A bus accident can cause injuries and destruction on a massive scale. Bus accidents in New Jersey are common, and dealing with the aftermath is anything but normal. You can’t do the things you used to do or move the way you used to move. You don’t feel like you anymore. As you work toward physical recovery, you need someone you can trust with you every step of the way, advocating for your well-being. You need someone who will make sure the careless actions of another driver won’t drag you down financially.
Whether you were injured in a bus accident as a bus passenger or as a motorist in another vehicle, the end result is the same. Perhaps you were forced to miss weeks or even months of work, meaning you aren’t getting a paycheck. However, hospitals and doctors are often less than understanding when it comes to paying for your medical expenses. The result is that you may face growing medical bills with seemingly no way to pay for them. Frustrating doesn’t begin to describe it.
However, as a bus accident victim, you have options. You are not powerless. Through a bus accident lawsuit, you can bring a legal claim against the bus driver or bus company responsible for your injuries. While this may sound like an overwhelming task, with the right bus accident lawyer the process is easily manageable, even with everything else you have going on.
At Console & Associates, P.C., our New Jersey bus accident lawyers are dedicated to helping you get your life back on track, just as we have for thousands of clients throughout the state. Since 1994, our personal injury attorneys in New Jersey have helped injury victims near you get the justice and compensation they deserve.
Console & Associates P.C., has handled hundreds of bus accident claims over decades of legal practice. We can help you recover the compensation you deserve to afford medical care, make up for lost wages, and otherwise reclaim your life.
Our bus accident attorneys represent injured victims throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
If you’ve been injured in a bus accident call (866) 778-5500 today for a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced legal professional at Console & Associates P.C.
In New Jersey and across the USA, bus accidents are relatively rare, but very serious when they do happen.
Bus crash statistics show that motor coaches are involved in more than 80,000 reported, and destructive accidents per year.
In 2014, the most recent year for which federal agencies have data available, 22,000 people suffered injuries in bus crashes, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
This number is down from recent years when injuries from bus accidents have been as high as 38,000, but it still shows that far too many people are getting needlessly hurt due to someone else’s careless behavior on the road.
Statistically, buses are safer, that is, less like to get you killed than any mode of transportation other than commercial airlines, according to CNN.
But that doesn’t stop bus crashes from killing 200 to 300, or more, people every year, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reported.
Sadly, school bus accidents are the most dangerous. Close to 100, and some years, well over 100, fatalities result from school bus accidents each year.
Next, most deadly are transit buses, which have cost between 60 and 100 deaths annually for the last several years. Cross-country intercity buses, too, kill dozens of people per year.
Bus Accident
Why do New Jersey bus accidents happen? Like car accidents, bus crashes result from many different causes.
By far the most common cause of bus accidents is driving mistakes. Many bus crashes result from traffic safety violations such as:
Sometimes it’s the bus driver who makes a dangerous error behind the wheel. Other times, the vehicles that share the road with the bus are the ones driving carelessly.
But a growing number of bus accident crashes result from a specific driving factor: bus driver fatigue. It’s impossible to say how many deaths, how many injuries, and how much damage has stemmed from this concerning trend.
Like truck drivers and other types of commercial drivers, bus drivers often drive long hours. Since some buses run at off hours, like tour buses that often drive through the night, these drivers may be behind the wheel during the hours when it’s natural for the human body to get drowsy.
When there are always more routes to drive, bus drivers might not get adequate rest breaks. Some have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet, and their schedules might not allow them to get the minimum amount of sleep necessary to drive safely. Even though there are laws in place to limit the number of hours and shifts a bus driver is supposed to work, a number of bus companies have been caught failing to follow or enforce those laws.
The result of long shifts, overnight hours, and limited rest breaks is tired, often overworked New Jersey bus drivers behind the wheel of large vehicles. It takes more precision to safely maneuver a 10-ton bus through the obstacles that you encounter on the roadways. Bus drivers need to be constantly alert. These large vehicles take longer to stop than the average passenger car, so bus drivers must hit the brakes sooner to avoid a collision. They need more space to change lanes safely, and they must pay close attention to the traffic around them to do so.
But when driver fatigue kicks in, even the best bus drivers are putting everyone on the bus, and the road around them, at risk.
Even if the bus driver doesn’t fall asleep, sleep deprivation can drastically reduce alertness. A driver who has been awake for 18 hours is just as dangerous as a driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05, not legally drunk, but certainly impaired. And a driver who hasn’t slept in 24 hours is in even worse shape behind the wheel than a drunk driver. Going 24 hours without sleep is as dangerous as driving with a 0.10 BAC, according to the National Sleep Foundation’s DrowsyDriving.org.
Every hour of sleep counts, the National Sleep Foundation reported. Sleeping just six or even seven hours, rather than eight, doubles a driver’s risk of being involved in an accident. If your bus driver got fewer than five hours of sleep, your chance of being in a crash multiplied by four to five times the moment the driver got behind the wheel.
