A rideshare or pickup-zone crash at the 69th Street Transportation Center can happen when a vehicle stops at the curb, pulls away from the pickup area, or moves through traffic near the station. Whether the vehicle is an Uber, Lyft, or another car, the circumstances of the crash can affect who may be responsible for your injuries.
At Rand Spear – The Accident Lawyer, our Upper Darby personal injury lawyers handle crashes involving vehicles picking up or dropping off passengers around the 69th Street Transportation Center.
The Pickup Curb Outside the 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby
About 35,000 riders pass through the 69th Street Transportation Center on a weekday, and only one other SEPTA station handles more transfers. Buses and trolleys pull into their own bays inside the complex. Private cars and rideshare drivers have no such space, so they work the street frontages instead.
Those frontages were never built for this level of activity. The commercial blocks here went up in the 1920s, when riders arrived on foot and by streetcar. The four-story McClatchy Building still anchors the corner at 69th and Market, set flush against the sidewalk. Curb space is narrow, and the corners are tight, so one waiting car takes up part of the street.
Why Do Drivers Stop in the Travel Lane at the 69th Street Curb in Upper Darby?
Drivers stop in the lane because the curb is already taken. Buses hold much of the frontage, and the open spots fill early. Timing matters as well. A driver gets a pickup point and a short window to reach it, so circling the block is not a real option. The car halts in the travel lane beside a parked car, a practice called double-stopping.
Riders walk south from the terminal past storefronts like Carib Grill on South 69th Street. Cars pull up along that block to meet them. The terminal itself is split into west, south, and north sections, so a rider and a driver do not always choose the same door.
How Does a Stopped Car Hide Someone on Foot in Upper Darby?
A stopped car blocks the view in both directions. The driver in the next lane cannot see someone stepping out from behind it, and the walker cannot see the approaching car. Vans and taller SUVs widen the blind spot. Someone leaving the terminal usually has to walk between two staged vehicles to reach the one waiting for them. A driver passing on the left gets no warning at all.
Crashes such as these hurt people on foot the most. PennDOT found that people walking and biking accounted for about 4% of crashes in Pennsylvania but about 15% of traffic deaths. A person walking has no seat belt or airbag to soften the impact.
Can You Still Recover if You Stepped Out Between Two Stopped Cars in Upper Darby?
Pennsylvania follows comparative negligence, which means you can still recover damages even if you were partly at fault. The claim only fails if you carried more of the blame than the driver did. An insurance adjuster may say you walked into the lane without looking, and the argument sounds fair until someone checks where the vehicles were sitting. A driver still has to look before pulling out or backing up.
Any share of blame that lands on you reduces what you collect, but it does not erase the personal injury claim.
What Evidence Matters After a Curbside Crash in Upper Darby?
The strongest evidence shows where every vehicle was stopped. Photographs taken at the scene do that far better than a description written days later.
Most of these claims turn on negligence, meaning a driver failed to exercise reasonable care. A driver who pulls out without checking the lane fits that description, and so does one who reverses toward a crowded sidewalk. Proving it depends on where each vehicle was positioned and what each driver could see.
Rideshare trip records also help, since they show when a driver arrived and whether the app was running. Those records are with the company rather than the driver, so obtaining them takes a formal request. Our Upper Darby personal injury lawyers at Rand Spear – The Accident Lawyer gather that proof and handle the insurers while you recover.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pickup and Drop-Off Crashes in Upper Darby
- Besides the Driver Who Hit Me, Who Else Can Be Held Responsible in Upper Darby?
A rideshare company’s insurance may apply, and the extent depends on whether the driver was logged into the app and whether a passenger was aboard. If the car belonged to someone other than the driver, that owner may also share responsibility.
- What Losses Can I Claim After Being Hit at an Upper Darby Pickup Curb?
A curbside crash claim can include medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Costs that arrive later, such as follow-up care or time out of work, belong in the same claim.
- Does a Low-Speed Curb Crash Still Count as a Case in Upper Darby?
It can. What matters is the injury and whether another driver caused it, not how fast the vehicle was moving.
If You Were Hurt in a Crash, Contact an Upper Darby Personal Injury Lawyer at Rand Spear – The Accident Lawyer
Our Upper Darby personal injury lawyers at Rand Spear – The Accident Lawyer know how vehicles stack up along these curbs, and how much a claim can turn on where each one was stopped. Located in Philadelphia, as well as Cherry Hill and Marlton, NJ, we assist clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Call 215-985-0138 or reach us through our online form to schedule a free consultation.
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