Train & Bus Accidents

When you think about traveling by train or bus, as opposed to any other mode of transportation, it is normal to think that it is a safer option than a car or an airplane. However, when a train or bus accident happens, we are genuinely shocked, and left asking ourselves, how could this have happened?

Train or bus accidents are far more common than we would like to think. Violent collisions occur when cars and trucks stall or are left purposely on railroad tracks, operators get distracted, or when equipment problems occur. Other crashes may be caused by confusing signals at road crossings over rail lines. Because of the size of a bus and the way in which these buses are constructed, riding on a bus or being in the vicinity of a moving bus can have disastrous consequences when accidents occur.

Buses are designed to carry many people at one time. This is an inherently a less-safe way to travel, due to the weight , the height, and the difficulty the operator has in maneuvering out of harm’s. Because a bus weighs many times more than a passenger vehicle, the damage it can do in a pedestrian or vehicle accident can be catastrophic. Bus owners and local governments know this and must take steps to prevent accidents from happening, including training drivers and establishing policies and rules. They must also make sure these buses are mechanically and structurally sound before allowing them to operate. Bus drivers have a duty to exercise extreme care and must keep up with their training. They are held accountable to a higher level of safety and driving than a regular car driver.

Following the crash, as is the case with truck accidents, the insurance company for the train, bus or commercial vehicle crash, is literally photographing the scene of the accident, the damage to the vehicles, the surrounding areas, and are also getting statements from eye witnesses and others. That’s right, the minutes and hours after the accident, while you lie in a hospital bed, pondering your life and the changes that await you, the insurance companies for these often multi-million dollar trucking companies are gathering evidence to undermine and defend your claim!