Los Angeles Bus Accident Attorneys

Bus Accident Overview
Fatal bus accidents are relatively rare occurences in the United States but about 20,000 people annually experience injuries from bus crashes. California is one of the third leading states in annual bus accidents; school and municipal buses accidents being the most common. Sadly, school bus accidents are most often serious or fatal to their young passengers.

Most bus accidents are caused by driver negligence or disregard of traffic safety in combination with poorly maintained vehicle safety features such as like braking systems. Common carriers such as bus and shuttle bus transportation companies are legally required to exercise the utmost diligence and care in the safe delivery of their passengers. When these requirements are disregarded and drivers are inadequately trained, and/or vehicles are not maintained properly these common carriers may be considered liable for any accidents which occur.

Types of Bus Accidents
Buses of all kinds are involved in accidents. Public buses, school buses, shuttle buses and coach buses are all top-heavy and lack passenger safety restraints which makes them prone to fatal rollover accidents. 15-person passenger vans are the most likely type of bus to roll over in an accident.

How Bus Accidents Occur
Most bus accidents occur when a bus driver fails to see another vehicle, is inadequately trained, is driving a poorly maintained vehicle or some combination of the three. Buses are large vehicles which are inherently difficult to maneuver or stop quickly. Because of their great size bus drivers may have difficulty seeing other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists or difficulty maneuvering out of the way or stopping abruptly to prevent a collision.

Aggressive driving behavior such as speeding, failure to yield the right-of-way at stop signs or red lights or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol also lead to bus accidents. In addition bus passengers ride without the benefit of safety features like seat belts.

Physics and vehicular design also play a part in contributing to bus accidents. 15-person passenger vans, the sort often used to transport small amounts of passengers between churches, businesses, schools and other organizations or to carry large amounts of equipment of buses are the most likely to result in a devastating bus accident because this particular type of bus, when fully loaded, has a raised center of gravity, which shifts toward the rear and increases the chance of a rollover accident.

When public buses or municipal buses are involved in an accident they can be devastating. Their lack of safety features such as air bags or seat belts and their large size creates a deadly situation for all passengers present. Municipal bus companies are public entities and therefore any claims for damages involving their buses are restricted by a statute of limitations.

Bus Accident Statistics

• Approximately 360 million passengers ride on all sorts of buses for a combined distance of 30 billion miles annually in the United States.
• Commercial buses such as charter buses, service tours and special operations account for 30,000 buses in comparison with only 4,000 motor coach companies.
• School bus accidents result in fewer than 15 fatalities annually in the United States.

• Bus Accidents and What You Need to Know
• Bus Accidents: Understanding Liability
• School Bus Accident Prevention Tips
• Bus Accidents and Common Injuries Explained