Contact a skilled California bus accident attorney for a free case evaluation if you were the victim of a bus accident resulting from someone else’s negligence. You may be entitled to compensation, including wrongful death, lost wages, pain and suffering, and punitive damages.
The experienced trial lawyers of Bisnar Chase have taken on some of the most complex cases, including bus crash injury claims. We have been in business for over 45 years and have developed into a top-quality injury law firm in California. We have a 99% success rate and have recovered more than $900 million for our clients.
A bus accident could result in severe injuries if you were a bus passenger, another driver on the road, or a pedestrian. Make sure you get fair compensation by speaking to the right bus crash attorney today. Do not be afraid to take on sizable insurance providers.
With Bisnar Chase behind you, we can secure the right result. If you have been injured in a bus accident in California, call 949-203-3814 now for a free consultation.
California Bus Accident Lawyer
How Much Do Bus Accident Lawyers Charge in California?
Injury attorneys in California operate on a contingency fee basis, which means we are only paid when we win your case. If we don’t win, you don’t pay.
Fee structures for personal injury attorneys in California are 30-40%, depending on how complex your case is. Our law firm also works to reduce your medical and hospital bills so that you keep more of the settlement.
How Much Are Bus Accident Cases Worth?
The amount you’ll win for your personal injury claim depends on the severity of your injuries. The more serious the injuries are, the more damages you can receive. A typical bus accident claim can vary from a few thousand dollars to a 7-figure settlement or verdict.
California Bus Accident Cases Require Crucial Evidence
Dealing with a bus company and its legal defense teams can be traumatic, especially if you have just been in an accident and are trying to recover from your injuries. The experienced California bus accident lawyers at Bisnar Chase have a successful track record of representing injured plaintiffs and recovering maximum compensation for their losses.
In bus accident cases, we have obtained crucial evidence such as hours-of-service logs, maintenance records, and cell phone records to help prove fault and liability. We will put our decades of experience and the skill and expertise of our California injury lawyers to work for you.
The cases we handle vary in severity. Some bus accident cases can be particularly serious in nature, with catastrophic injuries. Different types of bus accidents include MTA, transit, public transport, school bus, and commercial transport (casino, school, etc.).
If you or someone you love has been injured in a bus accident, please call a California personal injury lawyer at 949-203-3814 for a free consultation and comprehensive case evaluation.
Types of bus accident cases we handle
- School bus
- Public transit
- Private company buses
- Church buses
- Tour bus
- Hotel shuttles
- Government buses (Sheriff, jail, prison)
Protecting Your Rights in California Bus Crashes
Bus accidents are relatively rare when compared to other traffic accidents. However, they can happen at any moment and the resulting injuries can be life-changing. It is important for anyone involved in a California bus accident to learn how common carrier crashes are different than regular traffic collisions.
It can be challenging to get fair compensation following a bus accident. Many victims of these crashes end up getting inadequate support for medical bills, lost wages, and other related damages.
This is where Bisnar Chase comes in. Going up against a large bus company and demanding fair compensation can be challenging. We believe that all injured crash victims should seek the advice of a California bus accident lawyer to make sure they are fairly treated.
Types of damages you may be entitled to
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Loss of consortium
- Punitive damages
Steps we take to win your bus accident case
- A full investigation into the accident
- witness interviews
- Expert testimony
- Gathering and maintaining all case documents
- Work to pop policy limits with the insurance
- Negotiate with the defense team and insurance companies
- Monitoring all legal deadlines (Statute of limitations)
- Attend all court hearings
- Go to trial if necessary
What to do After a California Bus Accident
- Ensure Your Safety: Immediately make sure you are out of danger from other on-coming vehicles.
- Seek Medical Attention: Even if you feel okay, seek medical attention immediately. Some injuries may not be apparent right away but can have serious long-term consequences if not treated. Medical records will also be crucial for any future legal claims.
- Call 911: Report the accident to ensure that emergency personnel and law enforcement can arrive to assess the situation and make an official bus accident police report.
