Court Confirms Bus Operator Has No Obligation To Wait Until Passenger Sits Before Proceeding

In the case of Musser v. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transp. Auth., May Term, 2023, No. 230502736 (C.P. Phila. Co. Jan. 22, 2025 Jacquinto, J.), the trial court issued a Rule 1925 Opinion detailing the reasons for its denial of the Plaintiff’s post-trial motions in a matter involving a Plaintiff who was injured when a SEPTA bus began to move before the Plaintiff had sat down as a result of which the Plaintiff allegedly fell.

The trial court concluded that its judgment should be affirmed where the trial court felt that it did not err in instructing the jury that, under Pennsylvania law, a bus operator has no obligation to wait until boarding passengers are seated before proceeding from a stop.

The jury in this matter concluded that the Plaintiff was 74% negligent, which resulted in a defense verdict.

Anyone wishing to review a copy of this decision may click this LINK.


Source: The Legal Intelligencer Common Pleas Case Alert, www.Law.com (June 11, 2025).

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