Bus Accidents in New York City

Legal Representation for NYC Accident Victims

If you or a loved one has been hurt by a negligence of a bus driver as a passenger or pedestrian, a New York City personal injury lawyer at The Law Office of Richard M. Kenny can help you. We have more than five decades of combined legal experience and have assisted our clients in recovering a total of more than $100 million. You deserve dedicated legal representation to help you file a personal injury or wrongful death claim for monetary damages and we are ready to begin working on your case immediately. If you are involved in a bus accident of any kind such as a motorcoach or school bus related accident, we encourage you to contact of a member of our firm. We have worked with countless personal injury victims throughout the New York City area and are ready to help fight for you. Contact us now for a free consultation to learn how our legal team can help.

Bus Passenger Injuries

Busses provide an excellent form of economical and environmentally friendly transportation. However, they also expose passengers to the risk of severe injury in the event of a collision. Without seatbelts, airbags or proper seat cushions, passengers can suffer injuries such as bruises, broken bones, whiplash and spinal cord damage. The threat of injury is increased when the rider is standing, as is common during rush hour when public transportation can get overcrowded. Passengers are aware of a certain amount of risk when they board a bus but injury as a result of driver negligence or vehicle disrepair can be grounds for a compensation claim.

Motorcoach & School Bus Accident Information

While many New Yorkers rely on public transportation, it is unfortunate to note that this is not always the most reliable source of transportation. While bus accidents are rarer than a common car crash, they also carry more people – meaning that when they are involved in a collision or accident of any kind, there are significantly more people who are vulnerable to injury, especially due to the lack of protection afforded to visitors.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board:

Without standards for roof strength, window glazing, and a protected seating area, motorcoach accidents can be catastrophic. . . . Even when the motorcoach remains relatively intact during an accident, passengers lacking a protective seating environment can be thrown from their seating area and killed or injured.

One common source of bus accidents are those related to school transportation. While school buses are considered generally safe, they are involved in a considerable amount of accidents each year – often times leaving young children with catastrophic injuries. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an average of 19 children die due to school transportation related crashes annually.

For example, an accident occurred in January 2013 where a commuter bus heading to New York City slammed into a mini school bus. The school bus was flipped onto its side and hit a power supply station outside of an apartment complex. The commuter bus ran off the road and into a telephone phone and then a tree. Thankfully, there were no children on the school bus at the time. Still, the driver of the school bus and 17 people who had been on the commuter bus suffered injuries ranging from minor to severe.

Injured in a collision with a bus in New York City?

The inside of the bus is not the only place where accidents occur. Pedestrians are frequently injured when crossing the street in front of a bus driver who fails to notice the traffic signal change or fails to see the pedestrian when turning a corner. Cyclists are liable to suffer similar injury when passing the bus at a stop or when the driver merges back into traffic without looking for oncoming traffic. When busses hit cars, the driver and passengers in the smaller vehicle may be injured by the force of impact with the much larger bus. Any of these situations could be investigated to determine whether victims are entitled to compensation.

If you were hurt in an MTA accident or you believe that you may have grounds for legal action against a private intercity bus carrier, do not hesitate to contact us for help. Our New York City personal injury lawyers are dedicated to defending the rights of accident victims and we stand by our clients throughout the entire process of claiming compensation. You can have your attorney's personal phone number so that you can receive answers and guidance when you need them, and we will work diligently to help you recover the best settlement or verdict possible. Contact a personal injury attorney from New York City today.