bus accident lawyer

In geographically-dense, metropolitan areas like Southern California’s Los Angeles, or Murrieta, public transportation is a helpful alternative to owning and/or driving a car. Public transportation, including buses and light rail transit systems, provide a convenient alternative to driving when and where it makes sense. Unfortunately, negligent public transit drivers, inadequate driver training, shoddy maintenance, and over-worked bus drivers are sometime the cause of unfortunate accidents involving public transportation buses that cause injury and even death to bus riders, pedestrians, auto and bicycle operators and others.

Moreover, because buses often lack the safety features that modern day automobiles take for granted, such as seat belts, bus accidents often result in more serious injuries to its passengers.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports that in 2012, bus accidents resulted in:

• Two hundred fifty (250) fatalities due to bus accidents (page 33 1)
• Twelve thousand (12,000) injuries (page 34)
• Forty-two thousand (42,000) instances of property damage (page 35)

Bus accidents have many causes. Accidents occur because of driver negligence, driver fatigue, inadequate driver training, defective equipment, shoddy or improper maintenance of buses. In some busy and noisy urban settings in some of Southern California’s busier cities, a bus driver maneuvering the city streets may not even be aware that their bus has collided with a pedestrian, a bike rider or even an automobile. For bus riders, injuries can be sustained when buses make sudden movements, lane changes or turns that cause passengers to be thrown to the floor or hit up against poles. Riders can become human projectiles. Injuries can range from bumps, bruises, skin lacerations to more serious injuries such as broken bones and concussions. Concussions can be especially dangerous for more “fragile” elderly riders and young children.

When municipalities and private bus companies fail to maintain the buses they put on our roads, mechanical failures can lead to accidents and collisions that result in injuries and deaths. Old brake shoes/pads that are not replaced at timely intervals can contribute to a bus driver rear ending a vehicle for example. Worn tires can also cause dangerous blowouts leading to crashes and collisions.

Bus driver negligence has also resulted in crashes and collisions when drivers attempt to talk on their cell phone, text, eat while driving, and other distracting activities. Under California law, buses are considered “common carriers”, and owe a duty to use the highest care and the vigilance of a very cautious person in protecting the safety of their passengers. California Civil Code Section 2100 states that “A carrier of persons for reward must use the utmost care and diligence for their safe carriage, must provide everything necessary for that purpose, and must exercise to that end a reasonable degree of skill.” A common carrier does not insure the safety of its passengers, but it must use reasonable skill to provide everything necessary for safe transportation.

Shocking footage has emerged of a bus driver appearing to smoke cannabis while driving a bus before he crashes into a home.

If you have been hit by a bus or you were a passenger on a bus and you were injured during severe movements or in an actual crash or collision, it is important to collect and document as much information as possible about the bus, the driver, and the circumstances of the incident. Many buses have video cameras (like the video above) that record the interior of a bus, but those recordings sometimes miss critical information and are not always available when an injured victim needs them. We can expedite that through legal channels and our in-house private investigator can fill in a lot of missing details to bolster your case possibly the monetary value of your claim.

Southern California personal injury attorneys assist pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers and passengers of other vehicles, and passengers of buses, and light rail in obtaining just financial compensation for injuries caused because of all types of public transportation negligence and injury cases that arise from:

Thousands of people in the United States are injured or killed every year in bus accidents. Due to their sheer size, bus accidents often result in serious / catastrophic injuries and even death. Lives can be turned upside down in an instant, and you may feel lost and confused and not know where to turn next. The Southern California Personal Injury Lawyers at Khashan Law, we are here for you!

If you or one of your loved ones has been injured in a bus accident, call 951.461.2387 to set up a free initial consultation with an experienced bus accident lawyer. Khashan Law provide a free initial consultation, and bus accident victims are represented on a contingency fee basis. If we do not obtain a settlement or money judgment for you, we don’t receive a fee.

Unexpected and unfortunate things happen to good people. Our caring legal
professionals are here to help you recover the financial payment you deserve so you can get on with
your life. Remember, all legal fees are based on a percentage of the award, and you pay nothing for
our services until we win your case. We have three conveniently-located offices in Southern
California.

If you are an accident victim who has been injured in a vehicle accident, in
a slip and fall accident at some business or facility, or injured by the negligent and wrongful
conduct of others, and need answers to your questions or to find out what your case is worth, please
call us today at (951) 461-2387 for a free, confidential consultation. Or if you prefer, fill out
our Contact Form. A lawyer or staffer from Southern California Personal Injury Lawyers
will call as soon as possible you to schedule an appointment.