San Francisco MUNI Accidents

The San Francisco Municipal Railway, known informally as MUNI, is San Francisco city and county’s public transportation system. MUNI currently controls a total of 17 trolley bus lines, 54 bus lines, and seven light rail lines. The various MUNI vehicles run in the city’s subway tube, above ground, on two streetcar lines, and on three cable car lines. These vehicles also operate 365 days per year, both in and around the city. 

However, with the large number of MUNI vehicles comes the chance of serious accidents and injuries. Because many vehicles do not have seatbelts, a serious accident can jerk a passenger’s body inside the car, causing them serious injuries that require prolonged medical treatment and rehabilitation.

If you suffered injuries in a recent MUNI accident, it is important that you have experienced legal counsel representing you throughout your personal injury claim. The knowledgeable San Francisco MUNI accident lawyers at The Cartwright Law Firm, Inc. can help you pursue the full amount of monetary damages you deserve by filing a claim or lawsuit on your behalf. 

Our legal team can help you negotiate with the city or another responsible party’s insurance company for the settlement compensation you need. If the party is unwilling to offer you fair compensation for your injuries, we can file a lawsuit in the California court system and help you maximize your damages. 

Common Causes of MUNI Accidents

Accidents involving MUNI vehicles happen for a variety of reasons, including operator negligence. A driver is negligent when they operate a MUNI vehicle unreasonably under the circumstances. They might violate the posted speed limit, fail to pay attention while driving, or operate the vehicle while intoxicated by drugs or alcohol. Because MUNI drivers are professional drivers, the law holds them to a higher standard of care than other drivers.

In addition to driver negligence, state and local entities — including the municipalities that hire these drivers — may be responsible for accidents that occur. This is especially true if an accident occurs when a driver acts within the scope of their employment. If an accident victim can show that a municipality or other entity negligently hired or retained a problem driver, they may also share in liability for any accident that occurs. The same holds true if the municipality fails to supervise a problem driver.

Moreover, some MUNI accidents result from product defects. For instance, a vehicle part might malfunction when the vehicle is transporting passengers. Moreover, a seat, handrail, or handlebar might become loose while the vehicle is in motion, causing a passenger serious injuries.

Part manufacturers have a duty to construct and design their products in a safe and reasonable manner. If a MUNI accident results from a defective product, the injured passenger might be able to file a claim or lawsuit against the product manufacturer, distributor, or someone else in the product’s chain of distribution.

Finally, repair facilities are responsible for performing work in a careful manner. When an injured passenger can show that an accident resulted from defective repair work on a MUNI vehicle, they may be eligible to file a claim or lawsuit against the repair facility.

To prove the legal elements in a MUNI accident case, the injured passenger may need to retain an expert who can testify at a deposition or trial. The expert may also be able to prepare a report that they authenticate while on the witness stand. This report must causally connect the at-fault party’s negligence to the accident in which the passenger suffers injuries.

A knowledgeable MUNI accident attorney at The Cartwright Law Firm, Inc. can help you satisfy the legal elements of your claim and retain the necessary experts who can testify on your behalf at trial. Our team will do everything possible to help you maximize the compensation you recover for your accident-related injuries.

Injuries in MUNI Accidents

The injuries that a MUNI passenger suffers in an accident typically depend upon how the accident occurs – and how their body moves in their seat at the time of impact. In some instances, the impact force is so severe that it causes a part of the accident victim’s body to strike something in the MUNI vehicle. For example, the passenger’s head might strike the window, headrest, or seat back in front of them, causing a concussion or other traumatic head injury. Injured MUNI passengers may also suffer soft tissue whiplash contusions, broken bones, spinal cord injuries, and paralysis.

If you suffered any of these injuries in a MUNI accident, you should seek prompt medical treatment right away. A hospital emergency room doctor or urgent care physician can physically examine you, order the necessary imaging studies, and render an accurate medical diagnosis. You can then seek follow-up treatment with a family doctor or specialist if you need it. 

While you focus your attention on getting better, the knowledgeable San Francisco MUNI accident lawyers at The Cartwright Law Firm, Inc. can begin advocating for you. We may begin gathering your medical records and bills to date, as well as copies of incident reports and eyewitness statements, to assemble a settlement demand package in your case.

Potential Damages in MUNI Accidents

Injured passengers who can satisfy the legal elements of their personal injury claim or lawsuit may be able to recover various damages for their injuries. Potential damages may include monetary compensation for their:

• Medical expenses
• Lost earnings
• Loss of earning capacity
• Past and future pain and suffering
• Inconvenience
• Mental distress
• Permanent disability or disfigurement
• Loss of the ability to use an injured body part
• Loss of life enjoyment
• Loss of spousal companionship and support

The experienced team of San Francisco MUNI accident lawyers at The Cartwright Law Firm, Inc. can highlight the strengths of your personal injury case, helping you to maximize the damages you recover. 

Call a Knowledgeable San Francisco MUNI Accident Lawyer Today

At The Cartwright Law Firm, Inc., our skilled team of attorneys can help you pursue and recover the monetary damages you deserve from the at-fault parties in your case. To schedule a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a San Francisco MUNI accident attorney, please call us at (415) 433-0444 or contact us online for more information.