A city that offers so much to its community must also offer reliable transportation options. The Lancaster community has three different airports to choose from if they need to travel by air. Freeways and highways offer the community convenient access to neighboring cities. Community members that work outside of the city can take a commuter rail or commuter bus to nearby major cities. The Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) provides local bus transportation to the community.
The AVTA operates thirteen local routes, four commuter routes, and one school route. The AVTA consists of a total of seventy-five buses, forty-five of which are part of the local routes, and thirty of which are part of the commuter routes. Besides public bus transportation, the city has other bus companies available to the public. The bus companies include Greyhound, Antelope Valley School Transportation, and Antelope Express.
Overall, bus transportation in Lancaster appears to be stable enough to support its growing community. However, does this method of transportation provide the safety necessary for the community to be confident in using it? Have there been any bus accidents that have resulted in injuries or even deaths? Below is a summarized list of past bus incidents in Lancaster, CA:
- In February 2017, a bus accident left one student critically injured and eight others with non-threatening injuries.
- In May 2017, a bus accident left fourteen students injured; two of the students suffered trauma injuries and required additional hospitalization.
- In October 2016, a bus accident left five students injured and taken to a hospital.
Bus accidents can happen at any time; however, they are relatively uncommon. In the United States, there are more than 32,000 fatal crashes and more than 6.2 million non-fatal crashes. Of these numbers, less than 260 of fatal crashes and 14,000 non-fatal crashes involved a bus. As you can see, the statistics for bus accidents are low. So, buses provide a cheap and safe transportation option for the community. Regardless, accidents are always a possibility, and you should know what your rights are if you sustained injuries in a bus accident. If you experienced a bus accident and sustained injuries, you might have a few questions, like the following:
- Can I sue if I was injured as a passenger during a sudden stop?
- Can I sue if I was injured during a sudden start?
Yes, you can sue. As a bus passenger, you have the right to sue. Even if you were not a passenger but rather a non-passenger—a pedestrian, bicyclist, or another driver—you can sue if you were injured in a bus accident.
If a passenger is injured, he or she must seek legal representation with an accomplished attorney who has experience in bus accident cases as soon as possible. One of our experienced lawyers at the top-rated Normandie Law Firm will be able to assist you.
Buses as Common Carriers—Their Responsibility to You
Any vehicle that transports passengers for a fee—airplanes, trains, taxis, and buses—are considered to be common carriers. Common carriers are subject to both federal and state regulations; they have to exercise the highest level of care to ensure passenger safety. How do common carriers ensure passenger safety? They must do all of the following to ensure that their passengers’ transportation experience is secure:
- Provide an operational vehicle
- Accommodate passengers reasonably
- Respect all passengers
- Be attentive to all passengers
- Protect passengers from passenger aggression
- Operate the vehicle safely at all times
Common carriers have a duty of care to passengers and are to give passengers the highest level of care. This means doing everything possible to avoid passenger injuries. If you are a non-passenger—a bicyclist, pedestrian, or another driver—common carriers have a duty to you, too. It is not the highest level of care as with passengers, but it is reasonable care.
What happens if the bus driver or the bus company does not keep their duty of care to passengers and non-passengers? If bus drivers or bus companies do not do everything possible to ensure passenger and non-passenger safety, they might have been negligent. If you believe your injuries were directly caused by negligence, you must contact a Lancaster law firm that has experience with bus accident cases. You will need to prove that the bus driver or the bus company were negligent. There are four elements of negligence: duty, breach, cause, and harm. As previously stated, bus drivers and bus companies, as common carriers, have a direct duty to passengers and non-passengers. If they breach this duty, they can be held liable for their negligent actions. A skilled attorney with expertise in bus accident injury lawsuits in Lancaster will be able to help you establish negligence in your specific case.
Common Injuries Sustained in a Bus Accident
Bus accidents are motorized vehicle accidents and, therefore, always come with the risk of injury. Injuries sustained in bus accidents are similar to any other injuries sustained in regular car crashes. Non-passengers who are injured in bus accidents have a greater risk of sustaining severe injuries. Why? Buses are often very large vehicles; this, alone, is enough to cause non-passengers life-threatening injuries. Inside the bus, injuries are also similar to regular car crash injuries. However, these large buses can carry many people; these passengers are not required to wear seatbelts or even be seated while the bus is in motion. To standing passengers, sudden stops and sudden starts can be enough to cause an injury. If the bus suddenly stops, standing passengers might lose hold of the safety bars and safety straps and end up falling. The same thing can happen if the bus suddenly starts and the standing passengers have not secured themselves by holding on to the safety bars or straps. Seated passengers are not exempt from being affected by sudden starts and sudden stops. Seated passengers do not hold onto anything and could fall out of their seats or hit their head against a window, a seat, or a safety bar if the bus suddenly stops or starts. Here is a quick list of some of the common bus accident injuries:
- Head injuries and traumatic brain injuries
- Whiplash
- Neck and back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Bruises and scrapes
- Broken hips, fractured bones, and sprains
Most of the injuries listed above will require medical attention. Some of the injuries will be severe enough to warrant constant medical attention, treatment, and even surgery. This might result in unforeseen medical expenses. If you were injured in a bus accident, you need to hire a qualified lawyer experienced in bus accident cases.
Normandie Law Firm Can Help
Normandie Law Firm is a personal injury law firm with expertise in bus accident lawsuits against the bus companies and the bus drivers. If the bus was going too fast and the passenger fell and fractured his or her wrist, Normandie Law Firm can help. If a passenger slips and falls on the bus during a sudden start, our law firm can help. If the injuries sustained in a bus accident were so severe that the passenger or non-passenger unfortunately died, our law firm can help file a wrongful death claim. Contact Normandie Law Firm to meet with an expert lawyer experienced in handling bus accident claims in Lancaster.
Normandie Law Firm is committed to ensuring that all clients are provided with the best legal service in Lancaster. How do we do that? Our law firm offers free consultations and free second opinions. You can talk to attorneys experienced in cases against the bus companies and the bus drivers at no charge. Our top attorneys with experience in bus accident cases are available to answer all of your questions. We will do everything possible to give you all the information you need. Our free second opinions allow you to talk to one of our attorneys even if you already have an attorney elsewhere. If you are looking for additional information outside of your current attorney’s office, he or she possibly missed something important. Many attorneys rush through cases because they are only interested in increasing the number of cases they sign. However, this often leads to attorneys overlooking or neglecting essential pieces of information. Do not let the incompetence of your current attorney dictate the outcome of your case. Contact Normandie Law Firm now for a free second opinion. Our attorneys will get your bus passenger injury lawsuit back on the right track.
Normandie Law Firm offers all clients a Zero-Fee guarantee. You will never have to worry about paying any upfront fees. Additionally, our law firm is strictly contingency-based; you will not have to pay anything until our trusted lawyers win your case. Contact Normandie Law Firm as soon as possible to speak with an experienced attorney.
