A recent bus accident in Portland sent an elderly man to an area hospital. No charges have been filed yet in connection with the incident, but the bus driver in the pedestrian accident has been placed on paid administrative leave.
Reportedly, the accident happened at about 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 21 near the intersection of Southwest Capitol Highway and Sunset Boulevard. The 85-year-old man had boarded the bus and asked the driver where the bus was heading. He then exited the bus to evidently grab some belongings, but the driver purportedly mistook this to mean the man was getting off to wait for another bus.
As the bus began to pull away, the man began running alongside it in an attempt to catch the attention of the driver. It was at that time he either fell under the wheels or was struck by the bus, causing him to suffer a serious leg injury. Emergency responders rushed him to an area hospital, where information about his current condition was unavailable.
TriMet, the operator of the bus, will be holding an internal investigation into the matter. As the investigation is underway, the elderly man may consider taking the initial steps necessary toward filing a civil claim for personal injury. In pedestrian accidents of this type, monetary compensation may be available to cover the man’s medical expenses as well as other damages including pain and suffering. Moreover, as the bus driver was employed by TriMet, he may be able to successfully file the action against the employer as well as the bus operator.
Source: The Oregonlive, “Pedestrian injured incident with TriMet bus in Southwest Portland’s Hillsdale neighborhood,” Ray Whitehouse, Nov. 21, 2011
