Bus Accidents
Bus drivers, like truck drivers, are held to the highest standards of safety on the road. However, they are people just like the rest of us and everyone can have a bad day, make a mistake and unintentionally cause an accident resulting in injuries to others.
Nevertheless, bus drivers are held to a higher standard of public safety because of their position in public transportation. They are required to undergo regular safety training in addition to their initial training and testing.
Vehicle Collisions
Bus accidents not only involve the people injured in vehicles struck by the bus, but the passengers onboard. When a bus collides with another vehicle, the people onboard the bus are invariably tossed about and often suffer injuries. In addition, most bus riders do not have seatbelts on at the time of the collision, either because the bus is not equipped with safety belts or because there is no enforcement of the California seat belt law for bus passengers. The lack of safety equipment being used increases the frequency and severity of the injuries passengers suffer.
In addition to bus collisions with other vehicles, on occasion, a bus driver will simply be driving in an unsafe manner, causing passengers to fall while on the bus. This can be particularly dangerous to disabled passengers who are unable to catch themselves as they fall.
Vehicle Safety
Disabled passengers are protected by the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act as well as state and local laws and regulations. In Los Angeles, the failure of bus drivers to provide extra safety measures for disabled passengers caused such a problem that a class action suit was filed against the L.A. Metro Lines. As a result of that suit, drivers are require to not only offer the extra safety measures to those passengers, but to do so in a courteous manner. The L.A. Metro Lines are under constant monitoring through a mentor program and through an independently operated mystery rider program. The present estimates are that at least 1 in 100 disabled riders are not treated with courtesy or are not properly secured during their ride.
What can you do?
If you have been injured on a bus as a result of a driver’s discourteous treatment or refusal to properly secure you and their reckless driving, you have the right to sue for your injuries and making a call to the law brothers® Firm is the best place to start.
Call us today at (800) 222-2222 for a free consultation or Contact Us online.
