How Dangerous Is It To Be Near a MUNI Bus?

Earlier this summer, an accident caused by a MUNI bus caused injuries to four people, sending all of them to the hospital. MUNI has maintained a fairly stable accident rate over the last two years but, with 934 people injured between 2006 and 2011, accidents are far from rare. Fatal accidents are most likely to occur to pedestrians. While this summer’s accident was not fatal, it was again a case of innocent bystanders injured by negligence:

• A MUNI bus approached a bus stop in San Francisco’s financial district in June with the rope that attaches to the vehicle’s power arms having come loose and dangling.
• The rope, swinging wildly as the bus came through the intersection, hit a sign that came loose and struck an adult and child standing at the bus stop.
• They were both catapulted into another adult and child nearby. All four were part of a school group waiting together for the bus. They were taken to the hospital and treated for cuts and abrasions.

MUNI did not immediately know how the rope came free. Whether they are liable for the injuries and any loss of work may depend in part on whether the driver should have known that the rope was swinging free, how the rope came to be free and how carefully the bus was maintained, among other factors. Because such information is difficult to obtain, anyone injured in any kind of MUNI accident is best served by speaking with a MUNI bus accident lawyer immediately.