Of course, the driver isn’t always to blame for a bus crash. Mechanical problems can also cause serious injuries. Driving passengers all day, every day, puts a lot more wear and tear on the vehicle than the average passenger car suffers in the same timeframe.
Proper bus maintenance, including making timely repairs of any mechanical problems, is essential for protecting bus passengers and every other vehicle sharing the road with buses. But dozens of bus companies have been shut down due to serious safety violations. Bus companies that fail to maintain their motor coaches or neglect to have vehicles inspected as required by law can be held responsible when their unsafe buses injure innocent passengers, pedestrians, or other motorists.
In the aftermath of a serious bus accident, you might not know what caused the crash. And if you try to handle this case on your own, you might never understand. Finding out the truth matters, and not just to give you some closure and answer questions like why the trauma occurred. Only with the facts can you pursue a bus accident lawsuit and get the compensation you need to get through this injury and get your life back on track.
With our bus crash lawyers in New Jersey on your side, you’ll have help every step of the way. Call (856) 778-5500 to get your claim started today.
In a bus accident case, the most obvious potentially responsible party is the bus driver. Bus drivers owe their passengers and everyone else on the road a legal duty to safely operate the vehicle. When they fail to live up to these expectations and cause an accident, they can be held accountable.
However, there may be other responsible parties as well. For example, under the doctrine of vicarious liability, employers are generally liable for the negligent acts of their employees. Thus, if a bus driver caused an accident, you may also have a claim against their employer. That said, complications can arise if the bus is operated by a city, state, or local government. In these cases, you may need to follow additional procedural rules to ensure your claim complies with the legal requirements.
While a bus driver and their employer may be the negligent parties, that does not mean that they will be the ones defending the case. In the vast majority of bus accident lawsuits, the bus driver’s insurance company intervenes on behalf of the driver. The involvement of an insurance company is both a good and bad thing for accident victims.
On one hand, an insurance company undoubtedly has the assets needed to fairly compensate you after an accident. However, on the other hand, insurance companies are notoriously difficult to work with. For example, an insurance company may question the seriousness of an accident victim’s injuries or even claim that they were partially responsible for the accident. This often results in an inadequate bus accident settlement offer.
At Console & Associates, P.C., we have decades of experience negotiating with some of the largest insurance companies in the country. We’ve enjoyed a successful track record when it comes to bus accident settlements and look forward to helping you pursue the compensation you need to continue on the road to recovery.
To successfully bring a claim against a bus driver, you must prove they were legally liable for your injuries by showing that they were negligent. In this context, “negligence” is a legal term that encompasses the following four elements:
The knowledgeable bus accident lawyers at Console & Associates, P.C. have developed an effective strategy for pursuing maximum compensation on behalf of accident victims. We can help you by assessing the strength of your claim and developing a comprehensive recovery strategy.
You only have once chance to pursue your bus accident compensation claim. You can’t reopen your case later and ask for more money, no matter how much you need it. So you need to make sure you get every dollar owed to you before it’s too late.
Your legal rights are limited. If you wait too long, you won’t have the chance to get any compensation at all.
For most accident claims in New Jersey, the statute of limitations, or the deadline to act, is two years. This time can fly by more quickly than you might think, especially when you’re busy making the long journey to recovery. And some situations require you to take action within just 90 days.
The sooner you get a bus accident attorney in NJ involved in your case, the better.
A bus crash in NJ can change your life in so many ways. Which of those ways can you get compensation for?
At Console and Associates, our New Jersey bus accident lawyers always seek full compensation for our clients. We know that after all you have been through, you deserve, and your family needs, nothing less than every dollar you’re entitled to.
Our bus accident attorneys in NJ will fight to get you maximum money damages for:
If you’re wondering whether compensation could be available for any additional damages, just ask. Our bus crash lawyers in NJ have been handling cases like yours for more than two decades, so we’re prepared to answer all of your questions.
Did you know that who you choose to handle your claim can make a big difference?
The reputation of your NJ bus crash lawyer can affect how the bus company’s insurer approaches your claim and how well your case is prepared for a trial if it goes that far.
You want to make sure you have respected bus accident lawyers in NJ on your side from day one. We’ll make sure the insurance company is taking your claim seriously. With our insider knowledge of the insurance industry, we can protect your case from the tricks insurers use to decrease and deny claims.
School Bus Accident Lawyer
For more than 20 years, our bus accident lawyers in New Jersey have fought for the rights of accident victims across the state. We’ve got the experience to handle bus accidents in Gloucester Township, Marlboro, and Hammonton, NJ. We’re familiar with bus accidents on significant interstates like 295 and U.S. Highways like route 130.
With our main office in Marlton and two satellite locations in Newark, we’re well-equipped to handle bus crash cases from North Jersey to South Jersey and everywhere in between.