- Document the Accident: Take photographs and video of the scene, gather information from other passengers and witnesses, and note any details about the accident.
- Contact an Attorney: After receiving medical care, consider contacting a California bus accident attorney to understand your rights and legal options. You may be entitled to compensation for injuries and other losses.
Tour Bus Accidents in California
Tour buses are considered one of the most prevalent common carriers. Some tour buses are tasked with driving slowly and making frequent stops as part of their routes, increasing the chances of a crash.
Liability can be challenging in accidents involving a shuttle or tour bus crash. Your injury attorney will likely hold two parties accountable for the bus crash: the tour or bus company.
Tour companies usually do not own the buses themselves but have contracts with bus companies. The tour organization must ensure that the buses are well-maintained and the drivers are well trained. The bus company would be liable in a crash if the buses are not perfectly up-kept or the drivers are not licensed, and these conditions contribute to the accident.
Even if the requirements are met, a bus company is still held accountable if the bus driver is careless. The California bus accident attorneys at Bisnar Chase have 46 years of experience holding companies accountable for negligent behavior.
California School Bus Accidents
A school transportation-related accident involves a school bus transporting children to and from school or to related events. Based on data from Fatality Analysis Reporting System, FARS, 1,282 people were killed in school-related transportation crashes between 2007 and 2016.
Additionally, FARS reported that 163 school buses struck pedestrians who died in accidents involving school buses between 2007 and 2016. 281 children died in that same amount of time. To see all statistics reported, please see our school bus accident infographic.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an average of 19 school-age children die in school transportation-related accidents each year. Only five victims are occupants of school transportation vehicles, while the other 14 young victims are pedestrians.
Many of these bus-on-pedestrian accidents occur in California, where traffic congestion has been a problem for years 1998 and 2008, and 1,564 people were killed in school transportation-related crashes.
About 72 percent of those victims were occupants of other vehicles. Non-occupants such as pedestrians accounted for 20 percent of the deaths, and occupants of school transportation vehicles accounted for the remaining 8 percent.
Bus and Commercial Truck Crashes
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 4,989 large trucks and buses were involved in fatal crashes in 2019. When you have inner-city buses, school buses, and commercial trucks all sharing the road, along with other traffic, it can be a recipe for disaster.
The weight of these vehicles alone can cause catastrophic and fatal injuries. Companies and schools are responsible for being as safe as possible to protect the public. They must carry serious insurance policies to protect all parties adequately in case of an accident.
If you have been involved in an accident with a commercial truck, or something similar, do not be anticipated it. Our bus accident attorneys will handle every step of negotiations with the insurers to ensure you only have to focus on recovery.
California Bus Accident Statistics
California has the highest bus registrations in the country, while New York comes in second.
The latest statistics for bus accidents in California show that in 2020, there were 857 bus accidents and 417 injuries from bus crashes. This data aligns with reports from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and various legal sources. Additionally, the state had 100,828 registered buses around the same time.
For more recent and detailed statistics, accessing annual reports from agencies like the California Office of Traffic Safety or the Caltrans crash data repositories would provide updated figures. Links to these sources may provide comprehensive data on injuries, fatalities, and types of bus accidents over more recent years.
Causes of Public Transit Bus Accidents in California
Buses carry more weight and are more challenging to maneuver when turning than most other road vehicles. This means that it often takes less to cause a bus to crash than it would for other road users.
Adverse weather conditions can be particularly dangerous for buses. While we do not often get rain in California and only see snow in specific locations, bus drivers must be trained to handle their vehicles in all conditions to prevent accidents.
Motorcycles are also a potential problem for bus drivers due to their inability to stop immediately when they’re cut off. A bus can cause catastrophic injuries in a motorcycle accident. Motorhomes present another danger because of the sheer size of a bus and RV trying to share the road in narrow lanes.
A vital part of the claims process is determining liability, and it is the job of your California bus accident attorney and their team to determine the cause of an accident and show that negligence was involved.
