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Bus & Coach Accident Claims – How Much Compensation Can I Claim?

Whether you’re a regular bus passenger who commutes to work or if you decide to take the bus into town for a night out, your journey should be safe. While thousands of people do use buses safely daily, there are times when bus passengers are injured whilst using a bus. If those injuries are caused by the negligence of the bus company or the bus driver, you may wish to seek compensation.

By making a bus accident claim you could be compensated for any injuries sustained as a passenger on a bus. Similarly, a claim could be made by pedestrians hit by a bus or drivers and passengers involved in a Road Traffic Accident (RTA) with a bus. Claims could help with any out-of-pocket costs you’ve incurred because of your injuries such as any loss of earnings.

If you’d like to talk with us about starting a claim, please call today on 0800 652 1345. Alternatively, to learn more about when you could claim compensation following a bus accident, please continue reading.

Can I claim compensation for a bus or coach accident?

Bus and coach operators have a duty of care to provide safe buses for their customers to use. Similarly, bus drivers have a legal duty to try and keep passengers and other road users safe by driving safely at all times. If the duty of care is breached, you could claim compensation if you can show:

  • That some form of negligence led to the bus accident or incident; in which
  • You suffered some form of injury.

If you’re not sure if you might be entitled to claim, don’t worry as our advisors will be able to help you. During your free case review, they’ll look at all the facts as you present them and determine whether your claim is viable. Please call today if you’d like to check if you have a valid claim.

Claiming compensation as an injured bus driver

As well as bus passengers, pedestrians and road users, we could help you claim if you were injured while driving a bus or a coach. If the road traffic accident was not your fault, please continue reading as the information within this guide should still help. Then, if you decide to claim as a bus driver, please call our team for free claims advice.

We could help you claim if your accident was caused by another road user, a pedestrian, a bus passenger or if your employer breached their duty of care to try and keep you as safe as possible whilst working.

Bus driver negligence that could result in compensation

If the driver of the bus was directly at fault for the accident due to careless or dangerous driving such as driving too fast around corners or braking too hard, you may be able to file a claim against the bus company. The bus company is also liable for any injuries that occur while getting on or off the bus if the accident was due to the negligence of the driver.

To give you some idea of the types of bus driver negligence that could lead to a bus or coach accident claim, we’ve listed some examples below:

  • Collisions with other vehicles or stationary objects because the bus driver was not paying attention.
  • Excessive braking by the bus driver (without good reason) leads to passengers falling or hitting their heads.
  • Where you are trapped by faulty bus doors or where the driver closes them while you’re still boarding the bus.
  • A pedestrian was hit and injured by a bus while using a zebra crossing.
  • If you were injured in an accident as a pedestrian or while waiting in a bus shelter or bus station.
  • Accidents caused by the bus driver’s tiredness because they’d worked too many hours.
  • If you fall and injure yourself because the bus driver pulled away too quickly or accelerated away too fast.

We can help claim compensation if your accident was caused by some form of bus driver negligence. If you’d like us to review your chances of being compensated, please call today.

Other bus passenger accidents that could lead to a claim

As well as the above, bus passengers and other road users might be able to claim compensation for accidents involving a bus including:

  • If you slip and fall because of a wet floor that hadn’t been cleared (caused by a spillage, leak or poor weather conditions for example).
  • Where you cut yourself because of damage to furniture on the bus.
  • If you’re burned or inhale toxic fumes following a bus engine fire.
  • Where another road user pulled out in front of the bus where there wasn’t enough space causing an accident.

While the vast majority of bus accidents and injuries may seem relatively minor, if negligence was involved you may still be entitled to compensation.

Common injuries from bus and coach accidents

Realistically, we couldn’t possibly detail every injury that could be sustained from a bus or coach accident here. However, some common injuries that might be made in a subsequent bus accident compensation claim include:

We could also help to claim for whiplash but new rules have been introduced on these relating to low-value claims. We’ll still review your claim for free but may refer you to a government portal to process your claim independently.

How much compensation for a bus accident can I claim?

It’s important to note that any compensation paid in a bus accident claim for personal injuries is not a penalty or fine paid by bus companies. Instead, it aims to help you recover from your injuries and deal with any longer-term problems. It should also cover any costs or expenses incurred because of your accident.

If you claim with the representation of one of our personal injury lawyers, they’ll make sure they understand exactly how you have suffered before filing your claim. Each bus accident claim is unique but could include compensation for the following:

  • The pain and suffering caused by your injuries, and for any loss of amenity.
  • Any psychological harm caused by the incident (anxiety, depression, distress etc).
  • Lost earnings and also future loss of income.
  • The impact on your social life and hobbies.
  • Medical costs such as prescription fees or private medical treatment.
  • Travel and care costs.
  • The cost of replacing any personal property damaged during the accident.
  • In more serious cases, you could also claim for the cost of modifying your home to cope with long-term disabilities.

