Boston bus accident injures 3 — who is at fault?
Mass transportation in Boston dates back to 1631 according to the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority. Transportation around the city went from horse and buggies, to cable cars, to the El. Today’s system is an interconnected network of busses, rapid transit lines, light rail trackless trolley lines and commuter rail routes. On an average weekday, about 1.3 million people take a trip on the MBTA.
One can imagine that with that many rides per day, that there will be accidents upon occasion. One of those trips resulted in an injury recently, and it appears that it was not the bus driver’s fault. A Silver Line bus crash resulted in personal injuries to the bus driver and two passengers.
News sources reported that the accident took place at the corner of Washington and Lenox when a car pulled out in front of a 108 bus. The bus driver swerved to avoid crashing into the car, and did so successfully, but then ran into two parked cars.
The driver and two passengers were injured, although the extent of their injuries was not made known. It is standard procedure in many hospitals to take a blood test upon admittance into a hospital emergency room, and so the driver may have had his blood alcohol concentration percentage measured to rule out alcohol impairment. Was the bus driver at fault — or the motorist who pulled out in front of the bus?
According to the news report, the accident is still under investigation. If the driver who swerved and caused the bus to crash is found, that negligent driver could be held liable in civil court for the personal injuries suffered by the bus driver and the two passengers. Based on the news reports, it seems unlikely that the bus driver would be considered liable.
Source: Boston.com, “Three suffer minor injuries in Silver Line bus crash,” Sarah N. Mattero, July 25, 2012
At our Boston law firm, we represent individuals similar to those described in this posting, who suffer personal injuries in bus accidents due to the negligence of others.
