Bus Accident Lawyers – Seattle, Washington
King County Metro Transit and similar organizations are run in Tacoma, Everett, Pierce, Snohomish, and Spokane counties. Transit bus accidents are primarily from brake failure, poor visibility (blind spots), electrical fires, door latch defects and under-trained bus drivers. On March 16, 2012, a 48 year old woman was killed as a result of a King County metro bus accident in which she was run over. Washington insurance law recognizes buses, and other high capacity transport vehicles, as common carriers and holds those responsible for transport to the highest degree of care for the safety of its passengers. The experience team at Phillips Law Firm can help you determine whether of not that standard of care has been breached and what course of action may be applicable to the situation. Call or click today for a free case evaluation.
Determining Negligence in a Bus Accident
There can be multiple parties responsible for a bus accident and it will be important to determine the cause and who is responsible as soon as possible. The most common reasons for a bus accident include driver negligence through error, fatigue, aggressive or distracted driving, or when there has been a mechanical failure or inadequate maintenance. To complicate matters, there can be manufacturers of bus equipment, management companies and government entities who may also be liable in a bus accident. The legal process when pursuing a claim for compensation may vary depending on whether the bus was operated by a private company (as many tour buses are) or a government agency (such as public transit or a school bus).
The most common scenarios in bus accidents are buses hitting pedestrians, cyclists or motor vehicles, a bus catching fire, or passenger injuries from tripping or falling in or out of buses. The fact that buses rarely have seat belts can make for an even greater hazard in an accident.
Buses are large and heavy. Buses can be difficult to drive. And a bus must be on the road in order for the bus company to earn profits. When a bus company places profits over safety, they may defer or even ignore maintenance problems or place undo strain on drivers until it’s too late.
When there have been injuries due to a negligent bus company or driver, it will take a thorough investigation and law firm with the ability to take the case to trial if necessary.
Some Common Bus Companies Include:
- Metro
- Sound Transit
- Charter Buses
- School Buses
Charter Bus Injury Accidents
Approximately 1,000 people a year are injured in inter-city and cross-country charter bus accidents. It is common for high schools to hire and require charter bus transportation for travel to-and-from sporting events.
Charter bus accidents examples include but are not limited to:
- Greyhound Bus Injury Accidents
- Cross-Country Traveling Bus Injury Accidents
- Inter-City Traveling Bus Injury Accidents
Tour Bus Injury Accidents
Carrying unsecured luggage and exempt from seat belt regulations, these smaller buses are often used for tours, party shuttles and airport services. The leading cause of these accidents is the driver failing to react properly when confronted with a hazard that requires quick reaction time. Passengers, often times not wearing seat beats, or may be standing or sleeping at the time of the accident, obtain serious injuries from the accident’s impact or sudden swerving to avoid an accident.
Tour bus accident examples include but are not limited to:
- Airport Shuttle Injury Accidents
- Shuttle Bus Injury Accidents
- Microsoft Connector Injury Accidents
- Casino Shuttle Injury Accidents
- Band Tour Bus Injury Accidents
School Bus Injury Accidents
School buses are exempt from seat belt regulations in Washington State. Lack of seat belts in combination of misbehaving children, rainy weather and rush-hour traffic can be a recipe for a commuting disaster, resulting in injury of minors.
School bus accident examples include but are not limited to:
- School Bus Injury Accidents
- Field Trip Bus Injury Accidents
- After School Activity Bus Injury Accidents
- Sporting Event Bus Injury Accidents
Passenger Van Injury Accidents
Vans that have approximately 15 seats do not require the same certifications as buses or tour vans. Operational errors are higher for passenger vans because of the lack of safety regulations and driver training. Additionally, 15-person vans have a propensity to rollover easily and may have inadequate roof strength.
Passenger van accident examples include but are not limited to:
- Carpool Injury Accidents
- VanShare Injury Accidents
- VanPool Injury Accidents
- 15 passenger vans rented for sports teams
How can Phillips Law Firm help you with your Bus / Van Accident?
At Phillips Law Firm, we handle bus accident claims in Washington State. For many years we have been helping our clients get the compensation they deserve. Our personal injury lawyers are honest and dedicated to getting you the most value for your claim. We know what it takes to get you a fair and just settlement while working sensitively and efficiently. As bus accidents can leave serious or permanent disability, we want to help take care of the legal issues so you can focus on healing.
It is our job to asses all injuries, medical bills (surgeries, medications, etc.), physical pain, mental suffering and lost income after an accident. While we realize that often times no amount of money can replace your loss, we can still help you recover damages from responsible party’s insurance company. We are here to help you handle the insurance companies so you can focus on getting your life back in order.
Now that you’ve found us, your stress and anxiety from medical bills and wage loss can be easier to manage. Our Phillips Law Firm bus accident attorneys are dedicated in their understanding of insurance policies and provisions, bus regulations, and the need to have an investigator on the scene as soon as possible. We help our clients get the most for their injury claims because we are extremely proficient in this practice.
Get Started With Your Free Bus Accident Case Evaluation
At Phillips Law Firm, our bus accident attorneys are dedicated to getting you the justice and compensation you deserve. Call us at 1-800-708-6000. We are waiting to assist you 24/7, with a free case evaluation. Remember our no fee promise. That means if we do not recover anything for you, you do not owe us an attorney fee.
