California Injury Blog
Six passengers were injured in a San Francisco truck accident involving a big rig and a San Francisco Municipal Railway streetcar the morning of March 21, 2011. According to a CBS news report, the streetcar accident occurred at the intersection of Third and 23rd streets in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco. A truck with a flatbed trailer broadsided the KT-Ingleside/Third Street light rail vehicle. The six passengers in the streetcar, including one passenger who was in a wheelchair, sustained injuries, which are believed to be non-life-threatening. The injured victims were treated at the crash site and transported to local hospitals for evaluation. An investigation is ongoing.
My thoughts and prayers are with the six victims injured in this San Francisco Muni streetcar accident. I wish them all a complete and speedy recovery.
San Francisco Traffic Accidents
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were 35 fatalities and 3,577 injuries involving car accidents in San Francisco. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA), truck accident statistics, there were 304 fatal truck accidents and 3,196 injury crashes involving big rigs in California, in 2008.
What Caused This Muni Accident
Based on this news report, there are more questions than answers. Who had the right-of-way at this intersection? Did the streetcar have a green light? Was the operator of the streetcar at fault or the driver of the big rig? Did distracted or impaired driving play a part? Was there a dangerous condition on the roadway, which caused or contributed to this incident? I trust officials are looking into these and other factors in order to determine what occurred here and why.
Liability Issues
If the Muni driver is determined to have been at fault here, then the driver as well as the transit authority can be held liable for the passenger’s injuries. Injured victims in such cases can seek compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and other related damages. Under California Government Code Section 911.2, any personal injury claim against a governmental agency must be filed within six months of the incident. If the truck driver is determined to have been at fault, the driver and his or her employer could be held accountable. An experienced San Francisco personal injury lawyer will be able to better advise car accident victims about their legal rights and options.
Seriously injured in a San Francisco Muni streetcar accident? Want to know if you have a case? Want to know what your case is worth? Want compensation for your injuries? Want justice? Want to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to someone else?
Call your best friends in the legal industry after a San Francisco truck accident. Call 800-259-6373. The call is free. The advice may be priceless.
Call a Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys San Francisco personal injury lawyer for a free professional evaluation of your case by attorneys who have represented over 6,000 clients since 1978. You will experience award winning representation and outstanding personal service by a friendly law firm in a comfortable environment.