Common Carriers

The entities who operate buses are considered common carriers in the eyes of federal and state law.

What this means is:

• They are in the business of transporting people or goods from one place to another for compensation.
• They are held to the “utmost duty of care” for their passengers, meaning they are required by law to avoid taking risks that may cause harm to passengers and they must provide adequate compensation for passengers who become injured while riding on their buses.
• Some frequently seen examples of negligence in lawsuits against bus companies include poorly maintained buses, buses that are overloaded or improperly loaded, and bus drivers who are fatigued, inadequately trained, or under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
• In many cases, the common carrier who is operating the bus is a governmental entity. However, other types of buses are operated by private companies.
• Bus drivers are required to obtain a commercial driving license (CDL) in order to transport passengers.

Injuries Caused by Bus Seattle Accidents

According to the latest Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration data, intercity buses accounted for 11 percent of our nation’s fatal bus accidents in one year. School buses made up 38 percent of the fatal crashes and 35 percent involved transit buses.

In 2020, 46 school buses, 9 intercity buses, and 86 transit buses were in fatal crashes. There was a total of 141 fatal accidents involving buses that year, which is the lowest number since 1975.

While buses tend to be involved in far fewer accidents than other vehicle types, two features of buses may lead to particularly severe injuries:

• High center of gravity: The construction of a bus causes it to be more prone to rollover accidents.
• Lack of seat belts and other protective equipment: Without seat belts or airbags, bus passengers risk being thrown from their seats during an accident or coming in contact with parts of the bus that could cause injury, including seats and windows.

Some of the injuries commonly suffered in bus accidents include:

• Broken bones
• Sprains
• Whiplash
• Bruising
• Concussions
• Internal bleeding or organ damage
• Death

Frequently, individuals who have been injured in a motor vehicle accident do not feel injured immediately following the accident but later discover that they have significant injuries.

There are many factors that may cause this, including the adrenaline from the accident briefly interrupting the victim’s ability to feel pain, injuries that present delayed symptoms, and shock. It is important to seek a medical evaluation promptly following any motor vehicle accident in order to rule out or detect serious injuries.

Research shows that crash severity in bus accidents increases depending on the age and gender of the driver, in addition to other factors.

Increases were seen in the following scenarios:

• Young bus drivers, under the age of 25.
• Drivers over age 55, and most predominantly drivers over 65.
• Female drivers
• Posted speed limits that are very high, over 65 miles per hour, or very low, under 20 miles per hour.
• At intersections.
• In the presence of inattentive or risky driving.

Seattle Laws About Bus Accidents

When an injured passenger or the injured driver of another car wishes to file a lawsuit seeking compensation for damages caused by a bus accident, Washington law requires that the suit be filed within three years after the date of the accident. The exception to this is if the bus is operated by a governmental entity. In that case, victims must first file a notice with the Washington State Office of Risk Management.

After submitting the form, the victim must wait 60 days before filing a lawsuit, giving the office time to investigate the claim and even offer a settlement. Because the required form is complicated and the office can deny the claim completely if it is not filled out properly, those wishing to file a suit against a governmental entity offering a common carrier bus service should consult an experienced bus accident attorney.

Washington does not place a cap on compensation in personal injury lawsuits that arise from bus accidents.

Some of the potential damages that you may seek compensation for include:

• Current and future medical bills
• The cost of rehabilitative services
• The cost of accessibility adaptations to the home or vehicle
• Lost wages and the loss of future earning capacity
• Permanent injury or disability
• Pain and suffering
• Property damage or loss
• Scarring and disfigurement

If you’ve lost a loved one in a bus accident, you may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit to recover damages such as:

• Funeral and burial expenses
• Medical bills incurred before death
• Loss of future wages and benefits
• The cost of household tasks that the decedent used to perform
• Loss of companionship and consortium
• Pain and suffering incurred by the decedent before death

Wrongful death lawsuits may be filed on behalf of the decedent’s family members, including spouses, registered domestic partners, children, or stepchildren. If none of these family relationships exist with the decedent, then other family members are allowed to file the suit, including parents, sisters, or brothers who depended on the decedent for support.

In cases involving the death of a child, parents who regularly contribute to the support of a child may participate in a wrongful death action. Like personal injury lawsuits, wrongful death suits in Washington must be filed within three years.

Liability in Seattle Bus Accidents

In order to obtain a successful settlement or award through a lawsuit, one must prove liability due to negligence on the part of at-fault parties. In bus accidents, determining liability becomes a bit more complicated.

