Chattanooga Bus Accidents

Commercial bus accidents in Chattanooga can involve Greyhound buses, Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) buses, Durham School Services buses, school buses, Church buses, charter buses, and more. When a collision with a bus occurs, one of four scenarios will likely be in play:

1. The bus driver is at fault, and you are a bus passenger. Here, the driver of the bus is responsible for the accident. This could be due to the bus driver driving while fatigued, impaired, or violating a traffic law such as speeding or following too closely. As a passenger, your recovery will likely be through the bus company. The same would apply for a school bus accident in which your child was a passenger. Most likely, since the bus contained passengers, the bus driver was acting in the normal course and scope of his employment. That being the case, the bus company would be held vicariously liable for the negligent actions of the driver.
2. You are a bus passenger when another vehicle causes the crash. Here, another car causes an accident to occur. For example, a car rear-ends a charter bus outside of the Tennessee Aquarium at 1 Broad Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402. Here, recovery would be through the at-fault driver or vehicle owner’s liability insurance. If the other driver or owner did not have any insurance, your avenue of recovery would be through your own uninsured motorist insurance coverage, or the uninsured motorist coverage of the bus, if such coverage was purchased. A bus accident lawyer can guide Chattanooga residents through this process.
3. A bus driver causes an accident with your vehicle. Here, the bus driver causes a wreck with a vehicle in which you are the driver or passenger. The same would apply if you were riding a motorcycle, bicycle, or as a pedestrian. Much like scenario number 1, your primary avenue of recovery will be against the bus driver and the bus company. In some situations, the bus company could be held directly liable for your damages if they failed to properly train the driver, failed to conduct proper background checks, or allowed the bus driver to disregard FMCSA hours of service regulations.
4. You are a passenger in a vehicle that crashes into the bus. Here, the driver of the car in which you are a passenger causes a wreck with a bus. This could be due to distracted driving, speeding, or failing to yield. Your claim will be against the car driver or car owner’s liability insurance. A skilled bus accident attorney in the Chattanooga area will also investigate potential comparative fault of the bus driver to ensure that all available forms of recovery are examined.

Each scenario listed above contains different theories of negligence and different avenues of recovery. There is no substitute for properly investigating a bus accident, which often includes interviewing witnesses, obtaining police reports, sending investigators to photograph the accident scene, and more. Properly investigating a collision increases your chances of recovering full compensation for damages like medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, disfigurement, and loss of consortium.