Boston MBTA Injury Lawyers
Handling MBTA bus, train, subway, ferry, and RIDE accidents in MA
When you are hurt by the careless actions of the largest transportation authority in New England, you should hire a law firm with a track record of success with jury verdicts and settlements for these injuries. Our attorneys are here to help you seek compensation for things like medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and a variety of other damages and losses.
During the past three decades, Breakstone, White & Gluck, P.C. has successfully tried and won a number of record-breaking cases for victims of train, light rail, bus, and MBTA vehicle accidents. On multiple occasions, we’ve secured millions of dollars on behalf of different clients who were hit by MBTA buses, and we have handled complex cases arising from accidents on the Green Line.
OVER $300 MILLION
won for our clients
This is a very forward-thinking team who makes critical and appreciated investments in time and effort to give their clients the edge. I would absolutely recommend. ~ Junyong Pak
Common questions from injury clients
- What should I do after an MBTA accident?
- What kind of damages can I claim for my injuries?
- Who pays my bills after a Boston MBTA accident?
- How can a Boston MBTA accident attorney from Breakstone, White & Gluck help?
- What services does the MBTA provide?
- What are some of the unique issues involved with MBTA lawsuits?
- Do you have an MBTA accident lawyer near me?
What should I do after an MBTA accident?
If you have been involved in an accident involving the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), also known as the “T,” there are several important steps you should take to protect your health and legal rights:
- Seek medical attention
- Report the accident
- Gather evidence
- Contact an attorney
- File a claim
Remember that there are strict deadlines for filing claims against the MBTA, so it is important to act quickly to protect your legal rights. Our lawyers can let you know these deadlines and statutes of limitations.
What kinds of damages can I claim for my injuries?
If you’re involved in an accident on the MBTA system, you may be eligible to claim damages for your injuries and losses. These can include:
- Medical expenses, like hospital bills, doctor fees, surgery, and medication costs.
- Lost wages and future inability to work.
- Pain and suffering, or the physical and emotional pain you are experiencing as a result of the accident.
- Property damage, including your personal property like your smartphone or laptop, if it was damaged in the accident.
- Disability and disfigurement, if you suffer permanent disability or scarring, you may be eligible to claim compensation for the effect it has on your life.
Who pays my bills after a Boston MBTA accident?
After an accident involving the MBTA, the party responsible for paying your bills will depend on the circumstances of the accident.
If the accident was caused by the negligence of the MBTA or one of its employees, then the MBTA is likely liable for paying for your damages, including your medical bills and other associated expenses. Because the MBTA is a Massachusetts public entity, there are specific rules and procedures around filing a claim. The attorneys at Breakstone, White & Gluck can help you file your claim.
If the accident was caused by the negligence of another party, like another driver, then they may be responsible for paying your bills. In this case, you’ll need to go through insurance. Our MBTA accident lawyers can also guide you through this process.
How can a Boston MBTA accident attorney from Breakstone, White & Gluck help?
When an MBTA accident lawyer from Breakstone, White & Gluck represents you, know that you will receive the highest quality representation. We’ll thoroughly investigate your claim and question all the witnesses, including the driver of the MBTA vehicle and anyone responsible for the safety of the passengers. We are skilled at seeking documentation about prior complaints, maintenance, and repair issues for the vehicle involved. Our lawyers also work with your physicians and our network of doctors when necessary to show just how devastating your injuries are.
Insurance companies know that if they do not make a fair and just offer of settlement, a lawsuit will follow. They know that your case will be tried with the highest degree of skill and professionalism, utilizing the nation’s top experts. They also know from experience, that Breakstone, White & Gluck will pursue the case all the way up to the Supreme Judicial Court, the highest court in the Commonwealth, if necessary.
Our trial lawyers have 100+ years combined experience representing victims of MBTA subway, bus, train, light rail, and pedestrian crashes, including a confidential award on behalf of a woman who was injured in a deadly Green Line crash, and another award on behalf of a woman whose husband – a POW who served as the Battle of the Bulge – was hit by an MBTA bus and killed. Some other successful verdicts and settlements against the MBTA include:
- $7.1 Million: MBTA Bus Hits Pedestrian
- $1.375 Million: Retired Master Barber Struck by Speeding MBTA Bus
Watch
See a clip from a computer reenactment of the cases involving an MBTA bus striking a pedestrian:
We’re not afraid to fight for you
At Breakstone, White & Gluck in Massachusetts, we represent people with catastrophic injuries. This means injuries that will affect them for the rest of their lives – causing chronic pain, stress, ongoing treatment, and a lifetime of medical expenses. Many of our clients are unable to ever work again. We dedicate ourselves to securing them the compensation they need to live the best possible life they can.
We represent clients with injuries including:
- Head and brain injuries
- Burn injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic amputation injuries
- Internal bleeding and organ damage
- Broken and fractured bones
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
We also invite you to check out some kind words from our clients on our Testimonials page.
What services does the MBTA provide?
The Massachusetts Bay Transport Authority (MBTA, also called the “T”) is the public agency that operates Greater Boston’s public transportation system. The MBTA includes subway lines, bus routes, commuter rail service, ferry routes, and the RIDE. The RIDE is a paratransit service for people who have a temporary or permanent disability and can’t use MBTA’s other services.
According to the MBTA, the transportation services include the following:
- Commuter rail lines. The lines connect eastern Massachusetts to Boston’s subway, bus, and Amtrak services.
- Subway lines. There are four lines – the Red, Orange, Blue, and Green that connect the public to Boston, Cambridge, Newton, Revere, and Quincy.
- Bus routes. There are 171 bus routes and four rapid transit routes that connect the commuter rail and subway lines.
