Transportation Accident Lawsuits

Motley Rice has represented people seeking justice in a wide variety of transportation lawsuits. In addition to helping victims afford medical care or seek accountability, litigation can lead to improvements in technology and policies to keep our roads safer. Our attorneys can:

• Navigate complex regulations
• Reconstruct the events of transportation crashes
• Uncover potential corporate negligence

Bus passenger injury lawsuits

Motley Rice attorneys have extensive experience advocating for victims of bus crash injuries and their loved ones. Our team can assess transportation laws applicable to crashes involving:

• School buses
• City buses
• Tour buses

We can analyze whether driver fatigue, driving habits or vehicle maintenance were factors in your case.

In addition to domestic bus crashes, Motley Rice has also represented victims of tour bus crashes in other countries.

Learn more about our bus accident cases.

Commercial truck accident lawsuits

We’ve helped victims find closure and get compensated after trucking accidents involving fatalities and multiple serious injuries. Our experience includes cases involving commercial vehicles such as:

• Box trucks
• Cement trucks
• Semi-trucks
• Tow trucks
• Other types of vehicles that weigh 10,0000 pounds or more

Past clients include a 60-year-old father of five who suffered life-threatening injuries as a result of an accident caused by an impaired semi-truck driver. We were able to earn a settlement within months.

Learn more about our law firm’s experience with truck accident cases.

Train crash lawsuits

Train crash lawsuits encompass several types of rail transport:

• Passenger trains, including light rail, subways, commuter rail and inter-city rail
• Freight trains, often involving chemical spills, collisions and other harms

Train crashes can involve collisions, maintenance, derailments, faulty tracks, human error and many other factors.

Motley Rice attorneys have represented passengers, rail employees and people whose property was harmed as a result of a rail incident. Our cases include:

• A mother and daughter harmed in a 2018 Amtrak crash
• Chlorine gas exposure involving a Norfolk Southern train collision
• A Union Pacific derailment related to crew fatigue

Read more about our experience with litigating train crash injuries.

Vehicle defect lawsuits

People may file a vehicle defect lawsuit to seek compensation after a defective product or defective part caused a car crash or injury. These lawsuits may seek damages for physical injuries, property damage, economic losses and other harms.

Claims in these lawsuits may allege defective designs, manufacturing flaws or a manufacturer’s failure to adequately warn drivers of the potential risks posed by a faulty vehicle. Motley Rice accepts a number of defective vehicle cases, including:

• ARC airbag lawsuits
• Autonomous driving system failure lawsuits
• Defective car door latch lawsuits
• Defective seat and seatback failure lawsuits
• Joyson Safety Systems airbag lawsuits
• Takata airbag lawsuits

Read more about our work with defective vehicle lawsuits.

Who’s liable for a transportation accident?

Determining who’s liable for injuries or deaths related to a transportation incident can be complicated. In many cases, attorneys and other experts will reconstruct the incident and review the applicable laws and best practices.

Potentially liable parties could include:

• Drivers/engineers
• Government agencies
• Owners/operators
• Manufacturers of vehicles or components
• Mechanics/maintenance companies

A transportation accident lawyer at Motley Rice can provide a free consultation to discuss who may be liable for your injuries.

What damages are available in a transportation accident lawsuit?

A transportation lawsuit can help victims seek economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages can refer to:

• Lost wages and benefits
• Medical expenses and long-term care
• Reduced earning capacity
• Property damage

Non-economic damages can include:

• Emotional harm
• Loss of consortium
• Pain and suffering

In some cases involving egregious conduct by a defendant, a judge can also award punitive damages.

What should I do after a transportation accident?

If you’ve been injured in a transportation accident, contact first responders immediately to receive prompt medical treatment. It may also prompt local law enforcement agencies to investigate, which can be helpful for future investigations by state agencies, federal authorities or legal counsel.

Preserving evidence is another important step to take after any accident. This includes taking photos of the scene and making sure to keep the impacted vehicle.

When you're ready, consider contacting an attorney with experience litigating transportation injury cases. A Motley Rice attorney can review the facts of your case and recommend next steps.

Keep in mind that many jurisdictions have statutes of limitations, which are rules that specify how long you have after an accident to file a lawsuit. Be sure to connect with personal injury attorneys as soon as you’re able to avoid losing your eligibility to file a lawsuit.

What government agencies oversee transportation safety?

Several federal agencies regulate transportation safety. Some states may also have agencies that regulate transit safety within their borders. Federal agencies include:

• Department of Transportation (DOT): Regulates U.S. transportation systems to ensure efficiency, accessibility, safety and convenience.
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA): Creates and enforces regulations involving large trucks and buses.
• Federal Transit Administration (FTA): Provides regulation, technical assistance and financial resources intended to provide technologically advanced public transportation.
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): Sets road safety standards, conducts research to ensure safe roads, enforces standards and educates the public with the goal of reducing costs associated with vehicle crashes.
• National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB): Investigates every civil accident in the U.S. involving the aviation, highway, railroad, marine and pipeline transportation systems, and issues safety recommendations aimed at preventing future accidents.

Motley Rice has a long history of litigating transportation injuries and deaths and advocating against large, well-funded organizations to seek judgments and verdicts on plaintiffs’ behalf. We have the resources, knowledge and experience to develop a comprehensive understanding of your case, from the regulatory environment to the circumstances that led to your injury.