• Experienced personal injury solicitors
• Affordable and independent legal advice
• Supporting people injured in public transport accidents since 1993
• Hassle-free claim process to secure your compensation
• Free initial consultation to talk about your claim

More than 83 million journeys are made on Northern Ireland’s bus and rail network every year. While public transport is a popular way of travelling around Belfast and further afield, it is not without its risks and public transport accidents do happen.

You might need to make a public transport accident claim because you were involved in a collision while travelling on public transport or because a public transport vehicle collided with you when you were not a passenger.

You might also have sustained an injury because of how the public transport vehicle was being driven, even if there was no collision.

The main types of public transport accident claims are:

Bus Accident Claims
You were injured when a Translink-operated bus, such as Ulsterbus, Metro, Goldline or Glider services, or a private hire bus was involved in a collision or was driven in a way that caused your accident.

Taxi Accident Claims
You were injured in a collision involving a private hire taxi, black taxi or Uber.

Train Accident Claims
You were injured by or while travelling on a train operated by Northern Ireland Railways.

A wide variety of injuries can be sustained in public transport accidents, ranging from minor bruising to life-changing injuries and even fatalities. The severity will depend on the circumstances of the accident and the speed at which the public transport vehicle was travelling. Common public transport accident injuries include:

Whiplash – Just like in road traffic accidents, whiplash can be sustained when the body is thrust forward and immediately jolted back due to sudden braking or a collision. This is particularly common because many public transport vehicles do not have seatbelts.

Cuts, Bruises and Burns – These injuries can be suffered if you are thrown to the ground by a collision or sudden movement. You could also be thrust into the seat in front, another part of the furniture, or hit by an unsecured object. Being forced to stand or a spillage on the floor might cause you to slip or fall, which can also cause these injuries.

Broken Bones – Broken and fractured bones might be caused if you are hit or clipped by a public transport vehicle. They could also be sustained in a heavy fall or crush caused by a collision or sudden movement.

Head or Spinal Injury – Head or spinal injuries are typically caused by high-speed or heavy-impact collisions involving public transport vehicles. Heavy luggage falling from overhead racks can also cause these injuries.

Fatal Injury – Given the speed and size of many public transport vehicles, accidents can sometimes result in fatalities.

Psychological Injury – Any accident is a traumatic experience. The scale and circumstances of public transport accidents can make them particularly troubling, and this often results in psychological injuries.

Anybody injured in a public transport accident that wasn’t their fault is eligible to claim compensation.

This could be pedestrians or even a public transport driver who was not responsible for the accident. But most claims are made by passengers. Public transport operators have a duty of care to their passengers, and if driver negligence has resulted in an injury then you are entitled to compensation.

Claiming for Yourself – If you were travelling on or involved in a collision with a public transport vehicle and sustained an injury that wasn’t your fault you can claim.

Claiming on Behalf of Someone Else – If a loved one has been the victim of a public transport accident and is unable to make a claim themselves, you can claim on their behalf.

We’ve designed our claim process to cause minimal disruption to your life. Once you’ve made contact with us, our experienced solicitors will handle the entire process from start to finish. This is what you can expect.

Step 1: Contact Reid Black
The first stage is to get in touch to arrange a free consultation with one of our solicitors. You will get independent legal advice with no obligation to proceed with us.

Step 2: Gathering Information
We will gather any evidence that will support your claim. This might include medical notes, video footage or photos from the scene, and the accounts of any eyewitnesses or fellow passengers.

Step 3: Medical Assessment
You can only claim once so we want to be certain the full extent of your injuries is known when we make your claim. We’ll arrange for an independent medical professional to assess any long-term or undetected injuries.

Step 4: Compensation Negotiations
Once we’ve got all of the facts we will negotiate with the public transport operator’s representatives — usually its insurance company — to secure the maximum compensation payout to which you’re entitled.

Step 5: Compensation Payout
We will continue to support you to oversee the payout process and make sure you receive the compensation agreed upon in a timely manner.

Usually, you need to claim within three years of a public transport accident. This does vary slightly:

• If you were over 18 at the time, you must claim within three years of the accident
• If you were under 18 at the time, you must claim by your 21st birthday

You may be allowed more time to make your claim if there are mitigating circumstances, such as your injuries preventing you from claiming. In all cases, the best option is to start your claim as soon as possible.

The amount of compensation you can claim following a public transport accident will depend on the seriousness of your injuries, how severely your life is impacted and for how long. You can claim:

General Damages
Compensation for the level of pain and suffering you endured because of your injuries. The more serious and longer-lasting the pain, the greater the damages will be.

Special Damages
Compensation for out-of-pocket expenses you’ve incurred because of a public transport accident. This includes costs such as medical bills, replacing damaged items and loss of earnings.

We’ve been helping people in Northern Ireland get the compensation they deserve since 1993. Our solicitors are widely recognised as road traffic accident claim experts — and most public transport accident claims fall under that category. You’re welcome to join us for a no-obligation consultation. Get some free initial legal advice before entrusting us with your claim.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you’ve been injured as the result of a public transport accident, take the first step gaining the compensation you deserve. Contact our specialist personal injury solicitors today for a free, friendly, no-obligation initial consultation.