Common causes of many California bus accidents include:
Bus driver fatigue
A tired bus driver can lose focus or fall asleep while driving. Drivers suffering from accumulated sleep deficit, sleep apnea, or insomnia should not be behind the wheel. All bus companies must also ensure that their drivers adhere to federal regulations regarding the time they can drive without rest.
Aggressive driving
Bus driving can be highly stressful and challenging. If a bus driver is overworked or stressed, he or she may behave carelessly or recklessly. Federal hours-of-service regulations exist for a reason. Bus drivers and bus companies should ensure drivers do not break these hours-of-service rules. Bus drivers are required to maintain logs of their work and rest hours.
Speeding
All bus drivers must travel at a speed relative to the weather and traffic conditions. Excessive speed or driving at an unsafe speed can result in devastating bus accidents.
The poor condition of vehicles
Bus companies that cut corners by avoiding necessary safety inspections and repairs can be held accountable for their wrongdoing. Under federal law, bus companies must also have vehicle maintenance logs. The bus company may be liable for injuries and property damage if an accident occurs due to poor vehicle maintenance, such as brake or tire failure.
Distracted driving
Bus drivers should not use cell phones, computers, or other electronic devices while driving. Other distractions, including eating, drinking, looking at a GPS monitor, or talking to passengers, can also increase the likelihood of a crash.
Poor driver training
The bus company is responsible for fully training its bus drivers in all safety procedures, including watching for pedestrians and observing traffic signals and distractions.
Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Drivers are prohibited from operating a bus under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. California law states that the maximum blood alcohol content (BAC) limit for commercial drivers is 0.08%. For drivers of commercial vehicles, such as some bus drivers, that limit is set at 0.04%.
When a drunk bus driver causes an accident, the bus driver and his or her employer can be held accountable. Bus companies must check their drivers’ criminal and driving histories before hiring.
If you’ve been injured, contact our California bus accident lawyers for a free consultation and to determine if you are entitled to financial compensation. Call 800-561-4887.
Duty of Care to California Bus Passengers
In a personal injury case involving a bus accident, the negligent party – whether the driver, bus company, manufacturers, or others – owes a duty of care to those around them. That means they must take all reasonable care to keep them from harm.
Once on board a bus, passengers have little control over their own well-being. The common carrier is required to exercise the utmost level of care. With such a high duty of care, common carriers (public or private), such as bus companies, can be held liable for any injury or harm to passengers.
Duty of bus drivers
Bus drivers are responsible for the safety of their passengers and have a duty to keep them safe. A negligent bus driver can be held liable if their actions lead to your injuries. Our California injury attorneys will evaluate the evidence to determine if the bus driver was also responsible.
Choosing a Bus Crash Attorney in California
Hiring a well-qualified bus collision attorney is crucial when seeking compensation for your losses. Your attorney should thoroughly investigate what occurred at the time and scene of the crash and whether any laws, regulations, or basic safety expectations were violated.
The accident attorneys of Bisnar Chase have more than four decades in business with a 99% success rate. Our superior representation has won our clients millions of dollars in compensation to pay for expenses such as medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Our mission statement is “To provide superior client representation compassionately and professionally while making our world a safer place.”
Brian Chase shares how Bisnar Chase has made the world a safer place.
Contact a Top-Rated California Bus Accident Attorney
With over 46 years of serving clients across California, our personal injury team has the experience and resources to win significant cases. You may be entitled to compensation above and beyond what you think you can expect to receive.
Our legal team works to the highest standard. Staff members treat every case as their top priority, putting a premium on compassion and support with a personal touch.
- Over $900M Recovered
- 99% Success Rate
- Familiar with all California Courts
- Serving California for 46 Years
Work with the California bus accident lawyers of Binsar Chase to maximize your claim’s value and ensure that you are treated fairly by the negligent parties. Let us fight for you; contact us now by calling (800) 561-4887 for a free consultation.
