Accidents involving buses in New Jersey many times involve serious injuries and death to both passengers and drivers.
The Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System confirmed that 13 persons were fatally injured in New Jersey bus accidents in calendar year 2009, and an additional 1,243 persons were injured in the same year, 2009.
There are numerous causes of accidents involving buses which include, but are not limited to, driver fatigue, driver inattention, inadequate maintenance, defective equipment and medical conditions of the drivers of the buses. The owners of buses are responsible for the safety of their buses, as well as the physical and mental condition of their drivers.
On occasions, roadway conditions may contribute to bus accidents as recently reported in Ocean County on Route 9 on May 17, 2011 wherein the tires of a bus slid off the roadway causing the bus to collide with a utility pole and then crash into a residential home.
Attorneys experienced in bus accidents, and other types of accidents on roadways, may review the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s responsibility concerning the paving of the roadway at or near the accident site which may have contributed to the accident.
On March 14, 2011 a serious tour bus accident occurred wherein 2 persons were critically injured and 40 other persons suffered personal injuries. This particular tour bus was returning to Chinatown at which time the bus left the roadway and ultimately crashed into an overpass support.
On March 12, 2011 a casino tour bus returning to New York also crashed on Interstate 95 in New York resulting in 15 fatalities.
Persons injured, or the estates of persons killed in bus accidents, require skilled attorneys to determine liability as to fault. Thereafter, skilled attorneys are required to determine and win monetary awards, as well as seek payment for medical bills, lost wages and other losses.
Operators of tour buses and other commercial buses are required to hire safe drivers, and maintain safe driving conditions for passengers. Many times comprehensive investigations are required to determine causes of these accidents.
Time periods are important, especially involving bus accidents where vehicles are owned by The State of New Jersey, or any of its subdivisions such as schools.
Many times pedestrians are injured as the result of bus accidents including a 26-year-old woman who was recently injured when struck by a school bus that was making a left-hand turn in Bayonne.
Another recent accident involved a 20-year-old woman who was severely injured when struck by a school bus as a pedestrian crossing a street in Saddle Brook, New Jersey. This accident appears to be caused by the negligence of the bus driver.
In addition to having a personal injury case as against a bus driver and the owners of the bus, there may be a workers’ compensation claim if a person is also working at the time of the accident. This is another reason to engage skilled attorneys to determine all legal damages as may be available under particular circumstances.
If you or someone you know has sustained an injury, whether on the job, on the road, due to a medical professional’s negligence, or otherwise, our firm is here. Rubenstein, Berliner & Shinrod, LLC has helped countless victims of negligence over the years, and we are ready to do the same for you. Contact our firm today so we can get started.
