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New York City Bus Accident Lawyers

New York Personal Injury Attorneys Representing Clients Injured by Buses

Perhaps you were traveling through New York City on a tour bus when the bus driver’s recklessness caused a serious accident, or perhaps your child was injured on the way to school when the school bus driver ran a red light. Or, perhaps you were a pedestrian on your way to work, about to cross the street in the crosswalk at a busy intersection, when an MTA bus making a sudden turn hits you, causing injuries that have since kept you from working. Regardless of the precise type of bus that was involved, you deserve to receive full and fair compensation for any injuries you or a loved one suffered as a result of another party’s negligence.

At the premier personal injury law firm of Block O’Toole & Murphy, we maintain a respected reputation for representing bus injury victims with great diligence and skill. Our attorneys are experienced in litigating bus accident cases and have won top verdicts and settlements against some of the biggest bus operators, including the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

Case results include:

  • $6,000,000 recovery for bus passenger injured when the bus collided with another vehicle
  • $3,500,000 settlement for bus operator who sustained serious injuries when the bus was rear-ended by a truck
  • $3,450,000 settlement for a pedestrian who suffered multiple fractures after he was hit by an Access-a-Ride bus
  • $3,000,000 settlement in Brooklyn case for a man who was injured in a crash with an MTA bus

If you suffered as a result of a bus accident, you can get legal help today. Call the NYC lawyers at Block O’Toole & Murphy at 212-736-5300 or fill out our contact form for a FREE, no-obligation consultation.

We handle all types of bus accident cases, including those involving:

  • MTA buses
  • Tour buses
  • School buses
  • Day care buses
  • Church buses
  • Adult care buses
  • Other Public Buses (Bee-Line, NJTransit, Nassau Inter-County Express, etc.)
  • Coach buses (Greyhound, Peter Pan, Bolt Bus, Coach USA, etc.)

In 2018, the Law Firm of Block O’Toole & Murphy attained 4 of the Top 10 Settlements in New York. We serve the NYC boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island as well as all of New York State.

Liability in Bus Accidents

Bus accident lawsuits can be very complex, as the attorney not only needs to be well-versed in state and local traffic laws, but also needs to understand specific regulations that govern bus operations. In some cases, buses owned and operated by government entities such as the MTA have their own set of rules and regulations.

Additionally, in a bus injury lawsuit, multiple parties can be held responsible for your injuries, including:

  • Other vehicle drivers: If the bus accident was caused by another vehicle, you could potentially file a third-party lawsuit with the at-fault driver.
  • City and state government entities (for public transit buses): Similar to bus management companies, city and state governments are responsible for overseeing public transit buses, with different rules and regulations. If a public transit bus gets into an accident, it is possible that the government entity that oversees the public transit system-such as the MTA-could be held responsible or partially responsible for the accident, especially if the bus driver or bus violated the government entity’s rules.
  • Bus driver: There are various reasons a bus driver might be considered liable in a bus accident. Some of these include: they had not been adequately trained or were hired without proper screening, they were driving while under the influence, or they were working while fatigued.
  • Management company: Companies that manage buses are required to make sure their fleet is regularly and properly maintained, in order to comply with all government regulations and ensure they hire only drivers who are qualified. If it appears that they were negligent in any of these actions and it contributed to the accident, the bus management company could be held liable.

Private corporations and local or state governments that own and operate the bus will often work with top defense lawyers and go to great lengths to avoid being legally responsible for your injuries. Not only is it a PR nightmare for them, but paying those injured can affect their business’s bottom line. If you’ve been involved in a bus accident of any kind, it’s best to speak with an attorney skilled in litigating bus accident cases to help you get the maximum compensation that you are entitled to under the law.

To speak with a skilled attorney about your case, please call: 212-736-5300.

Employer Responsibility in Bus Accidents

Bus drivers are not driving their own personal vehicles when they are on the job; whether it is a school bus driver or a public transit driver, bus operators are employed by a company that has hired them to drive. This means that as long as the bus driver was working at the time of the accident, the employer could be considered vicariously liable. Vicarious liability is the theory that even though the driver may have caused or at least been involved in the accident, his employer is also partially responsible for the accident, since the driver was on company time when it occurred. For example, if an MTA bus driver runs a red light and causes a crash while transporting passengers on their morning commute, the MTA would be at least partially responsible for this accident, since the driver was working at the time of the crash. Vicarious liability is supposed to be helpful to the accident victim and the driver, since often companies have more insurance coverage and are likely better financially equipped to compensate the accident victim(s) than the bus driver alone would be.

In other cases, bus operator employers can also be considered directly liable for an accident one of their drivers was involved in, if it can be proved that the employer’s negligence directly contributed in some way to the accident. Using the same example from above, the MTA could be considered directly liable for the accident if they did not properly background check or train that driver before hiring and allowing him to drive.

Vicarious and direct liability are not mutually exclusive, meaning that accident victims could bring claims for both kinds of liability if there is evidence to prove they exist.

