Major Factors in Bus Accidents

As a top bus accident lawyer Hillcrest Heights MD has to offer may attest, bus accidents and collisions are can be caused by a variety of factors. While many factors might seem out of the bus driver’s control, a good Hillcrest Heights MD bus accident lawyer knows how to determine when an accident was the result of negligent action or inaction. The attorneys at Cohen and Cohen, P.C. have represented many victims who were injured in vehicle accidents due to someone else’s negligence, and we want to help you too. Below are just a few factors experienced counsel may consider when pursuing your case:

Environmental Factors in Bus Accidents

An experienced Hillcrest Heights MD bus accident lawyer will likely investigate the environmental factors involved in his or her client’s case to determine if they contributed to the cause of the crash or affect liability in anyway. These factors include:

Intersection Control Methods. The National Transit Database reported that more than 80% of major bus collisions occur in intersections within urban areas. These intersections are controlled by traffic signs or traffic lights. Intersections can be deadly because there may be pedestrians crossing as well as vehicles changing lanes and directions. A bus accident lawyer Hillcrest Heights MD accident victims turn to might investigate the circumstances of an accident and try to determine the following:

• Were the signs or traffic lights adequate for safety purposes? If not, the city or municipality may be liable for damages.
• Did the bus driver follow the law and yield properly or exercise right-of-way? If not, the driver may be liable for damages.
• Was the driver negligent by not paying attention to pedestrians or other vehicles in the intersection? If so, the driver may be liable for damages.

Human Factors in Bus Accidents

When pursuing justice for their clients, a bus accident lawyer in Hillcrest Heights MD may also consider the human factors involved in bus accidents. Human factors encompass the behavior or anyone involved in the accident and how their actions may have contributed to your injury. This may include:

Bus driver fatigue. When a bus driver is tired, they are at a greater risk of causing an accident in a number of ways:

• Loss of control: A driver may nod off at the wheel and lose control of the bus which can result in hitting other vehicles, knocking passengers into hard surfaces and injuring them, etc.
• Decreased mental faculties: They may misjudge distance between the curb, the vehicle in front of them, oncoming vehicles, or cars in adjacent lanes. Their judgement may be clouded causing them to make poor, unsafe decisions.
• Slowed reflexes: They may have slower reflexes and not slow or stop in time which can lead to an accident.

If you believe that driver fatigue caused your bus accident, it may be in your best interest to contact a bus accident lawyer Hillcrest Heights MD accident victims rely on. An attorney from Cohen and Cohen, P.C. will fight for the compensation you deserve.

Aggressive driving or road rage. If a bus accident lawyer Hillcrest Heights MD victims turn to can prove that the driver was acting recklessly which resulted in an accident, you may be entitled to compensatory damages in addition to punitive damages. Road rage can cause accidents in many different ways:

• The bus driver exhibits road rage which results in an accident and causes injuries to the bus passengers and to people in other vehicles.
• A person driving a car hits a bus in an act of road rage, injuring the bus passengers.
• A bus driver hits a pedestrian in an act of aggressive driving.

Speeding. Speeding can increase the likelihood of a bus accident in a number of ways. When a bus is driving too fast, it can be especially dangerous because of its large size and weight. Stopping or slowing can be challenging even when driving the speed limit. Maneuvering corners or turns at a high rate of speed can induce rolling, swerving, or collisions with other vehicles. Not only can the driver be held liable because they were speeding, but the bus company can as well. Here’s why:

• Bus companies can install speed governors in buses that will limit the amount of fuel flow to the engine when the vehicle reaches a pre-designated speed. Speed governors can prevent the driver from driving too fast. If speeding was a factor in a bus accident, a bus accident lawyer Hillcrest Heights MD respects can argue that the bus company is partially liable because they did not install this safety device.
• Many commercial buses have a data box installed, much like a black box in commercial airplanes that records important data like speed, time, and other factors. If you have been injured in a bus accident, your lawyer may be able to use the data from this box as evidence.

Uncontrolled Passengers. An experienced bus accident lawyer Hillcrest Heights MD residents count on may be familiar with what can happen if a bus has an uncontrollable passenger. The driver of a commercial bus is responsible for driving the vehicle, but they’re also responsible for maintaining order amongst the passengers. They may have the authority to eject unruly passengers after giving them a warning. They can also stop the bus and call the police for assistance. If they do not maintain control of the passengers the following situations could result:

• If an uncontrolled passenger becomes a distraction to the driver and causes an accident, they may both be held liable. In most scenarios, the driver has the power and responsibility to eject the passenger before they become a distraction.
• If the uncontrolled passenger causes direct injury to another passenger, the driver as well as the uncontrolled passenger may be liable for the injury.

A bus accident can occur for any number of reasons that may have been avoidable. If you’ve been injured in a bus accident that was caused by another person’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. Don’t wait; call Cohen and Cohen, P.C. today if you need a bus accident lawyer Hillcrest Heights MD turns to for outstanding legal representation.