Potentially liable parties may include:

• The bus driver, if his or her actions led to the accident, and if he or she is employed by a private company operating as a common carrier.
• A private bus company, would share liability due to common carrier status.
• A governmental entity that has employed the bus driver, if the driver’s actions caused the accident.
• Another driver, if his or her negligence caused the accident.
• The manufacturer of the bus or its parts that may have been improperly installed or failed to work as they should.
• The individual or company responsible for maintaining the bus, if their negligence caused the bus to malfunction.

Sometimes, those injured in an accident are partially to blame for the accident. Washington uses a pure comparative negligence approach when determining liability. What this means is that even if you had some responsibility for the accident, you are still able to seek damages from other at-fault parties.

However, any award you receive will be reduced by the percentage of blame the court concludes you bear. For example, if you were found to have 20 percent responsibility for the accident, your award would be reduced by 20 percent to account for your own liability.

Bus Accidents in the News

A bus carrying individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities crashed head-on with a jeep. According to a report, the bus was traveling eastbound with passengers at about 7:30 in the morning when it moved over to keep a safe distance from a group of joggers on the shoulder of the road. It collided head-on with the westbound Jeep, sending both drivers to the hospital with complaints of head pain.

Four of the passengers on the bus were also transported to the hospital as a precaution. Neither alcohol nor speed was considered a factor in the accident, and neither driver was ticketed. Parents are demanding answers after they say they weren’t properly notified of a school bus crash.

As reported by Fox 61 news, officials are still investigating the accident involving a middle school bus that was caused when the driver careened off the road to avoid hitting a deer. The school district states that the students continued on to school where each one was evaluated by the school nurse and given the opportunity to speak to their parents. Initially, officials had reported that the only injury sustained in the accident was a minor leg wound to the driver.

However, since then, one child has been reported as suffering from a mild concussion and pain in her head, back, neck, and hip. Parents of two of the students who say they were not contacted expressed dismay at the seriousness of the accident, which was not a little fender bender. The school bus is owned by All Star Transportation, who declined to be interviewed for the report.

Middle school band students, choir students, and their chaperones returning home from a field trip on a chartered bus, were seriously injured in a crash, according to a report from WXYZ news. The bus reportedly ran off the road while exiting the interstate and flipped. It was initially believed that none of the students were seriously hurt.

However, medical exams revealed significant injuries including a broken neck, broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and a broken hand. As of the report, the accident remained under investigation. Ground Travel Specialist, who owned the bus, declined to comment on the investigation but wished a speedy recovery for everyone who was injured.

Concerned parents stated that they look forward to knowing the results of the investigation and what exactly caused the bus driver to run off the road. According to an article, one person died after their vehicle collided with a metro bus. The accident occurred at about 8 p.m. when the Silver Line Metro Bus was traveling west in the HOV Express Lane when it suffered an electrical problem that caused it to stall.

The bus was then rear-ended by the vehicle traveling behind it. The vehicle then caught on fire and was fully engulfed within a short period of time. The driver of that vehicle was pronounced dead at 8:35 p.m. Neither the bus driver nor the four passengers on the bus were injured. At the time of the report, there was no further explanation for the electrical issue and the accident remained under investigation.

Seattle Bus Accident FAQ

Buses are an important mode of transportation in Seattle, from the public metro buses to school buses to private bus services, they help people get where they need to go at a reasonable cost.

Unfortunately, bus travel also comes with unique risks when in an accident. Read on to understand some of the rules governing buses and what to do after a bus accident. For more information about your legal options, contact the bus accident attorneys at Boohoff Law today.

Q: What is considered a bus?

At its most simple definition, a bus is a vehicle designed to carry many passengers. While school buses and metro buses clearly qualify, vehicles operated by private entities are also buses.

For example, hotel and rental car shuttles are buses because they can transport many passengers. So are tour buses.

Q: How frequently do bus accidents happen in Seattle?

In one recent year, 1,145 crashes involved buses in Washington. Over 200 of these crashes resulted in suspected injury, 20 caused serious injury, and six resulted in fatalities. Of these, nearly 500 occurred in the Seattle area including three of the fatal bus crashes.

Q: What makes Seattle bus accidents more dangerous?

The size and weight of buses make them dangerous in any crash. A fully loaded school bus weighs approximately 42,000 pounds, compared to a normal passenger vehicle that weighs 3,000 pounds a clear size disparity.

