Secondary Crash Involved Detroit Department of Transportation Bus
Authorities are currently investigating a secondary crash on Detroit’s east side involving a Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) bus and an SUV driver and her vehicle. The crash injured at least one person and was a series of two accidents. Police say it started when two vehicles got into an accident and the drivers got out of their cars to talk and share contact information. While exchanging this information a DDOT bus driver hit one of the vehicles, spun out of control and came back to hit the SUV driver, seriously injuring her. The driver is currently listed in critical condition.
The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) estimates that 18 percent of traffic related fatalities are attributed to secondary crashes. In addition, secondary crashes can contribute up to 50 percent of congestion in urban areas, raise the risk of injuries to others, and cause additional minor traffic accidents.
When Stopping After An Accident, Stop Safely
Every crash situation is different but if you have been in an accident and choose to get out of your vehicle, it is important you know how to do so safely. Follow this guide from the Lee Steinberg Law Firm.
- Before getting out of your vehicle, turn on your emergency flashers and dial 911 and begin assessing the situation from where you are. Make sure you are able to convey the location of the accident including any freeway on and off ramp information and how many vehicles were involved. From there, follow the operator’s cues. Do not ever step into traffic.
- If you have dialed 911, and you feel the need to get out of your vehicle to help others, remember to always exit your vehicle with extreme caution and move slowly. Keep your distance from the other crash vehicles and don’t touch anyone who was involved.
- If others are injured, safety officials will not want you to move an injured person unless he or she is in a burning vehicle or in other immediate dangers. Moving someone incorrectly can often make an injury worse. So this means it is in everyone’s best interest for you to be in the safest place – inside your vehicle – hopefully parked in a safety zone, 100 feet or more away, waiting for emergency responders.
Is Mass Transit Safe?
It seems we hear weekly, if not daily, about bus or train accidents. With millions of Americans using mass public transportation, there is an immediate public safety concern where these vehicles are involved. Each year there are nearly 20,000 injures and several hundred deaths each year as a result of accidents involving public transportation. The impact of an accident can be serious, ranging from whiplash and broken bones to head injuries, injury to internal organs, and death.
The reality is that mass transit vehicles are much less likely to get involved in an accident than are personal motor vehicles. However, there are factors that (at least partially) explain why mass transit riders and other drivers are likely to be more seriously injured when buses or other large mass transport vehicles are involved in an accident.
Obviously, drivers of passenger cars hit by buses or trains are more likely to be catastrophically injured because of the size of the mass transit vehicle and therefore, the force of the collision. The speed of trains can also affect the impact of a crash. For those who are actually riding in the mass transit vehicles, they may be more seriously injured due to tip-over or roller, which is a greater risk for tall buses. Mass transportation users are also at risk due to the absence of safety features like airbags or seatbelts. In essence, there is nothing to secure them in the case of collision or impact.
Common Carrier Law and Public Transportation
Negligence theories underpin mass transportation injury cases just as they do other types of personal injury cases. In some states, there may actually be a higher degree for care expected in the case of “common carriers.” Common carriers usually include public buses, taxis, trolleys, and trains, and common carrier law requires them to provide a higher degree of care for passengers than is typically expected of one passenger vehicle driver toward another.
Detroit, Michigan Car Accident Attorneys – You Pay Nothing Until We Settle
Regardless of the cause, victims of car accidents are entitled to Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits, also known as first-party benefits, under the Michigan No-Fault Law. These benefits cover reasonably necessary medical expenses related to the accident, up to three years of lost wages, replacement services (to cover household chores or childcare the victim can no longer complete), attendant care such as in-home nursing, medical mileage, out-of-pocket medical costs, and vehicle and/or home modifications.
If you or someone you know has been injured in a secondary crash or any other kind of motor vehicle accident in Michigan, let them know the Lee Steinberg Law Firm can help.
Please call Lee Free and speak to our car accident attorneys at 1-800-LEE-FREE (1-800-533-3733) or fill out the Free Case Evaluation Form. And remember, you pay nothing until we settle your car accident case.
