Elderly Transport Bus Injuries

Maintaining vitality and an enthusiasm for life is an essential part of aging in a healthy and enjoyable way. Elderly individuals should get out and see as much of the world as they can, and this means that society needs lots of transportation options for senior citizens. Unfortunately, as with any mode of transportation, buses can crash and cause serious injuries or wrongful deaths. If you or a loved one has been injured on a transportation bus for the elderly, contact the Cambridge personal injury attorneys at Altman & Altman LLP today.

Whether it’s a charter bus, a tour bus, a public transportation option specifically for the elderly or disabled or another type of charter bus specifically catered for senior citizens, buses are the ideal way to carry lots of people to a common destination. However, buses are also more difficult to operate than other motor vehicles, and have the capacity to harm many people in one incident – especially in the case of elderly transports, as the elderly are more prone to injuries and serious harm from an accident.

Potential causes for accidents that could result in a successful personal injury claim against a bus driver or transportation company could include:

• Intoxicated driver – The driver of a bus carrying senior citizens has been drinking or using other drugs and is operating the bus while under the influence. The driver fails to react in time to any number of potential causes of accidents (pedestrian suddenly walks into street, car unexpectedly shifts lanes, etc.) and results in a crash. If the driver is shown through tests to be under the influence, they could be liable for damages to all passengers injured.
• Distracted driver – If the bus driver causes an accident because they are paying attention to a phone, eating a meal, or are otherwise not paying attention to the road, they could be held liable. This could include if a driver is over tired and falls asleep at the wheel as well, although that could open the bus company up to liability as well, depending on the driver’s schedule.
• Reckless driver – If the bus driver ignores traffic signals, drives with excessive speed or otherwise unnecessarily endangers the lives of their passengers, they could be held liable if they cause a crash that results in injuries. This could include non-crash events as well, like sudden stop injuries or injuries that occur from the driver taking dangerously wide turns.
• Bus mechanical failure – If an accident is caused by a bus malfunctioning, whether from a tire blowout or a brake failure or even a major engine malfunction, the bus company could be held liable if injuries occur, as regular inspections of buses must be conducted to ensure the vehicle is safe to operate without putting passengers at risk.
• Crashes caused by third parties – If a crash is not caused by the driver or a bus mechanical failure, perhaps it was caused by another reckless driver on the road cutting the bus off in traffic, or because a traffic signal wasn’t functioning properly. The attorneys at Altman & Altman LLP specialize in finding the responsible parties and holding them accountable for the damage they cause.

Being injured in a bus accident can be a traumatizing experience and can also result in costly medical bills and force you to miss out on things that matter most in life – be they moments with family or working to collect a paycheck that you need to survive. The attorneys at Altman & Altman LLP have over 50 years of experience helping our clients in Boston, Cambridge and throughout Massachusetts file claims in order to receive financial compensation they need to continue living their lives.

Whether you or someone you love was injured in an elderly bus transport accident, contact our firm today to get started on the claims process. Contact us online or call for a free consultation to go over the details of your case today at 617.492.3000 or toll-free at 800.481.6199. We are available 24/7.