The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is the largest transit system in Pennsylvania, serving five counties in the Greater Pennsylvania area. It’s the sixth largest organization of its type in the United States.
Millions of people use SEPTA services every year. Though the vast majority of journeys on SEPTA subways, trains, buses, and trolleys are completed safely, the sheer volume of traffic on the network makes a certain number of accidents unavoidable.
Here, we discuss the steps you need to take (and those you need to avoid taking) after you’ve suffered an accident on a SEPTA service.
When you report a SEPTA accident, service staff will direct you to complete an incident report. On this form, you’ll share details like:
If you are not directed to complete a form like this, you should ask a SEPTA employee about it. If you’re reading this after having left the scene of the incident, you should contact the agency and submit a form online. It’s crucial to do this as soon as possible, as your memories of the event will begin to fade in the days and weeks after it takes place.
When describing what happened, be as direct and factual as possible. Do not speculate about the reasons for your accident, don’t blame the transport authority or other passengers, and do not admit to any blame on your own part.
If you’re unsure of how to approach the incident report, you can consult with a lawyer before submitting it.
Collect as much evidence as you can while you’re at the scene of the incident. Take notes on the location of the event, the route you were taking, where you were sitting, the driver’s name or a description of the driver, and a description of any other vehicles involved. Capture photos and videos of the area where it happened, focusing in particular on any feature of the vehicle you feel may have contributed to what happened. Speak with any eyewitnesses about what they saw; if they’re willing, you should collect their contact information so you (or your lawyer) can speak to them later on.
Seek medical care as soon as you can, even if you feel fine. Many injuries (including serious head injuries) do not show symptoms right away, and early intervention is often crucial when it comes to effective care. This study outlines that timely CT scans are among the most effective tools medical teams have when it comes to preventing death in adults who have sustained serious injuries.
Aside from your health, prompt medical attention is important for the purposes of any claim or legal action you decide to submit later on. When you try to recover any costs related to medical care or lost wages, you’ll need as much evidence as possible, and physician reports are hugely significant in this regard.
If an ambulance does not arrive at the scene of your accident, you should go to an emergency room as soon as possible.
SEPTA attorneys or employees may contact you after your accident to request a recorded statement about the accident. It’s important to understand that you are under no obligation to respond to these requests. Doing so may negatively impact your chances of recovering compensation, as the agency’s lawyer may entice you to make a statement that will harm your case. Ideally, you should never discuss the details of your accident with any official unless your attorney is present and has discussed what to say with you beforehand.
If you have already contacted your lawyer, you can inform the SEPTA representative that an attorney represents you and that they will deal with all questions related to the matter.
If you get into an accident with a SEPTA vehicle while driving, you should contact your car insurance provider as soon as possible after the accident. Depending on the nature of your policy, you may need to file a claim with your own insurer regardless of who was at fault for the crash.
Additionally, if you have health insurance, you may need to inform your insurance provider about your situation in a timely fashion so that you’re prepared to file a claim later on. Depending on who was responsible for your accident, you may or may not need to actually submit a claim. Your attorney will be able to give you more detailed guidance here once they have assessed the details of your case.
Do not hold off on finding an attorney; the sooner a lawyer starts working on your case, the better the outcomes are likely to be for you.
To start the process, call The Cochran Firm in Philadelphia at 800-969-4400, or fill out our online contact form. We provide free initial consultations for all public transportation accident victims.
