Nashville Bus Accident Lawyers

Accidents involving buses and other large common carrier vehicles are on the rise. Buses typically do not have the same safety features that are present in smaller passenger vehicles such as side airbags, seatbelts, and the like. Due to this lack of protection and because buses usually carry dozens of people, the potential for injury is high in a bus wreck. When a large bus crashes into a smaller vehicle, there is also a high probability that the occupants of the smaller vehicle will suffer injury due to the size and weight disparity between the vehicles. In these collisions, the smaller vehicle usually bears the brunt of the impact and sustains heavy property damage.

Many times bus crashes result in fatal injuries. In 2016, there were nine (9) reported fatalities as a result of bus crashes in Tennessee alone. Other common injuries in bus accidents include whiplash and spinal cord injuries which occur as a result of the sudden impact of the collision. Often times, bus passengers are thrown from their seats, resulting in broken bones or fractures. They may also hit their heads on the window or seat, causing head injuries, lacerations, and cuts. Depending on the severity of the lacerations and cuts, the victim may sustain permanent scarring or disfigurement.

Who is responsible for your medical bills and other losses following a bus accident? Who must pay for your child’s medical treatment if he or she was hurt on a school bus? That will depend on whose negligence caused the accident. To prove negligence, a bus accident lawyer in Nashville will need to show that the defendant driver breached a duty of care that caused you to suffer injuries and damages. Most bus accidents are caused by the negligent driving of either the bus driver or the driver of another vehicle. In those cases, you will be able to pursue a bodily injury claim against the at-fault driver’s liability insurance carrier. If the accident resulted from a bus driver’s negligence, you may also be able to pursue his employer for your losses. An employer is typically vicariously liable for any accidents caused by the negligent actions of its employees committed in the course and scope of employment. An example would be a charter bus running a red light and crashing into another car on West End Avenue while transporting a large group of people to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum at 222 5th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203.

Contacting a knowledgeable bus accident attorney in the Nashville area as soon as possible after a bus accident is critical. Your attorney will investigate all insurance policies and coverage that may be available to compensate you for your losses in addition to working to make sure that you get a fair share of the insurance proceeds if there are multiple claimants involved.

A major concern in many bus accident cases, particularly those involving serious or fatal injuries or multiple injured parties, is insufficient insurance coverage. The passenger vehicles driven by most people in Tennessee are only required to carry $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in liability insurance coverage, and if this amount has to be split among multiple claimants with broken bones, head injuries, or other serious injuries, there may not be enough money to go around. Though buses usually carry liability insurance with higher commercial limits, there may be still be too little insurance if the bus was carrying dozens of passengers. In those cases, you may have to look to your personal auto insurance policy and file a claim under your underinsured motorist coverage if you have it. Some bus companies may also carry underinsured motorist coverage that would come into play if there is too little liability insurance covering the at-fault driver.