Overall, buses remain among the safest forms of transportation. Although there are fewer accidents involving buses, they can and do take place with a certain degree of frequency.
When accidents do take place, seeking damage compensation can present some unique challenges.
Due to the size of buses, accidents can range from minor fender benders all the way up to catastrophic accidents resulting in multiple deaths. A number of these deaths can be attributed to some of the shortcomings of buses, many of which do not have safety restraint systems and have a higher tip-over rate than other types of vehicles.
When an accident takes place between a car and a bus, and the car driver is at fault, filing a claim is a fairly straightforward process.
However, when the bus driver is at fault, things can get much more complicated, especially in cases where the buses are operated by government entities. This can include school buses or public transportation buses. Government entities have strict rules about filing time limits and making sure that the appropriate paperwork is submitted. If you fail to execute either of these properly, you may lose your right to seek damages.
In all bus accident cases, the key to collecting damages is determining and proving liability. In most cases, the focus will be on the bus driver. A skilled attorney will look at the following as some of the ways to prove liability:
Was the driver under the influence of drugs or alcohol?
Was the driver adequately trained to drive a bus?
Was the bus driver fatigued in any way while driving the bus?
Was the bus itself in good mechanical working order and was it properly maintained throughout its service life?
Was the bus loaded properly, both with luggage and passengers?
Choulos, Choulos & Wyle proudly serve clients in San Francisco, Oakland and in cities throughout the Bay Area.
