Houston, Texas METRO Accident Lawyer
An accident involving Houston's primary public transportation agency, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO), a bus, light rail and bus rapid transit can be extremely confusing.
Determining who was at fault, and which insurance policy will compensate the injured victims is often complex. If the at-fault party happens to be a government vehicle, typically governmental immunity is invoked. There are different rules in play for accidents involving government vehicles.
METRO also operates a High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) and High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes, a para transit service (METROLift). It operates bus service to two cities in Fort Bend County and Conroe in Montgomery County. METRO headquarters are located in downtown Houston. METRO serves 1,285 square miles and portions of an eight-county region using its vanpool service. Approximately 3,800 people work for METRO.
Mario de la Garza is a good lawyer. He was compassionate and patient and provided good counsel when solutions appeared non-existent. -HP
Municipal Immunity or Governmental Immunity in METRO Accident Cases
Municipalities can be sued, but traditionally they have not always been well served by the courts. Courts classify a governmental function as any act undertaken to further the “welfare of the public at large and… not voluntarily assumed just for the benefit of the people of some particular locality.”
The essence of court opinions is that municipalities are often held liable for torts committed by their workers and/or agents. However, courts have also traditionally attempted to balance both sides of a case. A lawsuit, or tort claim, filed against a municipality such as the City of Houston, a county or even the state, requires a serious re-evaluation of the law of governmental immunity.
Municipal functions considered by courts that are governmental, such as running a bus line or rail line, are thus governed by legal principles that are highly confusing. For this reason, if you are involved in an accident with METRO, do not attempt to try and settle the case on your own. Act quickly and reach out and connect with an experienced Houston METRO accident lawyer at The de la Garza Law Firm, which can make sense of the laws that apply in your case.
Common causes of accidents
The same factors that typically cause a car crash can also cause a METRO collision, such as:
- A driver under the influence of a street or prescription drug
- Careless, negligent driving
- Blindspot collisions
- Texting while driving
- Not seeing other vehicles
- Not seeing pedestrians/motorcyclists/those on bicycles
- Driver recklessness
- Speeding
- A driver behind the wheel DWI
- Unfamiliarity with an area of the city or route
- Improperly maintained vehicles
Commonly, victims of METRO accidents in Houston are other vehicles and their drivers or passengers, motorcyclists, bicyclists, joggers, and pedestrians. METRO buses are quite large, and the average weight of transit buses is 38,000 pounds. Even at low speeds, there is a very high risk of causing severe injuries or death.
Typically, if a bus is owned and operated by a public entity, i.e., a government entity, such as the City of Houston, the same limitations that apply to all government liability cases apply to accidents involving buses, whether the plaintiff was or was not a passenger on the bus.
A METRO accident claim must be brought against the bus company and/or public entity within six months of the date of the accident. Plaintiffs are not entitled to recover punitive damages. If the bus is privately owned, none of the limitations apply. Because the law surrounding governmental immunity is complex, it is best to call a knowledgeable de la Garza Law Firm bus accident attorney right away. Our attorneys will help you find out what your legal rights are, what timelines are applicable in your case and how you should proceed.
We proudly represent clients throughout Texas, including all major metropolitan areas. We represent many clients throughout the greater Houston area, including Harris County, Fort Bend County, Galveston County, Brazoria County, Jefferson County, Chambers County, Waller County, and Montgomery County, including The Woodlands, Pearland, Pasadena, Baytown, Clear Lake, Galveston, Conroe, and Sugar Land.
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- Christina
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Thank you! You guys are #1 to me.
Mr. Mario de la Garza and his team are one of a kind and hands down the best law firm in Houston. They really do care about you and take your case seriously. He takes your calls and actually takes the time to talk to you and explain how everything is going to work and he leaves no questions unanswered. I also want to say his team is the best! Lidia thank you so much for always replying to all my emails, calls and messages. All though I know I was a pain at times, she was always so responsive, patient and would always return my calls when she said she would. – Christina L.
