Caveat: If you sustained injuries in a life-threatening emergency, dial 9-1-1. If it’s safe to do so, keep reading, even if you’re a bus driver making an employee bus accident claim.

“I felt supremely confident after Ehline’s staff, and associates professionally explained the legal process to me, lessening my difficulties, getting me a fair financial award, helping me receive care for my injuries. Thank you, Ehline Law.”

– Josey H.

LA public transportation is a vast, expansive system with at least 18,500 active stops on 189 bus lines in the Metro Local system alone (Source). The type of bus involved matters when determining legal procedures your trial lawyers use.

Although large truck and bus fatalities had increased by 26% from 3,432 in 2009, 2015’s 18% harm number remains lower than the 21st-century peak of 5,231 in 2005. (Source).

• From 2005-2006, bus accidents tallied around 5.6% of nationwide fatalities.
• Approximately 50 passengers or bystanders suffer fatal bus accidents yearly.
• Three hundred thirty people die yearly in U.S. bus accidents on average.
• Two hundred thirty-two bus-related fatalities in 2017 represented a 1% decrease from 234 fatal bus collisions during 2016.
• Intercity municipal buses accounted for 13% of the bus-caused deaths from 2007 to 2017, with only 13 fatal traffic accidents in 2017, the lowest recorded number since the FMCSA has gathered bus crash data.
• U.S. school bus incidents accounted for 40% of deaths. Long-haul transport accounted for 35% of deaths. 
• The Center for National Truck and Bus Safety Statistics claims most common bus mishaps involve people walking their dog, jogging, standing, or riding in another motor vehicle.
• Annually, around 1,000 people riding or located near city buses will suffer injuries.
• Approximately 12,000 victims will suffer severe bus-related injuries annually.
• 25% of bus crashes involve severe pedestrian injury or wrongful death.
• Over 60% of bus-related deaths happened when another vehicle struck the bus.

Yes. One thing is sure: more and more people get injured each year in commercial delivery vehicle and bus accidents (Uptick for the last 20-30 years). A group outing or just for a work commute can lead to a wreck. Unsupervised and unrestrained children and kids can be thrown about inside an unstable vehicle also.

Buses and commercial road vehicles are everywhere in Long Beach, Torrance, and Culver City, their sheer size and speed place commuters and bystanders at risk during stop-and-go traffic. Pedestrians and bicyclists traveling Palos Verdes Estates and South Bay remain at significant risk for vehicle sideswipes.

Traffic Corridor Factors

Glendale’s high traffic corridor is famous for municipal and charter bus wrecks, with higher speed inland areas on freeways like the 91 West seeing many buses flip and roll over. In Redondo Beach, California, two little girls riding bicycles were run over on Pacific Coast Highway.

A Metro bus’s rearview mirror almost ripped one of their heads off, killing both. The Creative Indulgence surveillance footage proved they were unable to stand a chance.

Greyhound and other private tour bus lines deliver many people and goods daily, all around the country, typically involving long trips during both intrastate and interstate transportation.

Records from Greyhound indicate that from October 3, 1997 – October 3, 2001, 42 bus occupants attacked or assaulted a driver, attempting to grab the steering wheel or push down on the brake. We just saw an example of a foreseeable event causing a bus accident that service operators should prevent. 

When our Greyhound accident lawyers sue and win, we may prompt them to make essential safety changes at Greyhound, with the entire transport industry following suit.

When companies, including Greyhound bus, place profits over people, lives are lost and ruined. Ehline Law Firm heroically makes victims whole.

Anciently, a common carrier was typically a stagecoach or stage wagon operator:

“One who undertakes for hire or reward to transport the goods of any who may choose to employ him, from place to place.”

As in the past, common carriers maintain unique trust positions beyond an ordinary person to keep passengers safe using utmost care and diligence, meeting scheduled routes beyond the ordinary, using a reasonable degree of skill to provide safe carriage.

Although buses are among the safest forms of transportation, many fundamental differences exist between buses and passenger vehicles. The most glaring dissimilarity is modern buses, including school buses. Generally, these are required under the Vehicle Code or federal law to maintain seat belts.

If not, an older bus owner may be held liable for failing to install seatbelts using the utmost care and diligence. (Greyhound Lines, Inc. v. Super. Ct. (Chisefski) (1970) 3 Cal.App.3d 356, 359-360.)

But many causes for a catastrophic injury could exist, including other drivers. So lack of seat belts alone won’t be conclusive evidence toward obtaining justice. A jury can consider the limited number of seats or governmental entities requiring a bus passenger to stand.

Our partners will gather, research, itemize and analyze your bus accident and its causes, identifying the multiple parties jointly and severally responsible and duties owed. Our experienced lawyer does what other law firms won’t.

We know families need money to pay for future rehabilitation, including recovery for future reduction or loss in wages due to light-duty or disability from work.

Your trial lawyer may find these parties must be held liable:

• Private Lines (often paid by their private insurance company).
• Public Lines.
• Any third party hired by either of the above to maintain facilities.
• Third-party motorists must cover their pure comparative fault in a bus accident case.
• Carriage manufacturers.
• Private Bus Company Liability: Greyhound coaches and other small charter bus companies, for example, serve specific tasks.
• Passengers in a bus crash must understand the nuances between government entities and a closely held private bus company. (EX: Casino Tours are like tourism/gambling excursions for retired folks involve longer road trips, making gambling casinos liable under vicarious liability theory with the bus company.).

The government: The government (L.A. Metro, school districts, etc.) must safely maintain its buses and routes, whereas a private school has other obligations. No bus operator or controller should allow inexperienced, fatigued, and medically unqualified drivers on our roads, period!

The City of L.A. or L.A. County will typically absorb public bus accident liability expenses caused by negligent employees. You must hire the best Torrance personal injury lawyer to identify who is to be held accountable. You may have a claim against other riders or more than one bus company. No way can you handle a case against a school district on your own.

You must act within the time period one has to file a claim in the court of law. (Statute of Limitations). Against a government defendant, the plaintiff normally only has six months (180 days) from the date of the accident to file a government claim before you can file a lawsuit against the parties responsible.

In other types of bus accidents, the plaintiff must sue within two years, unless an exception shortening time applies, like a cruise ship passage contract. Plaintiff will forfeit their right to receive damages from parties with responsibility otherwise. By crossing paths with Ehline Law Firm you and your loved one can better protect your case.

When a crash happens, besides fatal crashes, the injuries are pretty bad, including:

• Burns, abrasions, and contusions
• Bone or joint dislocation
• Head injury (TBI)
• Spinal cord damage
• Broken bones
• Dental injuries
• Slipped disks
• Amputation
• Whiplash

We also accept abuse cases against bus drivers guilty of sexually assaulting students.

Passengers, safety, and security come first. Passengers are entitled to arrive safely at their destinations. Drivers of these potential “steel coffins” must prevent accidents in Torrance; if not, we will sue the errant bus company, its bus drivers, and other entities like negligent manufacturing companies. We won’t rest until all private and public bus entities are held responsible. You deserve money damages recovery.

Our Torrance bus accident lawyers will assist you through the government or insurance claims process, holding your hand every step of the way. Request a free consultation 24/7. Proceed to learn about attorney representation from one of our nearby law offices, phone (424) 999-7246, or visit our online chat form to leave your contact information today.