CCRTA Bus Accident Lawyers

The Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA) is one of fifteen regional transit authorities in Massachusetts. It has seven main routes including:

• SeaLine service from Hyannis to Falmouth
• H2O Hyannis-Orleanstravels from downtown Hyannis at Hyannis Transportation Center to the Stop & Shop complex in Orleans.
• Route from Hyannis to Barnstable Village
• Harwich to Provincetown
• Sagamore Park to Mashpee
• Sagamore Park to Hyannis

In comparison with the MBTA, CCRTA only serves the Cape Cod area.

CCRTA offers transit on-demand as well, including hospital transportation and human services transport.  It operates seasonally in the Cape Cod area to tend to the many visitors there each year.  They offer services for transportation on buses, shuttles and also operate a train. They were established in 1976 and have been providing transportation to residents and visitors since, as well as consumers of state agencies and human service organizations for all 15 Cape Cod communities.

 

 

Cape Cod (Barnstable County) towns they provide service to include

• Barnstable, Bourne
• Brewster
• Chatham
• Dennis
• Eastham
• Falmouth
• Harwich
• Mashpee
• Orleans
• Provincetown
• Sandwich
• Truro
• Wellfleet
• and Yarmouth.

The CCRTA owns and operates the Hyannis Transportation Center in downtown Hyannis and the CCRTA Operations and Maintenance Facility in South Dennis.  According to a 2010 statistic, 550,000 passengers ride the CCRTA's vehicles for transportation each year, not including on-demand transports.  The CCRTA, like most public transportation authorities, contracts with MV Transportation Inc. to run its routes for it and provide shuttles and buses, but they can still remain liable when accidents happen.  If you or a loved one have been harmed by a CCRTA bus or shuttle, you should contact an experienced lawyer like those at the Law Offices of Christopher Sullivan, P.C. immediately.

Although they do have a robust safety record, CCRTA has been responsible for some recent injury-causing accidents involving their buses. Recently, in 2016 a motorcyclist was seriously injured when struck by a CCRTA bus in Cape Cod.  Another recent incident involved a CCRTA train striking a man back in 2019, severing his leg.  The investigation into the cause of this accident is still ongoing.  These are just two examples of recent accidents involving the CCRTA, which otherwise has a pretty good safety record.  Regardless, you never know when their next accident is going to happen.  Accidents can happen at any time.  If you become injured in one involving a CCRTA vehicle, and they are at fault, you will want an attorney by your side fighting for just compensation.  An attorney perfect for this type of personal injury case can be found at the Law Offices of Christopher Sullivan, P.C.

 

What an Attorney Can Do for You

Your lawyer will help investigate the circumstances that caused your accident and determine whether you have a claim.  It involves collecting all the information about the accident necessary for your case.  Furthermore, public agencies are very discrete about incidents that could lead to bad publicity and are unlikely to be forthcoming with the truth about the accident, particularly when they are at fault.  That is why you need an attorney to do the following:

• Track down witnesses to the crash and interview them
• Review all evidence such as police reports and accident scene footage
• Help gather information like maintenance records for the bus, security camera footage to support your claim, driving records for the vehicle operator involved in the crash, information on whether that driver was properly exercising his heightened duty of care as an operator of a public transport vehicle, documentation of the injuries sustained and how they are the result of the driver’s negligence, and any other relevant information that will help your lawsuit
• Help provide you with the information you need to successfully comply with the Massachusetts law enabling victims to sue the CCRTA despite it being a subsidiary of the state

 

Types of Accidents That Could Lead to Compensation

There are several ways people can be injured in an accident involving one of CCRTA’s transportation vehicles.  Examples include:

• Passengers on the bus being injured in a crash
• Other drivers & passengers injured in their vehicle when hit by a CCRTA vehicle
• Pedestrians struck by a bus or shuttle.
• Injuries resulting from falls taken by passengers while getting on or off a CCRTA bus stop
• Injuries occurring on CCRTA property, such as maintenance yards or bus lots over which the CCRTA has authority. This could be anyone from employees, passengers, invitees, licensees, and any other person with permission to be on the property.

 

Common Injuries in Accidents Involving the Transport Vehicles Operated by the CCRTA

Some common bus accident injuries to be aware of that may entitle you to compensation:

• Broken nose
• Soft Tissue Injuries
• Concussions and other Traumatic Brain Injuries
• Lacerations, Cuts, and Bruises
• Whiplash
• Disc Bulges and/or Disc Herniation
• Organ Damage
• Broken Bones
• Internal Bleeding
• Anxiety, Stress, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other trauma

 

Suing A Regional Transport Company in Massachusetts

While a political subdivision of the State, the CCRTA does not share the states’ sovereign immunity from lawsuits.  State law permits lawsuits against a state agency if their negligence results in injury.  This law is known as the Massachusetts Tort Claims Act, and it allows for accident victims to obtain compensation if:

1. They properly present their claim in writing and pursuant to the requirements of the Massachusetts Tort Claims Act within two years of the date the accident occurred.
2. They subsequently file a Complaint in court within three years of the accident.

So long as these rules governing claims and lawsuits against government agencies are followed, your case can be heard.  To ensure that all of the requirements are properly met, you really should have a law firm by your side that is experienced with these types of claims.  Experience matters, and the attorneys at the Law Offices of Chris Sullivan, P.C. have over 100 combined years of it.   Let them help you navigate your CCRTA claim through the complex legal system successfully.

 

Successfully Establishing Fault for a Bus or Shuttle Accident

Your lawyer will need to meet the legal standard used for determining whether or not the bus or shuttle driver was at fault.  This standard is that of negligence, which essentially means you must show that the driver was not exercising his proper duty of care and instead acted negligently, causing the accident.  Examples of bus driver negligence include:

• Drivers texting or not paying attention to the road
• Failure to properly maintain the bus causing malfunctions and problems that lead to an accident
• Management’s uninformed and negligent decisions when hiring drivers who are not fit to be operating a public transport vehicle
• Failure to properly train drivers if such lackluster training is determined to be a contributing factor
• Drivers making illegal turns, negligently colliding with other vehicles, running red lights or stop signs, or any other type of reckless or illegal driving that leads to an accident

 

Entitlement to Compensation for Injuries

The following damages may be available to you if you are hurt in an accident involving a CCRTA transportation vehicle:

• Damages for lost wages for missed time at work due to the injury
• Pain and suffering damages for your pain, anxiety, and loss of enjoyment of life
• Medical bills for the cost of treatment, rehabilitation, and surgeries
• Loss of earning capacity due to your injuries
• Any other out-of-pocket costs related to the accident or your injury
• Emotional distress damages

 

Call Us Today to Speak with a CCRTA Lawyer

If you’ve been injured in an accident involving the CCRTA, the experienced lawyers at the Law Offices of Christopher Sullivan, P.C. is eager and ready to help you with your case.  Attorney Sullivan’s team has over 100 years of combined personal injury litigation experience that can be put to work for you.  They have recovered over $25,000,000 for their clients since 2003 and would love to add your case to their long list of successes.  Contact us today, either online or by phone at (617) 357-8600.