January 28, 2015 | By Greene Broillet & Wheeler
Every day in the United States, people receive the distressing news that a bus accident has occurred in their community. Despite the fact that buses often carry some of our society’s most vulnerable members, such as children and the elderly, bus accidents are an all-too-common occurrence. This is especially true in California, where a huge fleet of buses is always on the road to support schools, tourism, and a wide range of other private and public interests.
The most recent data available from the United States Department of Transportation shows that an average of 55,000 bus crashes occurs throughout the nation every year. On average, more than 240 of these bus accidents lead to fatalities and more than 11,000 of these crashes lead to injuries. School buses and transit buses (such as those operated by Big Blue Bus and other municipal lines) are involved in the majority of bus crashes and fatal accidents.
The effects of bus crashes are not restricted to bus drivers and their passengers. Non-motorists – including pedestrians and bicyclists/pedal cyclists – account for approximately 30% of all bus-related fatalities every year.
As previously mentioned, a significant portion of all bus accidents occurs in California. We have previously covered some of these incidents on our blog:
We have also written about other fatal bus accidents, the extensive bus accident investigation process, and how inclement weather has been blamed for many recent bus crashes.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partiner, Tim J. Wheeler who has more than 20 years of legal experience as a personal injury attorney.