Detroit Bus Driver Recklessness Attorneys

If you or someone you love has been involved in a bus accident, the bus accident lawyers at Detroit Personal Injury Attorneys are ready to help you. Being involved in a bus accident because of a reckless driver is a traumatic experience that will leave you with physical and emotional injuries. As a result of this painful experience, you may have mounting pressures in your life due to medical bills, lost wages, and missed events with family and friends, among other things. With a combined 180 years of accident experience, the attorneys at Detroit Personal Injury Attorneys have a track record of winning compensation for our clients. We will work hard to get you what you deserve, and we won’t get paid until you have been compensated.

Bus Accidents

In Michigan, a traffic accident occurs every 1 minute and 41 seconds. In 2016, there were 538,412 vehicles involved in crashes in Michigan, and of those vehicles, 12,479 were buses (not including school buses). On average, 7.84% of Michigan’s school bus fleet is involved in accidents each year. Alarmingly, fatality rates in vehicular accidents increased 9.2% from 2105 to 2016. In 2016, there were 3,012 injuries and 120 fatalities resulting from bus crashes.

While the total number of vehicular crashes in Michigan varies from year to year, the fact remains that bus accidents do occur somewhat frequently, and they can have grave consequences. When a bus is involved in an accident, it can cause massive amounts of damage in a single collision, because there are frequently many people riding on a bus at any given time, and the weight of bus can make it hard for the bus driver to control the vehicle in various situations. These facts and the danger of bus accidents are only magnified when a bus driver is driving recklessly.

Reckless Driving

Reckless driving is a serious traffic offense that can have the unintended consequences of causing accidents, causing injuries, and sometimes even costing people their lives. According to Michigan Vehicle Code Section 257.626, reckless driving occurs when “a person who operates a vehicle upon a highway or a frozen public lake, stream, or pond or another place open to the general public, including, but not limited to, an area designated for the parking of motor vehicles, in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.”

Reckless driving can result from any of the following driving behaviors:

• Speeding
• Failing to yield the right of way
• Tailgating
• Failing to stop at a stop sign or red light
• Not paying attention to the road and driving environment
• Being intoxicated while driving
• Texting while driving
• Racing
• Passing a stopped school bus
• Passing on a highway where there is a double yellow line
• Evading law enforcement
• Making an illegal U-turn

If a reckless bus driver caused you harm, you may be eligible to take legal action against the driver, the bus company, and any other parties that contributed to the accident. Only an experienced bus accident attorney can tell you if you have a case, so don’t hesitate to contact an attorney at Detroit Personal Injury Attorneys today.

Who Can Be Held Liable?

Knowing who to hold liable may get complicated when you have been involved in an accident caused by the reckless driving of a bus driver. While some bus drivers are public employees, others are private employees. This means that the party from whom you may recover compensation for your injuries will depend on the bus driver’s employer and whether that employer is a private or public entity.

While government employees generally cannot be held liable for certain acts committed during the time in which they are engaged in the functions of their job, there are exceptions that apply to that general rule. One exception is when the driver is inadequately exercising due caution when operating a government-owned vehicle. Therefore, a government employee who drives recklessly may not always be able to claim immunity. In some cases, they may be held liable for their reckless driving. If the bus driver is a private employee, however, you may be able to hold both the driver and the bus company liable, depending on the specific facts of your case.

The laws revolving around bus accidents and driver liability can be complicated. Each case is different and fact-specific when it comes to accidents. If you have been injured as a result of bus driver recklessness, you have been through a traumatic experience and do not need to be worrying about figuring out the complex legal matter surrounding your accident. Call the experienced and trusted attorneys at Detroit Personal Injury Attorneys to help you through this trying time.

Contact the Bus Accident Attorneys at Detroit Personal Injury Attorneys

If you were injured as a result of a bus driver’s reckless driving, call Detroit Personal Injury Attorneys today. The attorneys at Detroit Personal Injury Attorneys have been helping the victims of accidents since 1990. With over 180 years of combined accident experience, you will be in good hands with our team on your side. We have been awarded over $350 million for accident victims through the years. We will take most cases on a contingency basis, meaning we will not get paid until we have gotten you the money you deserve.

For a free consultation regarding your case, call Detroit Personal Injury Attorneys today at (248) 948-9696.