Bus Accident Lawyers

Attorneys Serving Clients Injured in Crashes Involving School Buses, City Buses, and More in Houston, Texas, and Nationwide

Buses play a key role in local, regional, and interstate transportation. Usually, buses are a reliable way to get to and from work and school, as well as travel around the city and beyond.

However, when buses crash, the aftermath is often catastrophic. In addition to the high number of serious injuries that are often involved, bus accident litigation is often complicated due to the number of powerful parties that may be involved.

Patrick Daniel Law has extensive experience with bus accidents and other complex commercial vehicle claims. Please call (713) 999-6666 today for a free consultation. Our lawyers serve clients in the greater Houston area, all of Texas, and nationwide.

Types of Bus Accident Claims

At Patrick Daniel Law, we serve drivers and their passengers who have been injured in collisions with buses, as well as passengers on the bus who suffer serious accident injuries. Our team handles claims involving all kinds of buses and motor coaches, including:

• School buses
• City/public buses
• Regional carriers
• Private and charter buses
• Passenger vans
• Shuttles

Due to the size and weight of buses, catastrophic injury is common in bus accidents. This is true for both passengers of the bus, who are generally not restrained while riding, as well as other motorists.

Our lawyers will mercilessly pursue compensation for the serious injuries you or your loved one sustained in the bus accident. If a member of your family was tragically killed, we can also build a wrongful death claim on your behalf.

Causes of Bus Accidents

Most bus accidents are the result of driver error. However, the error may rest with the bus driver, the driver of another vehicle, or a combination of the two.

The following forms of carelessness on the bus driver’s part may result in an accident:

• Driving while fatigued
• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Speeding
• Making wide turns
• Changing lanes without checking blindspots
• Following other vehicles too closely
• Distracted driving

The driver of another vehicle may also be partially or completely at fault for the bus accident due to behaviors such as:

• Excess speed
• Tailgating the bus
• Aggressively trying to pass the bus
• Failing to notice brake or warning lights
• Impaired or distracted driving

As in many claims involving commercial vehicle accidents, liability in bus accident cases is often complex. Multiple parties may be at fault beyond just the drivers.

Bus Company Liability in Accident Claims

Companies that own and operate buses may be liable for accidents if their negligence was a factor in the crash. This may include:

• Negligent hiring practices, such as hiring unqualified drivers or failing to check for previous violations
• Inadequate driver training
• Failure to implement and enforce policies to combat substance abuse, distracted driving, etc.
• Hours of service violations (federal regulations limit the number of hours bus drivers can drive, but employers may coerce their drivers into breaking the law)
• Failure to maintain the bus and make repairs

The owner and operator of the bus may be a private company, a school, or a government entity. The entity involved and where the accident occurred may affect your claim, so it is important to contact an experienced attorney as soon as possible to discuss your legal options.

Vehicle Defects in Bus Accident Claims

Buses are large, heavy vehicles. Their safe operation is dependent on a number of parts working in harmony. When part of the vehicle fails, a bus accident may result.

A part or component on the bus may fail due to negligent or improper maintenance, or it could be the result of a defect. Defective parts that may cause a bus accident include:

• Defects in the frame of the bus
• Defective brake systems
• Defective fuel tanks and fuel systems
• Defective tires
• Electrical system defects
• Unstable or broken seats
• Defective lights and stop arms (on school buses)
• Defective pivoting and articulating joints

If the bus accident was caused by a defective part or component, our lawyers will pursue compensation on your behalf from the company that designed or manufactured the faulty part.

Injuries in Bus Accidents

Whether you are a passenger on the bus or a driver or passenger in another car, anyone involved in a bus accident is at a high risk of suffering serious injuries. Those in other vehicles that are hit by the bus may sustain:

• Traumatic brain injury
• Spinal cord injury
• Loss of limbs
• Broken bones
• Burns

The impact of an accident may throw passengers out of their seats, potentially resulting in head and facial injuries as well as broken bones in the arms, legs, and chest. If the accident causes the bus to tip or roll over, passengers may be flung from one side of the vehicle’s interior to the other, potentially resulting in crush injuries and even impalement. Horrifically, if the bus catches fire as a result of the accident, passengers may be trapped inside, potentially suffering severe burn injuries or worse.

Compensation in a Bus Accident Claim

Because multiple passengers may suffer serious injuries in a bus accident (not to mention the harm to people in other vehicles), multiple claims may proceed from a single crash. These claims often involve millions of dollars in damages.

If you or a loved one has suffered serious injury in a bus accident, the attorneys at Patrick Daniel Law will meticulously investigate the damages you have suffered and mercilessly pursue every dollar you are owed for your injuries.

Damages we may be able to recover for your injuries in a bus accident claim include:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Loss of future earning potential, if the accident renders you unable to work
• Pain and suffering
• Permanent disability
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Emotional anguish
• Loss of consortium

If your loved one is killed in a bus accident, our lawyers will pursue compensation on your behalf through a wrongful death claim for damages such as:

• Funeral and burial or cremation costs
• Loss of income
• Medical expenses prior to your relative’s death
• Loss of care, maintenance, support, and services
• Loss of consortium

Depending on the circumstances of the bus accident, punitive damages may also be available in your personal injury or wrongful death claim. This compensation is awarded at the discretion of the judge or jury as a means of penalizing a defendant who engages in extreme negligence or misconduct.

How Patrick Daniel Law Can Help with Your Bus Accident Claim

Legally, buses are considered “common carriers.” Like with truck accidents and other claims involving vehicles that are used for commercial purposes, this means that buses are subject to federal regulations. Therefore, federal agencies such as the National Transportation Safety Board and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will likely be involved in the investigation of any crashes.

In claims where complex regulations, investigations, and liability are involved, it is crucial to have knowledgeable, experienced legal counsel on your side. Patrick Daniel Law has extensive experience in complex vehicle accident cases. Our attorneys are strategic, meticulous, and merciless in holding large companies and other institutions accountable when their negligence harms innocent people.

In building your claim, our team will collaborate with leading experts in accident reconstruction, engineering, transportation, and other disciplines to understand how the accident occurred. From this meticulous investigation, we will develop an effective legal strategy that takes into account all of the damages you and your family have suffered.

Through settlement negotiations and, if necessary, trial, we will mercilessly pursue just compensation for your losses. Our proven results demonstrate our commitment to fighting to get our clients the most when they need it the most.

We recognize the importance of compassion in serving our clients. As part of our commitment to child safety, we are proud to provide high-quality legal representation for families whose lives are turned upside down by the serious injury or death of a child in school bus accidents.

Contact Our Bus Accident Lawyers Today

If you or a family member has been seriously injured in a bus accident, or you lost a loved one in a bus crash, Patrick Daniel Law is here to support you. We make it our priority to pursue the compensation you deserve at the time you need it the most.

Please call (713) 999-6666 or contact us online today for a free case evaluation. Our bus accident attorneys serve clients throughout the greater Houston area, as well as all of Texas and nationwide.