Our New Jersey bus crash attorneys are familiar with cases involving:
Were you a passenger injured on the bus? A pedestrian struck by the bus? An occupant of another vehicle hurt when an out-of-control motor coach hit your car? A victim of a school bus crash?
We’ve handled all of these situations and more. We know that every bus crash is different, and we’ll take the time and put in the work to build your case to its full potential.
We handle personal injury claims exclusively, so we have plenty of experience with motor vehicle accidents of all kinds. We’ll draw on that experience to avoid problems and solve challenges in your case. And because we have handled cases across New Jersey, we know the ins and outs of motor vehicle accident laws throughout the state.
We have handled bus accident cases that involved no collision. When a passenger onboard a bus suffered injuries due to negligence other than a crash, we got him tens of thousands of dollars in compensation.
In another instance, our client’s car was struck by a bus carelessly changing lanes. The bus pushed his vehicle into a guardrail, then fled the scene. But the driver didn’t get away with the negligent behavior. We recovered a $120,000 settlement for our client.
Whether you were on the bus, in another car, crossing the street, or involved in the accident in some other way, you have legal rights. And the best way you can protect those right, and protect your family from the consequences of a serious injury, is to have a New Jersey bus crash lawyer on your side.
After a bus accident, you’ve got a lot to deal with, too much, really for one person, especially when your injuries are serious enough to keep you from feeling like yourself.
Focusing on things like paperwork, like phone calls with the insurance adjuster, will only distract you from working toward the best possible recovery. You don’t have the time or the energy to spare on the hassle of pursuing a legal claim.
But when you put your case in the hands of a New Jersey bus accident attorneys like Console and Associates, none of this work is your problem anymore. We handle every aspect of the claim for you.
If you were hurt in a bus accident recently, what you do next could affect the rest of your life. Will you try to navigate the claims process on your own and risk leaving thousands of dollars on the table, and being unable to afford the best medical care because of it?
Or will you turn to an NJ personal injury attorney who can make sure you get everything you deserve?
Don’t wait another day to get help. Call (856) 778-5500 today for your free consultation.
At Console & Associates, P.C., we have over 25 years of experience handling bus accident claims on behalf of accident victims. Our compassionate team of personal injury lawyers takes a comprehensive approach to every case we handle, taking as much time as necessary to fully understand the impact that the accident had on your life. From there, we develop a comprehensive recovery strategy to ensure that you are fairly compensated for the injuries you unnecessarily suffered. And because we offer a No Fee Promise, you are never responsible for any legal fees unless we can get you a bus accident settlement or obtain a favorable jury award.
Our New Jersey bus accident lawyers handle every bus accident claim on a no-win, no-fee basis. That’s our No Win No Fee Promise. We receive a percentage of the settlement, and if the claim is not successful, you pay nothing for attorneys’ fees. 
Additionally, at Console and Associates, P.C., we advance thousands of dollars in costs for each of our client’s claims – and, for cases that are far into the litigation phase, up to tens of thousands of dollars. We’re happy to take on this burden so that our clients have the opportunity to get justice, no matter what their current financial situation is.
Fortunately, you never have to worry about coming up with the money for these expenses when you have the New Jersey bus accident lawyers at Console and Associates on your side.
Take a look at what some of our happy Marlton clients have to say:
“I would like to personally thank Console & Associates for being an absolutely amazing law firm and helping me with my car accident lawsuit. They have been extremely helpful walking me thru all the steps involved and explaining and answering all my questions, of which i have had a great many. This being my first injury due to a car accident they have gone above and beyond in my opinion in all aspects. Not to mention Allison has been my main point of contact throughout most of the process and has always responded quickly and kindly to my constant deluge of emails. I can’t thank her enough!!”
Richard Santora, April 4, 2021, Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
We have a 4.7 average and 126 reviews on Google
Richard Console is a highly respected bus accident attorney in the state of New Jersey. As the founder of the law firm, Console & Associates P.C., Richard has practiced law in New Jersey since 1994. With more than $100 million awarded to victims of personal injury, the law firm has a reputation for excellence. He strives to help those injured by personal injuries and works as an advocate on behalf of victims.
“Rick is one of the best around. He truly cares about his clients and works hard to get the best results for their case. He is well respected among his peers and comes highly recommended. If you’re looking for a personal injury or auto accident lawyer, give him a call.” B. Blades / Client
We’ve seen firsthand what a difference it makes to families affected by a car accident to have help, support, and a reason to believe that things will get better, even in the most challenging moments. Our New Jersey car accident attorneys are here to help provide that support as we serve as your partners in your pursuit of the compensation you deserve.
Your case evaluation is free, no matter what. If you choose to move forward with a claim, there’s no cost until we get results. So there really is no risk.
Give us the chance to help you. All it takes is a phone call. Call (866) 806-3125 for your free, private consultation.
1 Holtec Drive, #100
Marlton, NJ 08053
(856) 778-5500
494 Broad St #208b
Newark, NJ 07102
(862) 229-1137