★★★★★
I was fortunate to have him on my team and recommend him highly.
Mario de la Garza is a good lawyer. He secured insurance reimbursement for a personal injury that has taken 2.5 years settle. He was compassionate and patient and provided good counsel when solutions appeared non- existent. He was tenacious with medical providers, coordinated payments on a timely basis and worked well with insurance companies. I was fortunate to have him on my team and recommend him highly. - HP
★★★★★
My experience with The de la Garza Law Group was phenomenal.
Me being a 21 year old juggling my time as a full time employee and a full time college student dealing with a car accident sounded terrifying, but with the help of Mr. Mario de la Garza all my worries went away. He made the process so easy and met every one of my expectations and more. I would highly recommend The de la Garza Law group to anybody especially young adults who are terrified of having to deal with a car accident for the first time. Trust and believe The de la Garza Law Group will not disappoint. - Stefanie G.
★★★★★
Mario fought for every single penny in my case.
I was in a 18 wheeler car accident late August 2019. And as soon I got out the hospital, I looked up a good Injury attorney law firm to help me with this case. And the De la Garza law firm was the first one to pop up. They took care of me throughout the nine months. They have a great staff. With great people. I give them 5/5 stars. Mario fought for every single penny in my case. You got to respect a lawyer that’s willing to go beyond for you. I highly recommend De la Garza’s law firm. Thank you guys. - JW
★★★★★
I would definitely use Mario again.
The one thing that made me at ease with him was that when I would text him, I would get a response every time within 10 minutes or less. There was always an answer from him every time I had a question. He was always on time or a few minutes early when we had to meet up for things pertaining to my case. He would even work & reach out to me about my case on Saturdays & Sundays (7 days a week). I would definitely use Mario again if needed and would highly recommend him to someone else needing an attorney. - Robert C.
★★★★★
We are extremely grateful to The de la Garza Law Group
Our case pertained to an auto-pedestrian collision involving a commercial vehicle that resulted in catastrophic injuries to my brother. Unfortunately, and ultimately these injuries resulted in his wrongful death due to this hit and run in the Houston area. On behalf of my family, we are extremely grateful to The de la Garza Law Group for all their legal assistance. Mario de la Garza personally assisted in all legal matters pertaining to/and getting settlements for all medical bills and restitution for the family until the matter was concluded. We highly recommend this firm.
– Mariann B.
★★★★★
His team is very professional and I would highly recommend to anyone.
My experience with Mr. De la Garza was very pleasing during a difficult time. My case was a workplace injury causing serious injuries that unfortunately lead to a wrongful death. He was very patient with all of us due to several families being involved in this case and worked well with us all. I am glad he didn’t turn down our case (like others did). I was very pleased with how everything was handled in this case and the outcome as well. His team is very professional, and I would highly recommend to anyone. Thank you, Mr. de la Garza and team. – Lisa L.
★★★★★
I fully recommend The de la Garza Law Group for any legal representation.
Attorney Mario de la Garza, who is fluent in English and Spanish, is very professional and passionate about his work. My daughter and I are very satisfied with the outcome. At The de la Garza Group you will find a friendly and communicative staff, which along with the attorney, will handle your legal case with a very positive and professional demeanor. - Desiree D.
★★★★★
Thank you for your help.
My experience with De la Garza law group was a very long pleasant experience it was a little difficult to keep up with it since this was my 1st experience with an attorney, but he did really great to keep in touch even though I have a very busy schedule with work and hard to reach and was very informative before, and during the whole process. Thank you, Mr. de la Garza for your help. – Denise G.
★★★★★
It’s like a breath of fresh air having someone like Mario fight for you.
I have been a client of Mr. De la Garza two times now where he shows professionalism and honesty and a definite care for the people he represents. I got in a car accident in February and it caused such a hardship coming close to an end. It’s like a breath of fresh air having someone like Mario not only represent you but fight for you. I hope not to have any more accidents but if I did I will look forward to working with him again! – Ashley V.
