Personal Injury Law

Metro Rail Cars To Be Equipped With Cameras

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire

According to James Hohmann of the Washington Post, WMATA "officials are preparing to install video cameras on an unspecified number of rail cars, the first step in what could become a systemwide surveillance network that officials say will help them better manage crowds and investigate criminal activity."  This will be paid for through a grant from the Department of Homeland Security.  Some of the $27.8 million in grants will be also used to put more cameras on buses.

"[T]here's a lot of good information the cameras can capture," Metro Transit Police Deputy Chief Jeff Delinski said. I agree with Mr. Delinski.  Not only will it capture criminal activity, but it will also capture negligent conduct.  By having cameras on buses, the circumstances that give rise to accidents will be more readily determined.

I recently represented a woman who was struck by a car that sped through a crosswalk.  There was a bus next to the car that had stopped for pedestrians.  I tracked down the bus company and determined that it had a camera on-board.  The camera captured the movement of the car that struck my client.  It proved to be powerful evidence in the case. 

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Full post as published by DC Metro Area Personal Injury Law Blog on September 29, 2009 (boomark / email).