SEPTA Trolley Accident Lawyer: Claims on the D1, D2 and West Philadelphia Trolley Lines

Can you sue SEPTA after a trolley accident?

Yes. SEPTA's immunity is waived for injuries caused by the operation of a vehicle in its possession or control, and the statute defines that to include vehicles operated by rail, which covers trolleys (42 Pa.C.S. § 8522(b)(1)). You usually must file written notice within 6 months of the injury (42 Pa.C.S. § 5522), and damages are capped at $250,000 per plaintiff and $1,000,000 per occurrence (42 Pa.C.S. § 8528).

Those rules apply whether you were riding the trolley, driving a car it hit, or walking across the tracks. Our main SEPTA accident lawyer page explains the notice requirements in detail.

SEPTA's trolley lines and their new names

In February 2025 SEPTA began using SEPTA Metro letters for its rail transit lines, and riders will see both old and new names during the transition. According to SEPTA:

• D1 (formerly Route 101) runs from the 69th St Transit Center to Orange St in Media.
• D2 (formerly Route 102) runs from the 69th St Transit Center to Chester Pike in Sharon Hill.
• Together, the D1 and D2 are the Media-Sharon Hill Line, shown as the D.
• T1 through T5 (formerly Routes 10, 34, 13, 11 and 36) are the subway-surface trolleys that run between Center City and neighborhoods west of the Schuylkill.
• G1 (formerly Route 15) has its own letter and color.
• The M (formerly the Norristown High Speed Line) also leaves from 69th Street, though it is a separate rail line rather than a street trolley.

How trolley accidents happen

The D1 and D2 leave Upper Darby and run through Delaware County neighborhoods toward Media and Sharon Hill, crossing local roads along the way, and the T lines share streets with cars once they leave the tunnel in West Philadelphia. Common situations include:

• A car turning or crossing in front of a trolley at a street crossing.
• A trolley striking a pedestrian at a crossing or a stop.
• A passenger thrown by a sudden stop or a hard start.
• A passenger falling while boarding or getting off, especially at stops with a step down to the street.
• Doors closing on a rider, or the trolley moving before a rider is clear.
• A fall at the 69th Street terminal, on its stairs or on a platform.

Proving a trolley claim

A trolley cannot swerve, so these cases often turn on speed, signals, the operator's attention and whether the operator had time to stop. SEPTA vehicles and the 69th Street terminal have cameras, and operators file incident reports. We send preservation demands quickly and look at crossing signals, sightlines and the operator's records.

If another driver caused or contributed to the crash, that driver's insurance is also available, and it is not limited by SEPTA's cap. Pennsylvania's comparative negligence rule divides fault among everyone responsible and reduces your recovery by any share assigned to you (42 Pa.C.S. § 7102).

Trolley passengers and auto insurance

If a trolley hits your car, your own auto policy's first-party medical benefits generally pay your early medical bills, and every Pennsylvania policy includes at least $5,000 of them (75 Pa.C.S. § 1711). Your tort election on that policy then affects the pain-and-suffering part of the claim.

Passengers are a closer question. Pennsylvania's Vehicle Code defines a "vehicle" to exclude devices used exclusively upon rails or tracks (75 Pa.C.S. § 102), so the auto insurance rules written for bus passengers may not apply the same way to someone riding a trolley. Bring your auto policy to the consultation anyway so we can review every possible source of payment.

One practical note: SEPTA replaces D1 and D2 trolley service with shuttle buses on the first Saturday of each month for overhead wire work. An injury on one of those shuttle buses is a bus claim, which our SEPTA bus accident page covers.

What to do next

Report the incident to the operator, get medical care, and write down the line (D1, D2 or T route), the vehicle number, the stop, the time and any witnesses. Keep your SEPTA Key card or fare record. Then call before the notice deadline gets close; the lawsuit itself is generally due within 2 years (42 Pa.C.S. § 5524).

Our fee is 100% contingency: no attorney fee unless we recover. The firm advances all case costs, those costs are repaid only from a recovery, and you owe nothing if there is no recovery. Call (267) 412-4601, answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or send the free case review form.