The San Francisco Municipal Railway System (Muni) is California’s second largest railway system behind Los Angeles. With an average daily ridership of 679,800, Muni helps get commuters and visitors from one place to another. Unfortunately, injuries do happen and innocent victims may forever have their lives changed by catastrophic accidents.
The huge size and scope of SF Muni’s operations make accidents a matter of if, not when. In these situations, injury victims are strongly encouraged to seek the advice of an experienced San Francisco Muni train accident attorney to help get answers and the compensation they deserve.
About SF Muni
Muni trains are an important part of San Francisco. The various rail lines connect commuters to BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit System), AC Transit, Golden Gate Transit, Caltrain, and SamTrans. Muni rails also connect people to San Francisco International Airport and Oakland International Airport through mutual lines with BART.
SF Muni operates year round, serving riders with:
- a below ground subway (Muni Metro);
- two streetcar lines;
- three cable car lines;
- seven above ground light rail lines; and
- 54 trolley lines.
Muni rail accidents and fatalities
While the Muni rail system provides great benefits to San Franciscans, it is not without the potential for danger. Sometimes, carelessness on the part of rail operators may lead to innocent people being seriously hurt or even killed. Other times, oversight by managers may be the cause of catastrophic accidents.
In May 2015, a 12-year-old boy was killed after a Muni light rail vehicle ran him over. The child was on his way to school, attempting to catch a ride on another Muni rail. As the boy cross the street, the oncoming trail ran him over. Nearby residents had complained for years about the lack of warning signs for pedestrians.
In January 2016, five Muni light rail passengers were injured when their train collided with a large truck. The light rail operator and four passengers sustained neck and knee injuries and were taken to the hospital.
Lawsuits against Muni
If you or a loved one was hurt in a Muni train accident, you may be able to hold the rail line responsible if the accident arose out of an instance of negligence. The law holds that everyone must act in a safe and reasonable manner as to not place others at risk. Parties who breach this duty may be liable to compensate Muni rail injury victims for their damages.
Commercial rail operators like Muni are municipal entities, meaning they are owned by the city. Often times, they will deny any sort of wrongdoing or keep injury victims and their families in the dark about ongoing investigations. Hiring a San Francisco Muni accident attorney can help give victims a voice to demand accountability from those who caused undue harm.