Charleston CARTA Bus and Amtrak Train Accident Attorneys

If you or a loved one have suffered an injury in a CARTA bus or Amtrak train accident, you may be entitled to compensation for damages and injuries, or a wrongful death, by filing a personal injury lawsuit. CARTA is South Carolina’s largest public transportation provider with well over 4 million rides taken every year.

The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) offers public transportation in parts of Charleston and Dorchester counties including the cities of North Charleston, Charleston and the surrounding areas of Sullivan’s Island, Mount Pleasant, James Island, Summerville and the Isle of Palms. CARTA runs seven days a week and also offers weekday express commuter service, a free area shuttle service in downtown Charleston and Tel-A-Ride services for eligible residents.

CARTA transported nearly five million riders in 2012 with a weekday average of over 15,000 riders. The Downtown Area Shuttle service (DASH), which is free, accounted for nearly 1.2 million rides in 2012. The bus company offers 4 express routes, 17 fixed routes and 3 free shuttle routes with an average daily ridership of 13,368.

The fixed route offers trips on select routes running seven days a week, but with limited services on Sundays and select holidays. Routes are travelled by large passenger buses with bench seating, a wheelchair lift, two entrances and a bike rack with space for two bikes on the front of each bus. Less heavily travelled routed may be serviced with minibuses.

CARTA is partially funded by the Federal Transit Authority (FTA) and the South Carolina Department of Transport (SCDOT) and also receives local funding derived from bus fares and the Charleston County half-cent sales tax.

Charleston AMTRAK facilities are located at 4565 Gaynor Avenue, North Charleston, South Carolina. The station is being replaced by the new North Charleston Intermodal Transportation Center.

Accidents involving CARTA buses and AMTRAK trains are not uncommon. In September of 2017, two people were injured in an accident in front of the IHOP restaurant at 1521 Savannah Highway. In April of 2016 nine people, including the bus driver, were hospitalized after an accident involving a CARTA bus and another vehicle on Dorchester Road at Park Gate Drive in North Charleston. CARTA bus passengers and AMTRAK train travelers should be confident they are safe while traveling on a well-maintained bus or train to their destination. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

In February, a 2018 Amtrak passenger train slammed into a stationary freight train in South Carolina, killing two and injuring at least 116 people. The train was on the wrong track. Earlier, a train carrying Republican members of Congress hit a garbage truck killing a passenger in the vehicle. And in December, an Amtrak train, traveling on a brand new route jumped the trucks on an overpass, killing three on the highway below the tracks and injuring close to 100 others.

Bus and train accidents may involve multiple victims and result in serious and life altering injuries or even death. These types of accidents may be caused by negligence such as: driver fatigue, driving while under the influence, driving while distracted, speeding, reckless driving, maintenance problems, faulty equipment or a medical emergency on the part of the driver.

If negligence on the part of a CARTA driver or AMTRAK engineer and/or other workers results in an accident, victims have the right to sue for damages. If You Were Injured in a CARTA Bus or an AMTRAK train Accident, Contact a Charleston bus and train accident attorney today at the Steinberg Law Firm.