Most residents of the greater Seattle metropolitan area will agree that it is a nice place to live. With a cosmopolitan city center, major sports franchises, plenty of artistic outlets, as well as access to nearby outdoor activities like skiing, hiking and water-related activities, the city has much going for it. Then there are the spectacular views of Mount Ranier and other local vistas, making western Washington a beautiful place to live or visit. Like any urban area, however, there are also dangers present underneath that shining façade. Having many people in a small area, and allowing them to travel from place to place relatively conveniently usually means some form of mass transit, like busses or trains. When an accident happens involving one of these vehicles, there are usually many people affected, many of them seriously.
It is important to realize that, in the grand scheme of things, mass transit accidents are not particularly common. Many thousands of person-trips occur each day, and most end safely. However, when some problem does occur, the extent of the potential casualty pool, and the often catastrophic injuries incurred, make such incidents especially serious and memorable. Bus accidents, for example, can involve not only those on the bus, but also those on the street in the vicinity around the accident, and in vehicles and buildings close by. As large, heavy vehicles, the damage busses can do in collisions with other objects is significant.
Being a city built around water, ground transportation is not the only type of mass transit in Seattle. There are many ferries and other water-borne options as well, used both for commuting and sightseeing. There are even some companies that operate amphibious vehicles used to tour the area on both land and water. Ferry accidents, in particular, can be quite problematic, as they can involve numerous people on the boat, and the injection of deep, cold water into the equation can increase the risk of serious injury.
Those injured in problems involving a mass transit system should be aware that they may have legal rights. Whether operated by a governmental entity or private enterprise, such vehicles need to operated safely and responsibly, and when they are not, and that failure leads to injury, compensation may be warranted. Bus accident and other victims of such mass transit calamities may wish to consider consulting an experienced Seattle injury attorney.