Passengers on a Greyhound bus on the night of August 24 had a frightening brush with danger when their driver spent some two hours swerving from lane to lane before he was pulled over by Florida Highway Patrol officers. The bus was headed south on I-95 and was passing through Daytona Beach when a passenger called 911 to report that the bus operator was driving recklessly and behaving mysteriously. He was eventually arrested for driving under the influence.
While the situation the bus passengers were faced with was obviously dangerous and unsettling, they were lucky in the end. Although bus travel is relatively safe, especially compared to traveling by car, bus crashes can be very serious when they do occur. The major problem with bus travel is that passengers aren’t very well protected. Car passengers have the benefit of seat belts and airbags, but bus passengers don’t, and buses have the added risk of being prone to tipping over in the event of an accident. All of these conditions add up to a high likelihood of suffering serious injury if you’re involved in an accident while riding a bus.
Receiving compensation for injuries suffered in a bus crash can be complicated. Because many buses are operated by government entities like school districts and local transportation agencies, accidents in which the bus driver is at fault will likely require you file a claim against the government. The window of time for doing so can be very small. An accident caused by another driver is comparatively quite simple, as you’ll simply file a claim with that person’s insurance. In this situation, you stand a strong chance of receiving compensation for injuries and lost wages.
If you or a loved one have suffered serious injury as the result of a bus accident due to the negligence of the bus driver, the bus company or the driver of another vehicle, seek medical attention immediately. Then, contact an experienced Manatee County auto accident attorney with Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez, Murphy & Walsh.