In a tragic accident that occurred Saturday night, a man fell from a platform and was dragged beneath a Dallas Area Rapid Transit train and was killed. The accident occurred inCarrollton. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
Although it’s possible DART was not responsible for the accident that occurred Saturday night, common carriers do have a responsibility to keep passengers safe. “Common carriers” are those whose business it is to transport individuals from one place to another for compensation, and whose services are open to the public. Some examples of common carriers include commercial buses, trains, subways, airplanes, taxis and ferries.
Common carriers owe their passengers a special duty to passengers. In general, common carriers are required to use the highest degree of care and diligence in transporting passengers to their destinations. The common carriers must have the equipment and skill to transport passengers.
Although common carriers do owe a high degree of care for their passengers, they are not considered insurers of their passengers’ safety. They are only required to exercise that degree of care that could reasonably be expected. If a passenger is injured, it’s not automatically the responsibility of the common carrier – the accident could have been caused by the passenger’s negligence.
If you have been injured in a common carrier accident, contact the personal injury attorneys at The Barber Law Firm. It’s important to preserve evidence and investigate the accident before it’s too late.
