A bus crash can prove catastrophic because of the bus seating design. Specifically, passengers on buses lack seatbelts, and are usually standing or facing sideways during an impact. Additionally, passengers on bus usually lack visibility or the ability to foresee an oncoming collision. Thus, in an accident, passengers on a bus have a high likelihood of suffering serious injuries. A Nevada personal injury attorney can be of assistance for legal recourse. Contact one at Valiente Mott today.
Commercial Bus Accidents
Commercial buses that operate as commercial carriers not only owe a duty or ordinary care to other vehicles, but they owe “the utmost skill and foresight” for the safety and protection of their passengers. This higher standard of care makes it easier to prove the common carrier’s liability for injuries caused to its passengers.
Commercial busses haul people from all over, and can crash for many reasons. Since they are big and haul a lot of people there’s a huge potential for injury. Passengers can be standing up, walking around, and using the bathroom in the back of the bus.
With passengers free to move around while the bus is moving, a weight imbalance can cause the bus to flip or turn over, especially if the driver is behind schedule and driving fast. Sometimes a commercial bus accident may be due to driver error, the behavior of a passenger, mechanical failure, a tire blowout, or any number of reasons, but the result of a crash is always serious injury and usually at least one passenger dies.
Some city bus conditions which could cause accident and/or injury are:
- Overcrowding;
- Driver error;
- Driver fatigue;
- Mechanical failure;
- Tire blowout.
Also, allowing dangerous passenger on board who does something to harm another passenger, or causes chaos that results in an accident, the transit company may be held liable in some cases when the bus driver had reason to believe the passenger was a danger to others and allowed the passenger on the bus or remain on the bus.
School Bus Crash
News of a school bus crash is always scary. Kids are small and light, and it’s easy to picture small children thrown around or out of the bus when it has a violent impact with another car.
School bus accident statistics are misleading since government statistics do not include private school buses and interstate field trips. Many school buses are not equipped with seat belts and for those who do they might leave the children in charge of securing their own seat belt properly. Because of this, if a school bus crashes or flips, children can and do get seriously injured or killed.
In some states, because the school bus provides seat belts which it leaves up to the kids to secure, the school board and driver have no liability when a child is seriously injured or dies in an accident and the child did not secure the seat belt properly or put it on.
Valiente Mott Represents Victims of Bus Crashes
When you or somebody you love has been injured or killed while riding on a bus, the carrier may be liable for damages. If you are injured riding a city bus, you may have to meet a series of deadlines in filing your claim or you will lose the right to be compensated. The best thing you can do if you are in a bus crash is to hire an experienced Nevada bus accident attorney. He or she will investigate the cause of the crash, determine who is/are liable and work to ensure that you get just compensation.
Right to Compensation
If you have been hit by a large bus, you should also contact an experienced attorney familiar with insurance law, common carrier laws, and the duties owed to you. This ensures any defendant who may have contributed to your injuries are identified and claims made so you receive full compensation for your losses.
You do not have to pay anything to enlist our help. Valiente Mott will represent you on a contingency fee basis–if we don’t get you your money we won’t get paid!
Contact Our Nevada Bus Accident Attorney
In all matters when dealing with insurance claims and lawsuits there are deadlines to meet. If you do not file your case or claim before the time limit expires you lose your right to compensation for your injuries and losses. Also, when investigating the cause of an accident it is best to start as soon as possible. Otherwise people forget what happened or what they saw, and evidence changes or disappears.
At Valiente Mott we realize that accidents happen at all hours and our skilled team of legal professionals is on call day and night to be there for you when you need us. Call 702-623-2323 or fill out our online form to speak to an experienced bus accident lawyer.