Bus Accidents
Bus Accident Lawyers in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia
Bus accidents, although far less common than car or truck accidents, have the potential of causing serious injuries and may require a bus accidents lawyer. These crashes can cause harm and damage to both the passengers on board and any other person involved. Although they occur less frequently than automobile or truck accidents, they still pose a serious threat to human safety. In fact, these accidents occur more often than the public may think. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics, in a year 63,000 of the 900,000 buses inventoried in the United States were involved in a bus accident. Moreover, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), from 2004 to 2013, 1,214 fatal motor vehicle crashes were from buses. In many of these cases, a bus accidents lawyer may be used.
Buses are used by people for various reasons. For example, in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia, one of the biggest uses for buses is to transport children back and forth from school. Transit buses like the Metrobus offer transportation along scheduled routes within urban areas. Intercity buses like Greyhound or Megabus are ways in which people can travel long-distance to popular destinations such as New York City. There are also charter buses that can take big groups on tours. The large number of people that use buses for varying reasons are all at risk of a collision, and may seek help from a bus accidents lawyer.
There are many different circumstances that can involve bus accidents. Among the causes of these are:
- Distracting passengers
- Bus driver distraction on the road
- Texting while driving
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Aggressive driving and speeding
- Faulty bus equipment, including under/over inflated tires and faulty brakes
Any of the above reasons can pose a serious threat to the bus passengers. Accidents can result in damage to people and their property. Similar to any other form of automobile crashes — such as that of a car or truck— bus accidents can cause severe injuries such as bumps and bruises, broken bones, permanent brain injury, whiplash, and even death. A bus accidents lawyer may be able to help if someone suffers from a bus-related injury.
Buses are subject to various safety regulations, on the federal and state level, similar to trucks. These regulations can include the duration of hours in which a bus driver can drive per day to how often the bus must be inspected. However, these regulations often cost bus companies money. To save money on replacing buses or bus parts, as well as prevent buses from being removed from the road altogether, safety inspections and precautions can be less thorough and even overlooked entirely. When this happens and the result is an accident, the bus company or bus manufacturer may be placed at fault. This is a case where the automobile accident lawyer Washington DC trusts can help.
Despite the potential harm these accidents can cause, buses are still a popular mode of transport in Washington, D.C., and the surrounding Maryland and Virginia areas. In fact, Metrobus is the 6th busiest bus agency in the country, serving 11,500 bus stops in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. If you’ve been involved in a bus accident in this region and suffered damages or injuries as a result, contact the experienced attorneys at Cohen & Cohen to discuss your case. Since regulations can vary from state to state there are often many details of the accident to investigate, and we can set you up with an experienced bus accidents lawyer on our team who will make sure we’re getting all the facts to gain you reasonable compensation.
