What Happens if You’re Injured by a Public Vehicle

Although it seems like a rare occurrence to most, auto accidents with publicly-owned vehicles are somewhat common, and when they occur an entirely separate set of procedural rules apply if the person who’s been harmed by a vehicle that’s being driven by a government employee or official intends to file a legal claim for the damages incurred. We posted yesterday about what could happen when someone is injured by a company-owned vehicle, and that’s a situation that’s quite distinct from this one.

If you have been injured by a government vehicle in an auto accident that’s not your fault, then you will likely need to file a claim against the city, the county, the state or the federal government, depending on what type of vehicle was involved. If it’s a local government vehicle, you have some work to do before you can file a lawsuit. You need to file a statement with the city that details your intent to pursue a claim, and the city has time to review the situation and decide whether or not to settle or to refuse any request for damages.

If the city does not agree with your assertion for damages, you can proceed to civil court to file your action and pursue your claim. However, if you skip the important step detailed above and simply run to the courthouse, you could have your case dismissed until proper channels are followed.

If you are injured by a federally-owned vehicle, you may have to pursue a claim in federal court, although that depends somewhat on the facts surrounding the situation, as jurisdictional rules can be extremely complicated. The last thing you want to do is make an unnecessary mistake, as doing so will cost you time and money. In order to make sure that you do not fall into this situation, contact the Seattle auto accident attorneys at Phillips & Webster today to schedule a free initial consultation.