Bus Accidents

Whether its buses, trains, airplanes, taxi, subways, and ferries, the public relies on various services to commute for work and pleasure. Public transportation services help reduce traffic congestion and significantly cut down travel time.

Unfortunately, public transportation services, such as trains and buses, are also capable of inflicting severe damage in an accident. If you or a loved one were injured in a bus accident, you might be eligible to pursue compensation for damages. Contact Kasan Law’s bus injury attorneys today to schedule a free consultation.

Various Causes of Bus Accidents

Due to the complexity and various factors involved with bus accidents, it is crucial to determine the party responsible for the victim’s injuries and the cause of the bus accident. While there are many different reasons bus accidents occur, some common causes are:

• Bad weather
• Poor road conditions
• Driver error
• Speeding
• Defective or faulty parts
• Distracted driving
• Failure to obey traffic rules
• Driving under the influence
• Driving recklessly or aggressively
• Improper bus maintenance
• Dangerous roadways
• Inadequate training and experience

When bus accidents occur, the bus driver, the company that hired and trained the driver, or another entity might be liable for the injuries. Also, another vehicle or driver might be responsible for causing the bus accident that resulted in injuries.

After a bus accident, possible claimants may include passengers or individuals on the bus, occupants of the vehicle that collided with the bus, employees, pedestrians, bicyclists, and victims’ family members.

Types of Bus Crashes

Our Chicago and Illinois bus accident lawyers represent clients in a variety of bus accident claims, including:

• Public/city transit buses: City buses typically stay inside the city and are used by those who do not have their vehicle or simply don’t want to use their vehicle. Determining the party responsible for these vehicles can sometimes be complicated. Typically, either the city or the bus company hired by the city is responsible.

• Private/charter buses: These buses can be just as large as city buses but are not intended for public use. Chartered buses are typically hired to provide transportation to a specific place or area for a specified period, such as sporting events, corporate outings, or other occasions.  

• Tour buses: Tour buses are similar to private or charter buses but are primarily used to take groups of people to several different locations or a faraway location. Unlike private or charter buses, these tour buses are arranged through the bus company. If the bus was hired directly through the company, the company and/or the driver of the bus could be at fault. However, if the bus was hired through an intermediary, that intermediary could also be liable if an accident occurred.

• School bus accident: When an accident involving a school bus occurs, typically, the school board or school district is liable. However, if the school board hired a private company to handle the transportation, the private bus company can also be held responsible in addition to the school board.   

• 15-passenger vans: These vans are designed to take a group that’s too large for one small vehicle, but not enough to fill a large bus, from one destination to another. Typically, these vans are rented from a rental or leasing company. If the van gets into an accident, the rental company and/or the van’s driver can be held liable in these situations.  

If you or someone you loved was involved in a bus accident, contact Kasan Law’s bus accident attorneys for a free consultation.

Special Considerations Regarding Bus Accidents

Any organization that offers paid transportation services to the public is a common carrier. A few examples of common carriers include CTA, Pace, Metra, railroad companies, commercial airlines, tour bus companies, and taxi companies. While they cannot guarantee that passengers are always safe, common carriers are generally held to a higher standard of care to avoid injuries to passengers than matters involving traditional negligence. A common carrier owes its passengers the duty to use the highest degree of care consistent with the type of vehicle used in the practical operation of its business.

Depending on the type of bus involved, an injured bus accident victim may face various legal complications in the pursuit of compensation. Determining who is liable in a bus accident can be complicated because multiple parties could be held responsible, such as:

• The bus driver can be held legally liable if he or she acted negligently or recklessly.

• The bus company can be held responsible for the negligent actions of its bus drivers.

• If a defect in the design or manufacturing of the bus or component of the bus contributed to the accident, the bus or component manufacturer could also be held liable for your injuries.

• If the operator owns a bus that was negligently maintained or driven, the tour company could be liable for the bus accident.

• If a school board or school district employs the driver or owns the bus, they could be held legally responsible for any negligent behavior.

• If the negligent and reckless acts of another driver cause the accident, the other driver could be liable for the bus accident and injuries.

If injuries occurred while using public transportation, the fact that governmental or quasi-governmental agencies control some modes of bus transportation could further complicate the claim. In Illinois, there are specific laws that require strict compliance to proceed with a lawsuit or claim against any governmental or quasi-governmental agencies.

Unlike claims against a private party, many bus accidents involve government and state agencies, such as:

Many federal, state and local agencies have specific laws that apply to them and set-forth particular requirements which must be complied with before filing a lawsuit or claim. In some cases, the federal and state agency might be protected by a shorter statute of limitations, which require the lawsuit or claim to be filed sooner than an ordinary injury case against a private party. Additionally, the governmental or quasi-governmental agencies might be afforded immunity and protected from civil liability for certain acts. If you fail to comply with these regulations, the claim or lawsuit can be dismissed and prohibit recovering any damages for the injuries.

Damages & Compensation

Buses are capable of causing severe damages and can result in devastating injuries. Bus accident victims can sustain many types of injuries, such as:

• Internal bleeding
• Brain injuries
• Severe skin burns
• Lacerations
• Spinal cord injuries
• Whiplash
• Sprained and torn ligaments
• Broken bones
• Herniated disks

If you can establish a valid bus accident claim, you have the legal right to pursue compensation for economic and non-economic damages, such as:

• Medical expenses for treatment
• Lost wages
• Property damage
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Loss of companionship
• Loss of enjoyment of life

Free Consultation

At Kasan Law, we take all personal injury cases on a contingency basis, which means you will not pay any legal fees unless we get you compensation for your case. Our consultations are free and carry no obligations.

If you or a loved one has been injured due to someone else’s negligence, contact our Chicago and Illinois bus and public transportation injury attorneys to schedule your free consultation by calling (312) 300-6724, e-mailing us at Info@LawKasan.com, or schedule your consultation online.