Southern California is no pedestrian’s paradise beyond the beaches, but there are many alternatives to driving. Millions of Californians rely on buses, trains and boats to get them to work or errands and back every day. Professional drivers and strict rules around mass transit keep these people safe as they thumb through their smartphones or books.
It is rare that people traveling by mass transit experience an injury during their journey, but it can be more than a simple inconvenience when it happens. A ferry with 53 passengers on board from Larkspur to San Francisco’s Embarcadero caused a scare and two injuries when it struck a dock near the terminal in the early afternoon of a recent Friday.
Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the accident, which caused a panic on the popular waterfront district. The ferry boat bumped off of one dock, which sent it into another and up to a concrete walkway. A passenger suffered back injuries while another received a bruised hip in the collision.
The United States Coast Guard is heading up response to the incident. “[We must] ensure we understand the cause of the collision and are able to recommend measures that can prevent future incidents,” a spokesperson for the federal maritime agency said.
Victims of mass transit accidents and the survivors of bus, train or boat crash fatalities may have a case for financial damages, which can help people and their families recover from an unexpected disaster. An attorney is a recommended advisor to people considering a claim in civil court.