It’s common to view buses as one of the safest modes of transport. After all, how much risk can you face when you’re in a vehicle that’s bigger than most other cars on the road? And don’t bus drivers need to undergo training so that they can safely maneuver buses through traffic?
Unfortunately, despite all of this, many Americans also find themselves injured in bus accidents.
Here’s the thing: When a bus gets into an accident, there’s another vehicle (or worse, a pedestrian) on the other side of the crash. Most people in buses come away from accidents alive—people in cars, pedestrians, and other individuals involved in these crashes are not always so lucky.
Were you or someone you love injured in a bus accident? If so, Console & Associates P.C. can help you pursue legal justice and get back to life as you know it. We work aggressively to help our clients win cases and collect compensation. Reach out to us today to find out more about our services or to ask a legal professional about your bus accident.
Most of us will drive past a wide variety of buses on a day-to-day basis. People in the United States rely on buses to travel over 28 billion miles per year.
No matter what kind of bus is in an accident, these huge vehicles can cause a lot of damage. Standard vehicles are no match for the weight and size of a bus.
Some examples of different kinds of buses include:
All of these buses can deal serious damage to passenger cars and other standard vehicles. If a bus is traveling quickly or is loaded with additional cargo, it can be even more dangerous. Here are some factors that affect bus accident risk:
Tipovers and rollovers are two of the most common bus accidents. They occur in buses because of their abnormal size, shape, and weight distribution. It’s pretty easy to imagine how a bus might carry a lot of weight up high—higher than the top of a standard car. That weight can easily get swung and tipped if a bus swerves or turns too sharply. Sometimes, even extreme wind can knock over a bus.
Buses’ design contributes to the rolling pattern they usually follow in these accidents. Some of them may roll or tip when they strike another object, like a curb. It doesn’t always take a huge, moving collision to make buses roll dangerously.
When you work with a lawyer after a bus accident, he or she will attempt to recover damages to account for what happened.
Compensation for damages can take many forms—sometimes it’s for time missed from work, sometimes it’s for medical bills, and so on.
Often it’s for:
People can sustain many different injuries during a bus accident. Some bus accidents cause severe injuries, and others cause injuries that may appear mild. Even if you believe your accident only caused mild injuries, however, you should still visit a doctor.
A medical professional can help confirm your health and safety after a crash and inspect you for:
Bus accidents happen for many reasons, but we can trace most accidents back to someone’s negligence or recklessness. Even accidents that seem blameless (like accidents that the weather appeared to cause) are someone’s fault.
For example: Imagine a bus gets into an accident with a normal car. It may seem like the bus driver failed to brake before hitting the car, but perhaps the bus’s brake system failed. If this is true, who’s liable?
It depends. The bus driver wouldn’t be liable if his or her brakes stopped functioning, but someone might be. Perhaps it was someone who performed maintenance on the bus and failed to notice or fix faulty brakes. Maybe it was the manufacturer of the brakes, and something got jostled during production. Maybe the bus company skipped routine maintenance to save money. Any of these parties could be liable for the crash, even though the immediate cause might not make you think of a manufacturer, mechanic, or company.
Below, we’ve collected a handful of the most common causes of bus accidents. Your accident may not involve a straightforward cause—and that’s okay! We can help you determine who was at fault for what happened in even the most complicated Marlton bus accident claims.
On the surface, inclement weather is at the root of lots of accidents—but really, bad weather isn’t actually responsible for a crash. More often, a poorly trained bus operator or another driver who fails to account for the rain causes an accident. Responsibility for the accident might come down to the driver (or the fleet manager for improper hiring).
Inclement road conditions often cause problems for people trying to drive on roadways. It’s easier to navigate a bus on a smooth road than a street with lots of potholes, or poor signs, or minimal road markings. These factors can all shift liability to a city government.
Bus drivers can and do make mistakes that endanger people on the road. Just like errors on the part of any other driver, bus driver error can cause accidents.
Some driver errors include:
We have traced bus accidents back to negligent fleet managers and service providers. Even though we trust these people to ensure safe buses for everyone, they don’t always do their jobs. Large vehicles like buses already pose a lot of risk on the road—and when they aren’t safely maintained or used, they become even more dangerous.
If regular maintenance or service would have prevented an accident, a maintenance or service worker may bear responsibility.
Sometimes fleet managers also put people on the road at more risk by forcing bus drivers to drive longer than they should. Overworked bus and truck drivers frequently cause accidents—and it’s often their managers’ fault.
Marlton bus accident lawyer, Richard P. Console Jr.
Most people find that hiring an attorney is one of the most important and beneficial steps to take after an accident. Working with a lawyer allows you to focus on your medical recovery rather than dealing with insurance agents, other attorneys, and endless paperwork. You don’t need to feel like you’re trapped in a whirlwind after a bus accident.
An attorney can help.
If you were hurt in a bus accident, you probably have a lot of questions about your rights and your legal options. Here at Console & Associates P.C., we offer legal services to help accident survivors return to the lives they love. Our team of Marlton personal injury attorneys are always prepared to answer your questions—and, if you need legal support, you can retain one of our skilled lawyers on a contingency fee basis. That means that you don’t need to pay for our services unless your case wins or settles.
A Marlton bus accident lawyer at Console & Associates P.C. can help you take back your life after an accident. Don’t let your accident keep you from health or financial stability. If you have questions—or if you’d like a legal consultation—contact us today or call us at (856) 778-5500 for more information.
1 Holtec Drive, #100
Marlton, NJ 08053
(856) 778-5500
“My experience with Console and Associates was great. They were by my side since the very beginning of the accident and helped me through any concerns I’ve had. A special thanks to Mr. Ellery for being so professional, trustworthy and fighting hard for what I deserved. Also a special thanks to Christa for answering all my questions, being so understanding, and working so quick and efficiently!!! I will definitely come back if needed.” – Brianna K.
★★★★★
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