(235+)The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) gives approximately 302 million rides each year. Inevitably, accidents and injuries will occur.
If you have a SEPTA claim, you need to know how to contact the SEPTA Claims Department.
The Gibbons & Crichton attorneys explain and invite you to get in touch if you or a loved one suffered an injury from a SEPTA bus crash.
SEPTA Claims and Contacting SEPTA
First contact – Reporting the accident and getting an incident card
If you are injured and seeking compensation from SEPTA, you may need to contact the claims department. Your first contact should be reporting the incident to your SEPTA driver or other official as soon as it occurs. If there is an accident involving a bus, your driver will likely know immediately that it happened.
The first contact you should have with SEPTA is completing an incident card on the scene of the accident unless your injuries are so bad that you can’t complete the form. The incident card creates a record that you have been in an accident with SEPTA. Give the driver a copy of the form and keep a copy for yourself.
Second contact – Providing notice of your claim
Your next contact with SEPTA should be submitting a notice of your claim. Because SEPTA is a public institution, the Pennsylvania Political Subdivision Tort Claims Act applies. That means Pa.C.S. § 5522 creates a six-month time limit for the injured person to provide notice to SEPTA of their intent to claim compensation. This notice is a prerequisite to filing a formal legal claim. Failing to file it may jeopardize your claim.
The notice isn’t filed with the court. It’s given directly to the SEPTA Claims Department.
A notice must include the following information:
- Victim name
- Victim address
- Date and time the accident occurred
- Location of the accident
- Name and address of attending physician
What happens if you don’t file a SEPTA injury notice on time?
If you don’t file a SEPTA injury notice on time, a civil action based on the injury may be dismissed. If it is, a claim for compensation is forever barred. It’s possible for the court to make an exception if the victim provides a reasonable excuse. In addition, for SEPTA claims, if the authority has actual or constructive notice, missing the notice deadline does not bar a claim.
The six-month notice time limit can be stayed for up to 90 days because of incapacity or disability from the injury. If the victim dies, the six-month time limit begins running on the date of death.
What happens after you file the SEPTA notice of claim?
After you file the SEPTA notice of claim, SEPTA representatives can review it. They might extend you a settlement offer. If they offer to settle, and you accept the settlement, that ends the case. You finalize the settlement and you receive compensation.
However, it’s common for SEPTA to fail to offer a settlement. The next step is to formally file a lawsuit for compensation.
Third contact – SEPTA claim for compensation
Once you have provided notice of intent to file a lawsuit, you have two years to start the lawsuit.
Like the notice time limit, missing the deadline to file the legal claim can prevent you from receiving compensation. However, you should always contact us – don’t assume that it’s too late.
How Do I Contact the SEPTA Claims Department?
By mail/physical address/in-person
SEPTA Customer Service Department
1234 Market Street, Fourth Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107
By phone
(215) 580-7800
Live chat
SEPTA Chat Now
Hours: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekdays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekends
Comments form
Contact SEPTA by using the online contact form.
Social media
Facebook – View the SEPTA official Facebook page.
Instagram – View the SEPTA Instagram page.
Twitter – View the SEPTA Twitter page and the SEPTAKey Twitter page.
The SEPTA customer service department headquarters is located at the 1234 Market Street address. However, there are several customer service locations throughout the Philadelphia area. A person can contact the SEPTA Claims Department by going to any of the in-person service locations during business hours. Business hours are typically 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Mondays to Fridays.
What To Do When You Contact the SEPTA Claims Department
When you have contact with the SEPTA Claims Department, you want to help your case. You want to avoid doing or saying anything that could jeopardize your claim. It’s important to know what information you must provide to SEPTA and what information you should provide.
Keep your interactions with SEPTA polite and professional. It’s best to communicate in writing when possible. Remember that claims representatives are not there to assist you. Something that you say may sound innocent but end up hurting your case.
Can you have a lawyer represent you to contact the SEPTA Claims Department?
Yes. You can have a lawyer representing you when you contact the SEPTA claims department.
A lawyer can assist you in providing the appropriate information and complying with time deadlines.
How can a lawyer help me with contacting the SEPTA Claims Department?
A lawyer can help you with contacting the SEPTA Claims Department in the following ways:
- Knowing how to prepare a notice of claim and what information needs to be included
- Determining the best way to submit the notice and verify submission
- Meeting the six-month deadline to file notice and then the two-year claim deadline
- Identifying what the claim is worth and what compensation you may receive under the law
- Discussing the claim with SEPTA representatives, including any negotiations
- Evaluating any settlement offers or responses from SEPTA
- Proving your right to compensation, representing you throughout the case
Contacting SEPTA is an important part of any claim for compensation. If you have been hurt in an accident, how you handle the claims process can impact the outcome of your case.
Speak to a Philadelphia Lawyer for a SEPTA Accident Claim
If you have been in an accident involving SEPTA, we invite you to contact the personal injury attorneys at Gibbons & Crichton. Our legal team understands how to interact with the SEPTA Claims Department to pursue your case.
For a free consultation about your situation, contact us today.
