesboro Transit driver was indeed the one responsible for the accident or whether another driver can be held liable for crashing into the Murfreesboro Transit bus – potentially without these same damage caps.
Compensation for Injuries on a Murfreesboro Transit Bus
If you were hurt while riding a Murfreesboro Transit bus, you could be entitled to damages for your physical injuries, property damage, and any other tangible and intangible injuries and harms you faced.
Generally, public transit accidents involve physical injuries that might have required hospitalization, physical therapy, and other expenses. You can claim compensation for the full value of these damages as well as other related economic harms like lost wages.
Property damage in a car accident can help cover the cost of vehicle damage if you were driving another vehicle when you were hit by a Murfreesboro Transit bus. This compensation can also cover the cost of repairing or replacing other damaged property, such as a cell phone or watch.
If your injuries involved other harms, you can get compensation for them as well. Things like lost earnings and pain and suffering can also be compensated, though some of these damages might be simpler to calculate than others. For example, the cost of lost wages during a limited healing period that has already ended will be simple enough to calculate by multiplying your wages by the time missed at work. Other damages, like lost companionship after losing your loved one in a Murfreesboro Transit accident or the pain and suffering of a brain injury, can be much harder to calculate.
Contact Our Murfreesboro Transit Accident and Injury Lawyers Today
After a serious car crash, contact our Murfreesboro Transit accident and injury attorneys for help by calling (844) 876-4357.
