Bus accidents are different from typical auto accident cases, as they often raise complex issues that require a skilled and experienced personal injury attorney. In many accidents involving buses, there may be multiple parties and various theories of liability including those related to driver licensing, vehicle maintenance, common carriers liability, and product liability. There are also various government safety regulations and professional driving standards that may be used to establish fault, along with information that may be obtained from data recording devices and other investigative sources. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an accident involving bus, it is important contact a lawyer experienced in handling complex commercial truck accident cases. Chicago bus accident attorney Jason M. Kroot is experienced in handling complex commercial trucking accident cases including those involving buses. For further information, contact Kroot Law, LLC, for a free consultation.
Bus Driver SafetyCommercial bus drivers transport people between various places, including to school, work, and tourist sites. To become a professional bus driver, the applicant must first obtain a commercial driver’s license or CDL. To obtain a CDL, the applicant must pass both a written and skills test. Much of the information on the written tests is contained in the CDL study guide, which provides critically important information on how to safely operate large vehicles like a bus.
Operating a bus requires a greater degree of knowledge, skill, and care than what is necessary to safely operate a standard car. After all, buses do not maneuver like cars. Because buses take longer to stop and turn, professional bus drivers must maintain a safer distance between their vehicle and other vehicles and obstacles ahead of them. In slippery conditions, bus drivers must be especially careful which includes reducing their speed by at least 1/3 depending upon the road surface. For icy roads, bus drivers should pull over at the nearest exit. Indeed, because of the sheer size and weight of a bus, motor vehicle accidents that involve buses often result in serious injuries and, at times, death. For these and other reasons, professional bus drivers must exercise great care in how they operate their bus—for their safety and the safety of others. In many states like Illinois, professional bus drivers and other common carriers owe their passengers a “heightened degree of care” beyond the normal duty of “ordinary care.”
Types of Bus AccidentsUnfortunately, there a many ways a person can be injured or killed from an accident involving a bus. Most serious injuries from bus accidents involve passengers in other vehicles or pedestrians who are struck by a bus. Of course, passengers on board a bus can also suffer serious and sometimes fatal injuries in a crash. No matter how a person is injured in an accident involving a bus, it is important to select a personal injury lawyer with the knowledge, skill, and motivation to properly prosecute these cases. For further information, we invite you to contact Kroot Law, LLC for a free consultation and case evaluation.