The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) has again caused significant harm to a passenger getting off one their buses. In this case, unfortunately, the passenger was killed. And oddly coincidental, the victim was a recently retired employee of the VTA.
The retired employee had exited the rear doors of the bus and then apparently been run over by the rear tires as the driver pulled away. If this indeed occurred, the situation is nearly identical to the case of an elderly couple in 2015. In that case, the couple aged 75 and 68, were attempting to exit the rear doors of a VTA bus when the doors began closing on them. Both fell to the ground and were run over by the departing bus.
In that case, the victims suffered broken bones: one a broken hand and elbow, the other a crushed leg requiring 13 surgeries. Both victims will suffer lifelong impairments and restrictions as a result of their injuries. The VTA bus driver had been involved in three previous accidents, for which she received one day of retraining for each accident. The Alexander Law Firm represented the victims of this horrific event and won a verdict of $7.5 million. The driver continues to drive for VTA to this day.
The problem VTA knows about but has apparently failed to correct is that its bus drivers do not always pull close enough to the curb for passengers to exit the bus onto the curb and out of the roadway. Instead, they sometimes stop and open the doors for exit when the passengers will be exiting onto the road surface.
This places the exiting passengers squarely in the path of the bus’ rear wheels if they happen to fall. The problem is made worse because without the curb, the last step down is sixteen inches—twice the height of a standard stair step. It is no wonder that aged and infirm passengers are likely to fall on their way out of the bus. Alarmingly, no information obtained from VTA appears to address this safety issue. Now, one of their own former employees has died because of their failure.
If you believe you or your family deserves compensation for severe injuries or death, contact the Alexander Law Group, LLP. Call 888.777.1776 right now, for a free, confidential, and personal consultation with one of our attorneys or contact us online. Our talented team of lawyers will make sure you get the most compensation possible under the circumstances of your case.
