A car accident is something you never want to happen to either you or anyone else. Unfortunately people are busier than ever and that means once they step into their vehicles they are about to start a race to the next destination.
This happens in the hectic city as much as anywhere else. On a daily basis, car accidents happen mostly between private drivers so it’s possible to file a personal injury claim and get compensation for the financial hardship due to the accident.
If the accident involves a city employee driving a work vehicle like a bus it’s far more difficult to win compensation against anyone working in the state sector. It’s important to talk to an experienced personal injury attorney before starting the claims process.
State Laws Regarding Government Personal Injury Claims
There are many challenges when it comes to a personal injury claim that involves the state or government. Any injury claim that is as a result of a negligent act on the behalf of a city or state employee doesn’t follow the same set of rules as private personal injury claims.
In this state, this sort of injury claim filed against state government or the city has to be filed with the Risk Management Division in the Office of Administration. You have just 90 days to submit a formal claim against any city.
Government entities are covered by “sovereign immunity,” which means lawsuits can’t be filed against them. However, sovereign immunity doesn’t apply to negligent government employees when they are driving motor vehicles, but caps and other restrictions apply on how much and what sort of compensation accidents victims can claim receive from a public entity.
Potential Car Accident Causes
Most car accidents are due to the actions of other negligent drivers. A small proportion of these drivers is employed by the city government and may be driving one of the many city buses or another government owned vehicle. The causes of these accidents could be:
- running a red light;
- rear ending another vehicle due to distractive driving;
- speeding following grid lock;
- a pothole left unattended in the road.
Accidents Involving a City Bus
This is a very large service provider and accidents with buses take place for a number of reasons including:
- driver fatigue;
- driver intoxication;
- speeding;
- texting and talking on a cell phone;
- running a red light.
Get Legal Advice From an Attorney Before Filing a Claim Against the City
It’s important to be compensated for an accident that’s not your fault so if you have to file a claim against a city or state employee it is advisable to hire a personal injury attorney to work on your behalf.
Additional Resources
*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 the city of St Louis, or the state government of Missouri, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
