Paducah Bus Accidents
Bus Crashes in Paducah, Kentucky
When driving in Paducah or McCracken County, you are likely to see buses on the roads and highways throughout the year and at all times. Paducah Public School buses, Greyhounds, Megabuses, and even charter buses can be found traveling the roads of Paducah along with other trucks and cars. Accidents involving buses can be extremely complicated due to the sheer size of the bus compared to the size of the car that it may collide with. Many buses weigh over 30,000 pounds and a collision with a smaller vehicle may result in serious injuries to the driver or passengers of the smaller vehicle. There is also the possibility that many bus occupants may be injured due to the collision. To speak with a Paducah bus accident attorney, call Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz today. Our personal injury attorneys are dedicated to fighting for the rights of motor vehicle accident victims, and we have recovered over $1.5 billion in compensation for injured clients and their loved ones in the past 25+ years.
Types of Bus Accidents
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) defines a bus as any motor vehicle designed primarily to transport nine or more persons, which includes the driver. According to the FMCSA, there are over 12 million large trucks and buses registered nationwide, and in 2015 more than 4,300 were involved in fatal crashes. Bus accidents commonly involve school buses, city transit buses, transportation buses such as Greyhound and Megabus, charter buses, and shuttle buses. Our bus accident lawyers can help Paducah residents involved in an accident with any type of large bus or van, and we are available 24/7 to take your call.
Receiving Fair Compensation After a Bus Wreck Caused by Someone Else
If a large bus strikes and overpowers you car, you may sustain severe and critical injuries, such as head trauma, broken bones, burns, or cuts. The passengers on the bus may also suffer serious injuries as well. Many school buses and public transit buses do not have seat belts. An occupant of a Paducah Area Transit System bus, for instance, may be thrown to the ground and sustain injuries when the bus is involved in a collision.
The first step to recovering fair compensation will be to prove the cause of the accident. There are many causes of bus accidents in Kentucky, including:
- Distracted driving
- Inadequate maintenance of the bus
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Driver negligence
- Inadequately trained drivers
- Fatigued drivers
In bus accident claims, there may be several possible defendants, or people, to blame for the accident, depending on the facts. The most obvious defendant would be the bus driver if he or she negligently caused the collision. Each state has its own laws regarding the standard that drivers must abide by when driving on the roads. Additionally, the FMCSA has specific regulations that certain bus drivers are bound by, including the amount of hours that one is allowed to drive per day. Disregarding these rules and regulations could amount to negligence per se.
Confirming ownership of the bus will also be important in asserting your bus accident claim, since the owner may be held vicariously liable for your damages. Under Kentucky law, the legal theory of vicarious liability holds that an employer may be responsible for the negligence of its employee if the employee was acting within the scope and course of employment when the accident happened. Legal standards of care may differ depending if the bus was owned by a private individual or a government entity. For instance, let’s say you are traveling through Paducah as you are headed to Nashville, TN from St. Louis, MO on a Greyhound bus, when the Greyhound rear-ends the vehicle in front of it. Here, vicarious liability will likely apply since the driver was acting within their job duties when the accident occurred. To ensure that all possible avenues of recovery are being explored, it is best to retain an experienced bus accident attorney that serves Paducah.
Let Our Personal Injury Law Firm Point You in the Right Direction
If you were involved in an accident with a bus in Paducah or McCracken County, call Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz today. A Paducah bus accident lawyer is prepared to take the necessary steps to investigate your accident and ensure that you are fairly compensated, either through settlement or trial verdict. With over 30 years of experience and a team of more than 30 personal injury attorneys, our team is prepared to work for you. For a free consultation with a bus or car accident attorney, call 800-529-4004 or complete our online form. Let us show you why NST is the way to go.