Oklahoma City Public Transportation Accident Attorneys
Strong representation when planes, buses, and common carriers cause injuries and death
Most transit riders make the mistake of thinking that using public transportation or private mass transportation is safer than driving in their car. What could be more comfortable and less dangerous than letting someone else do the driving for you? Public agencies and common carriers are supposed to be experienced and are supposed to inspect their vehicles. Too often, though, aviation companies, taxi services, buses, and other common carriers are just as likely to have unsafe vehicles, careless drivers, and dangerous tracks and roads as other vehicle owners. When mass transit accidents happen, numerous victims can be killed or injured in just one accident.
The Oklahoma City mass transit accident lawyers at Cunningham & Mears are skilled at showing who is responsible for your injuries and for deaths when a plane nosedives, a train crashes, a bus overturns, or a light-trolley collides. Our seasoned trial lawyers hold government agencies, private owners, and drivers accountable when they fail to put the safety of their passengers first. Our lawyers understand the unique standards that mass transit operators owe the public, and we fight to protect riders when negligence or reckless behavior causes harm. We fight for all the compensation you deserve for your injuries or the death of a loved one.
How can we help?
- Why are mass transit accidents so dangerous?
- What type of public transportation is available in Oklahoma City?
- Who’s responsible when mass transit accidents occur?
- How do you prove liability for a mass or public transit accident near Oklahoma City?
- What injuries do public transportation victims suffer in Oklahoma City?
- Do you have an Oklahoma City public transportation accident lawyer near me?
Why are mass transit accidents so dangerous?
Mass transportation accidents are often deadlier and more catastrophic than other types of accidents. This is because the vehicles are bigger, faster, wider, and heavier than typical four-wheel vehicles. They are tougher to control. Planes that fall from the sky, helicopters that collide, trains that crash or derail, boats that flip over, and buses that slide off bridges are all extremely dangerous to passengers and anyone nearby.
The reasons mass transit accidents happen are often unique to the form of transportation. At Cunningham & Mears, our lawyers work with experts in each field. We also understand which agencies monitor each mode of transportation. For example, we employ aviation safety experts and professionals who understand the Federal Aviation Administration guidelines when a plane accident takes the life of a cherished relative.
Some of the types of mass transportation accidents our lawyers are ready to handle involve:
- Sudden stops
- Driver negligence
- Failure to run background checks on drivers
- Failure to train and monitor drivers
- Allowing drivers to operate in bad weather conditions
- Failing to routinely inspect the vehicles
- Putting profit and speed before safety and security
What type of public transportation is available in Oklahoma City?
Oklahoma City has many ways of getting around the city that involve multiple passengers or passengers who ride in common carriers. Some of the many mass transit businesses in Oklahoma City include:
| Bus, streetcars, and boats | Planes and aviation | Train stations |
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There are various taxicab companies. Uber and Lyft also operate in Oklahoma City.
Who’s responsible when mass transit accidents occur?
Our Oklahoma City mass transit lawyers understand the unique and complex difficulties in mass transit accident cases. Different groups may be held liable if you slip on a wet floor at the Will Rogers Airport, for example, or if your plane loses an engine cover (like UA 1175), and the emergency landing leads you to be injured. There are private ones like this strange one that just happened in Oklahoma, where a woman was killed by the wing of a small airplane.
How do you prove liability for a mass or public transit accident near Oklahoma City?
Our lawyers are skilled at showing that mass transit companies, public transit companies, and private carriers violated their duty of care to their passengers. Some of the ways that we show a company’s negligence caused your injuries include:
- Determining who is responsible. The starting point is determining whether the owners and operators of the plane, train, bus, or other mass transit service were public or private. The rules for filing claims against public carriers are different than for private companies. In both types of cases, we need to determine who owned the vehicle, and who was responsible for the highways, roads, air, and the transportation routes. In addition to filing claims against the drivers, we also file lawsuits against manufacturers, parts distributors, maintenance crews, and other entities that failed to protect you or a loved one.
- Filing claims against the government. All clients should understand that there are strict notice requirement time limits for filing claims against the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, a county, a city, and a governmental agency. If you don’t file a notice properly and promptly, you will lose all your rights.
- Understanding common carrier laws. These are specific federal and state laws that govern how public and private mass transit owners must protect their riders. Generally, a common carrier is defined by U.S. law as a public or private entity that transports people or products from one place to another for a fee. Our Oklahoma City lawyers work to show that a common carrier failed to inspect and maintain their vehicles and transit routes, that they failed to fully supervise their drivers, and that they failed to follow common carrier rules and regulations.
- Understanding the traffic rules that apply. The rules for flying planes, operating boats, and driving trains and trolleys are different than for standard vehicles. We understand the navigation rules for each mode of mass transit.
- Knowing how to bring lawsuits on behalf of multiple victims. If multiple claims are brought on behalf of multiple victims, we work to coordinate the cases so that the best results can be obtained. For example, one traffic reconstruction expert may file a report that all plaintiffs can use.
- Bringing the case in the right court. If the carrier was a federal entity or used federal routes, then we may bring your case in federal court instead of the Oklahoma state courts.
There are many other laws and regulations our Oklahoma City mass transit lawyers must know to help you get justice in court and with insurance companies. For example, mass transit drivers need special licenses to operate their vehicles. The driving while intoxicated standards are much stricter for mass transit drivers than for other drivers.
At Cunningham & Mears, our Oklahoma City transit accident lawyers file the following types of claims depending on how the accident happened and the responsibilities of the defendants:
- Personal injury. These claims are brought by anyone who is injured due to the negligence of the owners and operators of mass transit and public transportation companies.
- Product liability. These claims are brought by injury victims against the manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of defective vehicle parts that caused an Oklahoma City transit accident to occur.
- Wrongful death. We file these claims on behalf of the families of anyone who was killed in a mass transit or public transportation accident in Oklahoma City.
What injuries do public transportation victims suffer in Oklahoma City?
Our Oklahoma City public transportation lawyers handle every type of injury that riders may be suffering including:
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We work with your doctors and our network of doctors when necessary to show what injuries you have, the medical care you will need for the rest of your life, and all the ways your injuries have made your life much more difficult and painful.
Do you have an Oklahoma City public transportation accident lawyer near me?
Cunningham & Mears meets victims of public transportation accidents at our Oklahoma City offices. Our first is located at 5104 N Francis Ave., Suite 102. We’re a very short walk from Penn Square Mall. There’s plenty of parking for your car. Our second is located at 9428 Westgate, Suite 102B, in the Brookhaven West part of Oklahoma City, just a short walk from Resurrection Cemetery and off the Northwest Expressway.
For those clients still willing to use public transportation, our office is close to a local stop. Our lawyers will meet you at your home or in the hospital if you are too ill or immobile.
Contact us in OKC if you were injured on public transport
Mass transit accidents can be very complex. They often involve multiple victims. There are special rules for bringing claims against public agencies and common carriers. The companies or agencies that operate the transit systems usually try to fix any defects or mistakes so the transit vehicle can be put back into operation. At Cunningham & Mears, our lawyers understand how to make these complex cases simple. We calmly but professionally guide you through each phase of your case. For help now, please call us or fill out our contact form to make an appointment.