- Ferry routes. The MBTA ferry service connects “the inner and outer harbor with transport hubs in Boston at the Charlestown Navy Yard and Logan Airport.”
- The RIDE. This is a door-to-door service for Boston residents and visitors from out of town who have a disability.
The MBTA states that close to 700,000 people use the MBTA each week, and:
- 50% of the riders use the subway
- 38% use the bus
- 12% use commuter rail
- 4% use the ferry
- 5% use RIDE
…In the spring of 2022, the Federal Transit Administration stepped in to investigate some of the issues and provide safety recommendations to the agency. In mid-August, the T took the unprecedented step of shutting down the entire Orange Line for 30 days to work through a backlog of maintenance work that the federal regulators identified as a core issue.
Federal regulators concluded that the “MBTA prioritized long-term projects at the expense of daily operations and safety.” Numerous other reports and articles have expressed concern about MBTA’s improper safety oversight:
What are some of the unique issues involved with MBTA lawsuits?
Subways, buses, trains, ferries, and RIDE services are considered common carriers because they transport numerous passengers. Common carriers are held to a very high standard of care. Courts take accident claims caused by subway operators and other common carriers very seriously because the safety of the public is at stake. The carrier, the subway operator, and other defendants may all be liable for any accidents that cause harm or death.
Most MBTA train accident cases involve multiple victims and multiple defendants.
There are special rules and procedures for filing claims against entities such as the MBTA that provide a public service. Our lawyers understand those rules and procedures.
Subway accidents
Subway accidents can be especially frightening because they often happen underground, which can make it very difficult for emergency services to get to victims quickly. Some of the common causes of subway accidents include operator negligence, improper vehicle maintenance, faulty track maintenance, lighting failures, defective equipment, and other causes.
Common types of subway negligence include speeding, damaged tracks, operators who lack experience, slips and falls, closing door accidents, defective brakes, and negligent security. Our MBTA subway accident lawyers represent victims who are injured or families who lose a loved one when an accident happens on any MBTA subway line.
Bus accidents
Our Boston MBTA bus accident lawyers handle all types of bus accident claims including private bus companies and public companies such as the MBTA. We handle single-vehicle accidents such as when a bus rolls over or strikes an object such as a road barrier. We represent victims when buses collide with other vehicles. Accidents may occur while people are boarding or exiting the bus. Our lawyers also represent bus any pedestrians or bicycle riders injured by an MBTA bus.
Some of the common causes of MBTA bus accidents include distracted driving, texting while driving, driver fatigue, speeding and other traffic violations, driver intoxication, maintenance violations, and defective bus parts. Other causes include improper turning which can cause wide-turn accidents, lack of training, and failure to comply with specific rules and regulations that govern bus operation.
Commuter rail accidents
At Breakstone, White & Gluck, we represent all types of train accident victims including Amtrak, MBTA commuter rail lines, commercial train providers, and light rail accidents. Our Boston MBTA train accident lawyers handle train accidents that involve derailments, accidents at railroad crossings with cars and trucks, accidents with pedestrians, runaway freight cars, train cars that are improperly parked, improper maintenance, faulty repairs, improper warnings, faulty crossing design, defective train parts, and other types of train accidents.
Our lawyers work with federal agencies such as the National Transportation Safety Board, local law enforcement, and our own investigators to determine how the MBTA train accident happened, why it was preventable, and who is responsible. The liable defendants may include the MBTA, commuter rail authorities, maintenance companies, design and engineering firms, construction firms, and others.
Ferry accidents
Ferry operators and municipalities such as the MBTA can be held accountable for any injuries or deaths that occur while picking up, transporting, or discharging passengers. Acts of negligence may include carrying more passengers than the legal limit, lack of proper training, failing to follow the navigation rules and safety protocols, failing to inspect and maintain the boat, not having a sufficient crew, and for other reasons.
Our Boston MBTA ferry lawyers understand the unique issues involved with ferry accidents including slip and fall liability issues.
RIDE accidents
The riders of paratransit services such as MBTA’s RIDE already have some balance and mobility challenges due to being temporarily or permanently disabled. Many paratransit riders use RIDE to see their doctors and other healthcare providers which means they’re already not feeling well.
While RIDE services are greatly appreciated, the drivers and MBTA need to take extra precautions to ensure the safety of their riders as they get on and off the vehicle and while the vehicle is in transit. Riders, especially those in wheelchairs, need to be secured to the bus so they don’t fall and so the wheelchair doesn’t roll around the vehicle.
Our MBTA RIDE accident attorneys work to hold drivers and the MBTA accountable for any vehicle accidents or slip and fall accidents that occur. The MBTA needs to be sure its drivers are trained at working with disabled riders. The vehicles should properly accommodate these riders.
Do you have an MBTA accident lawyer near me?
Our Boston MBTA lawyers meet clients and families at our Boston office located at 2 Center Plaza #530. We make arrangements to meet clients who are too ill to come to our office at their homes and healthcare facilities when necessary. We also conduct video conferences.
We’ll be your advocate with the insurance companies. When settlement offers are too low, we are always ready to try your accident claim before a jury.
Injured in any type of MBTA accident? Contact Breakstone, White & Gluck in MA
Injuries change lives. One day you’re feeling fine. When an accident happens, you hurt all the time. You worry about your health, your finances, and your ability to work and enjoy your life and family. At Breakstone, White & Gluck, we understand your fears. Our seasoned Boston MBTA trial lawyers will calmly guide you through each phase of the personal injury claims process. We’ll fight for all the economic and personal damages you deserve. We also represent families when a loved one dies. Call us now or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation. We handle accident claims on a contingency fee basis.
This is a very forward-thinking team who makes critical and appreciated investments in time and effort to give their clients the edge. I would absolutely recommend. ~ Junyong Pak