Sacramento Bus Accident Attorney

Large-Vehicle Crashes Can Cause Serious Injury. We Can Help You Pursue Fair Compensation.

They may help take our kids to school, keep cars off the roads, and save us a drive—but buses can also be a hazard. In December of 2019, a local school bus crashed into a house after plowing through a parked car, a utility box, and a fence. Thankfully, no students were aboard, and the owners of the house were elsewhere at the time. Were that not the case, the accident could have caused serious injuries or perhaps even fatalities. This risk is on the road with us every day.

Bus accidents may seem like they’ll never affect you until the moment you’re involved in one. Between 2012 and 2015, just over 1% of all vehicle accidents involved buses. This may make the harm seem negligible, but when considering the millions of crashes in the U.S. each year, that sliver equates to around 255,000 incidents. Thankfully, the vast majority of these crashes are not fatal. But, due to the size differential and the fact that buses typically hold many people who may or may not be belted in, those involved may sustain serious injuries.

We believe all accident victims should have access to the highest-quality care. In cases like these, you may not even know where to start asking for help so you can access it. Our team at Del Rio & Caraway, P.C. has answers. We can work with you and, if necessary, accident reconstruction specialists to determine the cause of the incident. Whether a mechanical failure, a driver error, or a third party was at fault, you do have the right to make a claim against the party whose negligence put you in danger.

After a bus accident, we’re here to help. Call our attorneys any time at (916) 229-6755 if you think you have a case.

Bus Accident Injuries and Fatalities

Though bus accidents may result in injuries for the bus driver and passengers, those on the outside are much more likely to be seriously hurt or die. The National Safety Council (NSC) analyzed school bus accident records from 2009 – 2018 (inclusive) and separated the injuries and fatalities by victim type.

Damages were split as follows:

• Occupants of other vehicles: 50% of injuries and 70% of fatalities
• School bus passengers: 35% of injuries and 5% of fatalities
• School bus drivers: 8% of injuries and 4% of fatalities
• Pedestrians: An unknown percentage of injuries and 17% of fatalities
• Bicyclists: An unknown percentage of injuries and 2% of fatalities

Especially in fatal school bus crashes, the passengers on the bus are much more likely to survive than other road users.

Passenger Injuries

Though schoolchildren may seem the most likely to be injured thanks to their size, it turns out they’re safer than riders on any other bus. A study by the University of Michigan looked at fatality rates in accidents including school buses, transit buses, and charter buses. While school and transit buses tend to cause more fatalities overall, their passengers are more protected: Only 8.2% and 2.7% of occupants, respectively, are killed in these crashes. By contrast, more than 30% of fatalities in charter and “other” bus crashes are occupants.

Who Is Liable in a Bus Accident?

If you’re injured badly in a bus accident, you’ll want to file an insurance claim or perhaps even sue for damages. Our team can help investigate the accident to identify the at-fault party or parties. You may be able to hold any of the below responsible depending on the circumstances of the case:

• The bus driver
• The driver of another vehicle
• The body that hired the bus driver (a government, school, or private entity)
• A manufacturer that created an unsafe vehicle
• The owner of the bus
• A mechanic who did not spot hazards or correctly repair the bus

Filing against a school district or the local government may be especially work-intensive and require extra steps under a shorter deadline. If you are filing against a city-owned bus, make sure you call our lawyers as soon as possible. No matter the type of suit, we can help you determine how to take action and ensure everything is filed on time.

Our Sacramento Bus Accident Attorneys Are Here for You

Del Rio & Caraway, P.C. was founded on the ideal that those who need legal help after an injury should receive personal attention and a dedicated attorney to fight for them. As a small firm, we are able to take the time to get to know each client’s story so we can give them a voice. Whatever your priorities, they will guide our actions. After a serious injury, you need more support, not more hoops to jump through. Let us take the legal burden of a bus accident claim off your shoulders.

Contact our Sacramento team 24/7 at (916) 229-6755 if you’ve been injured in a bus accident. We can help your story be heard.