Bus accidents can cause serious injury because bus passengers are usually not provided with seatbelts. If a bus driver causes an accident, he and his employer and the owner of the bus can all be sued for the resulting injuries. A bus driver can cause the accident not only by failing to follow the rules of the road, but also by stopping, starting or turning so abruptly or violently that it causes passengers, especially those who are standing, to be thrown around inside the bus.

A bus driver has a duty not only to driver carefully, but also to stop the bus at a place where it is safe for the passengers to get off ("alight") and get on ("board") the bus. If the driver stops the bus at a place where there is a pot hole, or other such defect, and a person climbing on board or off the bus is injured because of that defect, the bus driver and bus company can be held liable.

In addition, there are very strict rules for school buses. Sometimes accidents happen in school buses because of the lack of school bus monitors in the bus to keep the children in their seats and safe.

Injuries to passengers in buses are not usually as severe as those in cars, or on motorcycles, because buses are big and heavy and can withstand impact with other vehicles well. However, when a serious accident does occur, such as an overturned bus, the injuries are very severe and to a large number of people. The most serious bus injuries tend to involve charter or longer distance bus rides with buses traveling at high speeds on highways. But the majority of bus injuries are from passengers getting on or off the bus.

Just as with the victims other types of vehicle accidents, victims of a bus accidents can bring a claim for lost wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering and other losses suffered.

Michaels & Smolak has recovered millions of dollars for clients injured in bus accidents and for other injuries to cover their medical bills, lost earnings, pain and suffering, and more. If you or a loved one has been a victim of a bus accident, contact us for a free consultation with an experienced lawyer who can inform you of your legal rights and maximize your compensation.