Passengers on a bus are at a higher risk because they are not as likely to be wearing restraints, and there is more space to get thrown about in a bus.

Q: What are the common causes of Seattle bus accidents?

While buses are equally at risk from actions like speeding, certain actions or failures to act are more likely to cause a bus accident:

• Blind spots. Because of their size, buses have multiple blind spots. These blind spots limit the driver’s ability to see everything on the surrounding road, including other vehicles, pedestrians, or bicyclists.
• Driver fatigue. Bus drivers spend long hours behind the wheel, increasing the chance that the driver will be driving while tired.
• Driver distraction. In addition to fatigue, the long hours behind the wheel make bus drivers more likely to seek entertainment while driving such as texting or using electronic devices. If passengers are loud or unruly, this can also distract the driver.
• Mechanical failures. Without proper assembly and maintenance, buses are susceptible to mechanical failure given the number of miles they travel.
• Road conditions. Because of their size, buses are more difficult to maneuver than passenger car. Poorly designed or maintained roads or inclement weather increases the chance of a bus accident.

Q: What laws govern the operation of buses in Seattle?

The laws governing buses and bus drivers will depend on the type of vehicle and where it travels. If a bus crosses state lines, it will be subject to federal laws and regulations from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

If the vehicle only operates within the state, the specific laws will depend on the vehicle. For example, Washington has specific laws governing school bus operations, while different regulations govern the operation of common carriers and private carriers.

Bus drivers are required to secure a Commercial Driver’s License before operating a bus. The required endorsement and certifications will depend on the bus’s weight, type, and number of passengers it carries.

A Seattle bus accident lawyer could help you determine the type of bus involved in the accident to understand which laws apply. Contact the Seattle bus accident lawyers at Boohoff Law today to get started.

Q: Who is responsible for my Seattle bus accident injuries?

If a party acted negligently or intentionally, they are likely responsible for any injuries resulting from their actions. Many potential negligent actors contribute to a bus accident, and you need to work with your lawyer to assess the unique facts of your case to determine liability.

• Negligent bus driver: If the bus driver violated a traffic law or regulation and the violation caused the accident, the bus driver could be held responsible for the resulting injuries.
• Negligent driver: If the driver of a passenger vehicle’s negligent action caused the accident, they could be held responsible. The negligent action could be something like speeding, or it could be a specific violation related to the bus, such as using a restricted bus lane or passing a school bus.
• Private employer: A privately operated bus’s owner could bear responsibility for the employee’s negligent action, assuming they were acting in the scope of their employment at the time of the accident. The bus company also bears responsibility for bus maintenance.
• State agency: If the bus was a public or school bus, then a state agency could be held responsible for the driver’s actions unless they were off duty or an independent contractor.
• Bus manufacturer: If the manufacturer failed to perform necessary safety testing or produced a faulty vehicle or vehicle component, the manufacturer could be held responsible for any resulting injuries.

A police report can be a valuable piece of evidence after the accident. It would document the accident scene, witness information, and citations issued to involved parties. If the driver refuses to contact the police, you can independently call the police to the scene.

Q: What damages can I recover if I was injured in a Seattle bus accident?

The responsible party would likely have to compensate you for any injuries suffered because of their negligent actions, including:

• All medical expenses including doctors’ bills, the cost of hospital stays, cost of medical procedures, and prescription medication;
• Lost wages from missing work due to injuries, future lost wages, and lost earning potential;
• Repair or replacement of damaged property;
• Pain, suffering, and emotional distress including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, or depression; and
• Inability to participate in activities that were an important part of the victim’s life.

Your bus accident lawyer would work with you to capture all damages in the compensation demand. Your lawyer would also help you evaluate any settlement offers the defendant makes. A jury could evaluate this figure if your case proceeds to trial.

The team of Seattle bus accident lawyers at Boohoff Law is committed to helping clients recover compensation for injuries suffered because of the negligent actions of another party. Contact the firm today for a free consultation.

Your Next Step Call Boohoff Law Now

Bus accidents are complicated matters from a legal standpoint.

While passengers are owed a higher duty of care from bus drivers due to the common carrier status, there are many considerations, including multiple potentially liable parties and insurance policies that could be in play.

In order to obtain the highest amount of compensation available to you, it helps to have an experienced bus accident attorney on your side.

Our team of personal injury lawyers at Boohoff Law, P.A., is ready to fight for your right to recover damages.

For a free consultation and case review, contact Boohoff Law online or by calling (877) 999-9999.

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