Traffic accidents that involve buses can be more complex than most crashes. There are always questions of whether or not the bus provider did what they could to prevent the accident, whether the driver was properly licensed, and whether or not the bus met federal safety standards. The sheer size of the bus already makes any accident more tragic, but since it holds so many passengers, bus accidents lead to more injuries in a single crash.
Buses do not all have seatbelts, and even when they do, wearing them is rarely enforced, causing a more significant hazard for passengers. In addition to the risk of those traveling on the bus, there is also an increased chance for injury or death of those in the other vehicle. A bus can weigh upwards of 11 tons (22,000 pounds) making it a lethal weapon in an accident.
If you have been injured in a Philadelphia bus accident, whether as a passenger of the bus or another vehicle, you should contact a Philadelphia injury lawyer to find out your legal rights and options, the legal process with regards to Philadelphia bus accidents can be extremely confusing; this is especially true if the bus was operated by a government agency (school bus, public transit, etc.).
Bus accidents can include many different types such as school bus, tour bus, Greyhound, city bus, SEPTA bus, trackless trolley, and more. The most common bus accidents include:
In Pennsylvania, school bus accidents are prominent enough that they were covered in the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Crash Facts & Statistics for 2010, even though it is just one type of bus accident that can occur. It was reported that there were 368 school bus accidents that involved 4,300 people in the state and the majority of them happened on a state highway (other than interstates) and local roads.
In 2010, 463 school bus passengers were injured, and two were killed in school bus accidents. There were also 147 school bus accidents that resulted in property damage without any injuries. Thankfully, the occurrence of these accidents had gone down significantly from 2006 when there were 523 accidents leaving 798 injured and 13 killed with 199 accidents involving just property damage.
Being involved in an accident is hard enough, and if the bus you were injured in was operated by a Pennsylvania state or local agency it could be even more overwhelming with strict timelines and procedures if it was a city or school bus, but you do not have to go through it alone. The Pennsyvilana bus accident attorneys at Console and Associates have represented accident victims for 25 years and can help you through the legal process.
We know how much injuries sustained as a result of someone else’s negligence can derail your life and we will fight aggressively to help you set you to get your life back on track and work to get you the compensation you deserve. Set up your free consultation today by calling us at (215) 225-2040.
