Bus Accident Lawyer
As one of the largest vehicles on the road, a school bus, shuttle bus, or chartered bus can inflict a lot of damage on a passenger car or pedestrian. But buses shouldn’t be a risk as long as they are well-maintained and the drivers are well-trained and pay close attention to the road. Sometimes, though, something can go horribly wrong and an accident happens. When the unthinkable occurs, The Joel Bieber Firm is on your side. Call today for a free case review with an experienced bus accident lawyer.
Have You Been Injured in an Accident Involving a Bus?
Injuries from a bus accidents can be catastrophic for pedestrians and cyclists. And even if you are riding the bus when an accident happens, you can still get pain and suffering. Many buses don’t offer the same kinds of protections as a passenger car, like seatbelts or airbags, so you may be hurt worse on a bus than you would be in your car.
You deserve to be compensated for your injuries after a bus accident, and we can help. Bus accident attorneys can help you with filing bus accident claim after any kind of bus accident cases, including:
- Charter or tour bus
- School bus
- Airport or hotel shuttle
- Public transportation bus
- Cross-country travel bus
The kind of bus that caused your accident often indicates which party or parties are responsible for the collision. Not all bus accident liability is the same under the law, and some cases, such as those involving a government-administered bus line, may be extremely complex.
Your bus accident lawyer evaluates who is at fault for your injuries and constructs the appropriate argument for your claim for compensatory damages.
Bus Accident Injury Facts
Injuries from a bus accident can be serious and painful and may require extensive treatment, such as surgery or physical therapy. Some victims may never be physically or mentally the same after a bus accident.
Common injuries bus accident victims suffer include:
- Broken bones and fractures
- Partial limb amputation or crushing injury
- Traumatic brain injury or a concussion
- Lacerations, contusions, and deep cuts
- Internal organ damage or internal bleeding
People who have been hurt in a bus accident may suffer multiple serious injuries. Tragically, some victims may not survive. If this has happened to your loved one, your bus accident lawyer can file a wrongful death suit for your family against the party that caused your loved one’s accident.
The Most Common Causes of Bus Accidents
Protecting yourself against a bus accident includes knowing more about how they commonly happen. Whether you’re driving alongside a city bus, getting on and off a bus, or cycling near one, defensive actions and an awareness of these giant machines can keep you safe.
Bus accidents can be caused by the following:
- Head-on collisions or left-turn crashes (when the bus driver misjudges the speed of another driver)
- Rear-end collisions (if a bus is following too closely)
- Merging accidents — buses have a larger blind spot than cars
- Failure to yield or follow traffic signs and signals
- Accidents due to unsafe speeds
- Pedestrian or cyclist accidents (when a bus driver fails to properly check for those walking or riding)
Buses require a wider berth to turn and need additional clearance. Also, their center of gravity is higher than other vehicles, making them unwieldy and more likely to tip over.
Because they are so big and heavy, weighing about 80,000 pounds fully loaded, buses need more space to slow down; Cutting off a bus and slamming on your brakes can be risky.
Establishing Liability After a Bus Accident
Liability is the crux of your bus accident personal injury claim. Many times, the liability isn’t as cut-and-dried as an accident involving two private passenger cars. Depending on the type of bus involved, liability may be shared by the driver, the bus company, and even the city.
The first step your bus accident lawyer takes is to investigate the cause of your accident to determine liability.
Take, for example, a case where you are riding a bus and another driver cuts the bus off and slams on their brakes. The bus rear-ends the car, but you, on board the bus, are hurt in the crash. The passenger car driver may be liable since they were driving recklessly and caused the accident.
Staying with this example, suppose that the passenger car merged in front of the bus but allowed a few car lengths to spare. The bus may have slowed down, but because of a brake malfunction, it collided with the car in front of them, causing a wreck and your injuries.
In this case, the bus company or city bus service may be at fault for failing to maintain the bus to proper safety standards.
Perhaps you’re a pedestrian or cyclist crossing in front of a bus when the driver hits you. Because the driver sits up so high from the ground, they may not see you. You may have been following the right traffic protocols, but the driver may have been poorly trained, distracted or drowsy, or even operating the bus under the influence.
In this case, the company responsible for training and supervising the driver may be at fault along with the driver.
The Benefits of Working with an Experienced Bus Accident Lawyer
Establishing liability after a bus accident can be complex. If the city government responsible for operating the bus involved shares liability, or if the bus company may have been negligent in the driver training and hiring process, then your case could get complicated fast.
An experienced bus accident attorney has the knowledge of bus safety laws and liability in your state to craft a strong case on your behalf. Litigating against a city government or corporation takes significant resources, and an experienced personal injury law firm will have sufficient recourse to pursue your case to its conclusion.
Have You Been Injured in a Bus Accident?
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a bus accident, the legal team at The Joel Bieber Firm can help. Contact us today to speak with an experienced bus accident lawyer about your case.