Bus Accidents

Public, charter or limousine bus accidents can be devastating because of the number of passengers carried inside a bus, combined with the fact that most buses are not equipped with, or do not require riders to utilize, seat belts. Bus accidents are further complicated by the fact that bas riders are free to move about the cabin of the bus to socialize or use the restroom and, when busses are full or overcrowded, riders are permitted to stand. In addition to public, charter and limousine bus accidents, as many as 20,000 school bus accidents occur each year causing nearly 10,000 injuries and more than 15 fatalities. Like public or charter bus transportation, school bus accidents are very serious because of the number of school bus passengers who, in most cases, are unsupervised and unrestrained children.

In the general category of car accidents, which are a leading cause of injury and death for Americans each year, bus accidents represent a significant portion of all roadway injuries and fatalities. Buses present a larger target than other vehicles, and they are more of a threat to public safety when they leave their lanes or go out of control. Riders, pedestrians or other drivers can all become victims in a bus accident, and it’s not uncommon for a severe bus related accident to include multiple victims.

An experienced accident lawyer who deals with personal injury claims all over the state knows how to handle various kinds of common accidents. School bus accidents are one category in which a general debate over the lack of seatbelts has provoked a lot of controversy and added to the complexity of some school bus accident claims. Another common category of bus accident injuries is tour bus related accidents in which the tour bus operator has to take on the responsibility of keeping passengers safe on their purchased trips.

If someone in your family has suffered an injury in any bus related accident, contact the Stanley C. Franklin Law Firm and get experienced legal representation that will help your case.