Bus Accidents

According to a recent report published by the Buses Involved in Fatal Accidents (BIFA) Factbook, an average of 325 buses are involved in fatal accidents each year. In 2004 alone, New York had 22 fatalities, the third largest total in the United States behind California (36) and Florida (32). When you consider that 40% of the buses on our nation's roads are school buses, this alarming number becomes an even greater concern.

Stricter legislation has been sought to govern the requirements that drivers face in order to get an appropriate operating license, yet accidents involving school, intercity, charter and transit buses continue to happen at an alarming rate. As our city streets become more congested due to widespread increase in population, the number of accidents and fatalities will surely continue to rise.

Bus accidents can result in severe personal injury or death and can be caused by a number of factors. Driver negligence, faulty highway technology, defective products, tire separation, rollovers and weather have all been documented as contributing factors in serious bus accidents.  You do not have to be inside of a bus during the accident to contact a lawyer regarding an injury!  Bus accident injuries can be sustained while riding on a bus, walking on a street or driving (or riding) in a car that is hit by a bus.

If you are ever involved in a bus accident, make sure to:

• Document as much information as possible including; driver name and telephone number
• Get the name and telephone phone number of the bus company that the driver works for
• Document the name and contact information of any other drivers that were involved in the accident
• Document name and contact information of any witnesses. If possible, take photos at the scene of the accident (camera phone pictures would suffice)
• Visit a doctor and document any and all injuries that occurred as a result of the accident.