To help prove the severity of your injuries, the bus accident claims process requires you to have an independent medical assessment. Don’t be too concerned about this though. Our solicitors can usually arrange a meeting with a medical specialist at a local venue so you won’t need to travel too far.

If you’d like us to verify what compensation you might be eligible to claim, please get in touch with an advisor.

Providing proof for making a bus/coach accident compensation claim

Providing proof is important if you’d like to make a bus or coach accident compensation claim. Without it, you’ll find it difficult to argue your case if the defendant denies liability. As such, if you’re injured as a bus passenger, you could:

  • Take photographs of the cause of the bus accident.
  • Ask witnesses, such as bus passengers for their contact details in case your solicitor needs a statement from them later on.
  • Ask for a copy of any CCTV footage of your accident from the bus company.
  • If a car caused an accident and there is dashcam footage available, ask for it to be saved and sent to you.
  • Report the accident to the bus company and ask for a copy of the report.
  • Write down the bus number and route. Also, ask for the driver’s details.

If your vehicle is hit by a bus in an RTA, you should swap details with the bus driver and take photographs of the accident scene before anything is moved (where possible).

Whether you were a passenger on the bus or injured as a motorcyclist, you should always seek medical treatment for your injuries. Records from the hospital, minor injuries unit or GP surgery where you were treated could then be requested at a later date. These could go some way to proving the extent of your injuries and the treatment that was required.

Many people keep a diary whilst a bus accident claim is being processed. This is a good idea because it can help to clarify how you’ve been affected by the accident. You should diarise when you weren’t able to work, if you couldn’t attend a social event or when you needed to travel for medical appointments. You should also retain any receipts to prove any expenses linked to your injuries.

Part of our free consultation includes reviewing any evidence you’ve collected, so go ahead and call today and we’ll be better able to see if you in claiming compensation against a bus company.

Bus accident claims time limits

Personal injury claims in the UK are time-limited. That means that you must make a bus accident claim on time to avoid having your claim statute barred. Generally, you’ll have 3-years to claim from the date of your accident.

We would suggest that it’s best to begin your claim as early as possible. That’s because:

  • You’ll find it a lot easier to remember how the accident happened and how your injuries have affected you.
  • There will be plenty of time for your solicitor to complete all of the tasks required before filing your claim.
  • If liability is admitted early on, your solicitor could arrange for private medical treatment to be paid for by the defendant (as an interim payment).

What if my child was injured in a bus accident?

Bus accident claims involving children are different because they can’t legally represent themselves. Because of that, a litigation friend could lodge a claim on their behalf. If that’s what you’d like to do, you won’t need to worry about the 3-year time limit. The claim could be made at any time before your child’s 18th birthday. If you don’t claim on their behalf, they can claim themselves before their 21st birthday.

Please get in touch if you’d like to know more about bus accident claims time limits or claiming on behalf of your child.

No Win, No Fee bus accident claims

We believe it’s important to have specialist legal support when claiming compensation. However, we also know that people worry about the cost of a solicitor. For that reason, our solicitors provide a No Win, No Fee service which means you only pay for their work if your claim is won.

So that you have this in writing, a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) will be sent to you if your case is accepted. The CFA explains what work your solicitor will do and the criteria that need to be fulfilled before you’ll pay any of their fees.

Where your claim results in a compensation payment, a success fee will be deducted to cover your solicitor’s costs and time. If your claim fails, you’ll not be charged the success fee.

Importantly, when using a CFA, the success fee is capped by law. That means the most you’ll pay for your solicitor’s work is 25% of your compensation. Your percentage will be listed in the CFA so you can check it before signing.

Success fees are explained in more detail here.

Start a bus accident compensation claim today

Hopefully, this guide has explained why bus accident claims might be required. We hope that we’ve also shown how we could help with the bus accident claims process. If you are ready to take action, please gather as much information about the claim and give us a call.

If your case is accepted by a No Win, No Fee personal injury solicitor, they’ll manage as much of the claims process as possible. That means you won’t need to deal with the bus company or their insurers. As your claim progresses, though, your solicitor will let you know what’s happening with regular updates. They’ll also be there to provide answers to any questions you think of along the way.

To begin a bus accident claim today, please get in touch on 0800 652 1345. We’ll review your options right away and provide free legal advice whatever you decide to do.

Thank you for reading our guide on bus accident claims, and please let us know via live chat if you have any extra questions.

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