If you have had an accident in Kansas City, or anywhere throughout the states, and you know the accident and the injuries you received were the fault of a government worker or government agency you may be entitled to file a personal injury compensation claim against whoever caused the accident.
If the claim is to be filed against the state or one of its employees it’s not quite as easy as filing against a private business, organization or individual as different rules usually apply. It is therefore a good strategy to talk to a knowledgeable personal injury attorney who can make a quick decision as to whether you are likely to win your claim.
City and State Laws Regarding Government Personal Injury Claims
To file a claim for damages, you are required to follow the approach laid down by the city, which is not necessarily a lawsuit. The state’s Tort Claims Act was written to protect government entities from lawsuits so you are required to file a notice of claim with the designated office.
You need to write and mail a letter containing all the key information about the accident. This should include all the key details such as the damage to your auto with estimates to repair it and copies of any medical bills issued so far. The written claim including any photos must be filed with the Law Department, either by delivering it yourself personally or sending it in the mail. The city’s legal department will then investigate the claim and determine if the city is liable for damages.
If the claim is rejected, you may then be able to go ahead with a personal injury claim with the help of an attorney.
Potential Car Accident Causes
The most likely car accident to take place in a large city is with a bus, as they are the most common form of transport that is administered by the government. But there are other government operated vehicles that use the roads including police cars, fire engines and those used by paramedics to get to the scene of an accident.
If you are involved in an accident with a police or other emergency vehicle typically it’s not usually possible to sue a government department if its vehicle is responding to an emergency. You may have grounds to file a personal injury claim if your accident was caused by a defect in the road, such as a pothole, which should have been fixed.
Accidents Involving City Transportation
If you have an accident involving buses run by RideKC, you may still have a chance of filing for compensation. Typical errors are failure to signal properly, failure to look out when turning or moving away from a bus stop; distracted driving and failure to obey traffic regulations at an intersection. Here's a little more on filing a claim after getting hit by a bus.
It’s virtually impossible on your own to know how to file a successful personal injury claim against a powerful government entity like RideKC so the only way you are likely to be justly compensated for your injuries is to seek help from an experienced attorney who will have won cases before against those injured by a public transportation on making a successful claim against the person or other party who caused the accident in vehicle.
Disclaimer
The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Kansas City, or the state government of Missouri, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