Common Injuries in Bus Accidents

Common injuries that can occur in bus accidents are similar to those that might occur in a motor vehicle accident. Depending on the circumstances of each case, severity of injuries can vary.

Bus accidents are quite uncommon. However, they are serious. Buses have less built-in safety features than cars do (no airbags or seatbelts, for example). This means that when bus accidents do occur, sometimes injuries can be more severe than they would be in a car accident. A sudden collision can have catastrophic effects, including:

  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Paralysis
  • Herniated discs
  • Amputation
  • Broken bones
  • Concussions
  • Soft-tissue injuries (such as whiplash)

Types of Compensation

As with any personal injury case, if you have been injured as a result of a negligent party’s actions, it is possible you are legally entitled to compensation. This is no different for those injured in bus accidents. Based on the severity of your injuries and how they may affect your ability to work and generally live your life, you could make various claims to recover compensation, including:

  • Medical bills
  • Loss of current and future earnings
  • Pain and suffering
  • Rehabilitation costs

Bus Collisions in New York City

According to the data set “Motor Vehicle Collisions-Vehicles” on NYC’s OpenData website, the number of buses that have been involved in crashes in the past three years has gone down each year. In 2017, buses were involved in 7,404 crashes, as opposed to 7,160 crashes in 2018, and 6,720 in 2019.

This data is based on all police-reported motor vehicle collisions in New York City. Police reports on collisions are required to be filled out when someone involved in the accident is injured or killed, or there is at least $1,000 worth of damage.

Number of Crashes that Involved Buses Per Year – 2017 to 2019

Source: NYC OpenData

It’s clear that although some progress has been made, there is still more to be done when it comes to bus accidents. This is especially true in New York City, where it is common knowledge that risk of any motor vehicle accident is high. We at Block O’Toole & Murphy are glad to see that the number of bus crashes seem to be declining, but we understand that accidents do happen. And when they do, we are here to help you.

Legal Advocacy Focused on Real Results

Our law firm is committed to fighting for the victims of serious physical or emotional injuries. Serving the entire state, our New York accident lawyers have achieved outstanding results for bus injury victims. Notable verdicts and settlements include*:

  • $6,000,000 recovery for man who was a passenger in an NYC Transit Authority bus when it collided with another vehicle
  • $3,500,000 settlement for bus driver who sustained neck, shoulder, and back injuries when the bus he was driving was rear-ended by a truck
  • $3,450,000 settlement for a 46-year-old pedestrian who was hit and dragged 25 feet by an Access-a-Ride bus
  • $3,000,000 settlement for a self-employed barber who was unable to return to work after he was injured in a crash with an MTA bus
  • $2,925,000 award to driver who suffered back injuries when his vehicle was broadsided by a school bus in Queens, New York
  • $2,270,000 verdict for a bus passenger who was hurt when the bus rear-ended a tanker truck
  • $2,250,000 settlement for a pedestrian who suffered a herniated disc after she was hit by a school bus
  • $2,250,000 settlement in a wrongful death case, when a 68-year-old retired schoolteacher was fatally struck by a bus while walking in a crosswalk
  • $2,225,000 settlement for a passenger of an Access-a-Ride bus that was struck by another vehicle in Manhattan.
  • $2,200,000 settlement for a pedestrian who was struck by a NYC transit bus while she was attempting to cross the street with the crossing signal in her favor
  • $2,056,656 jury verdict to a Brooklyn pedestrian who was hit by a New York City Transit Authority bus while she was crossing at an intersection
  • $1,750,000 award in Suffolk County case for a woman who sustained lower back injuries after she was struck by a bus that ran a stop sign
  • $1,750,000 settlement for a motorist who suffered multiple bulging and herniated discs in a rear-end accident caused by a school bus in the Bronx
  • $1,500,000 settlement for a 51-year-old man who was rear-ended by a bus in Queens
  • $1,490,000 recovery for a 39-year-old man who suffered neck and back injuries after he was involved in a collision with a school bus
  • $1,450,000 settlement for a driver who crashed into a bus when both vehicles were attempting to turn right
  • $1,400,000 settlement for a passenger on a public bus that was involved in a collision with a truck in Brooklyn, New York
  • $1,350,000 awarded to a driver who was struck in the rear by a school bus on Henry Hudson Highway

With over 100 auto accident case results exceeding $1,000,000 each, the Law Firm of Block O’Toole & Murphy is qualified to represent victims in crash cases. To read the full list of successful motor vehicle case results we have obtained, please visit our Auto Accident Verdicts & Settlements page.

Contact a Bus Injury Attorney Serving New York

If you were seriously harmed in an accident involving a careless or reckless driver, request a FREE case evaluation from the experienced attorneys at Block O’Toole & Murphy today. Call us at 212-736-5300, or contact us online.

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*Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Vehicle Accidents

Free Consultation with Bus Accident Lawyer

To discuss your bus accident case with a knowledgeable lawyer, please call 212-736-5300 or fill out the short online form below. An attorney will reach out to you shortly.