Bus Accidents Attorneys
in Houston, Baytown and Galveston, Texas
The bus accident attorneys at Marc Whitehead & Associates have helped hundreds of Texas clients recover compensation after a bus accident.
When you take a public bus, or charter a private bus, you assume that all safety precautions have been taken, and the driver will exercise high standards of care for the passengers. Yet hundreds of buses are involved in traffic accidents every year.
Causes of bus accidents
Many circumstances contribute:
- Poor maintenance
- Faulty manufacture
- Reckless driving, whether the bus driver or another vehicle driver
- Dangerous weather, such as fog or heavy rain
- Defective parts, such as a poorly installed seat, or faulty engine part
- Roads which are safe enough for cars, but not for buses
Bus passengers may be injured, as well as pedestrians and people in other vehicles. The bus passengers, not wearing seatbelts, are in danger of being ejected from the bus, which adds to the danger of serious and long-term injury:
- Head and neck trauma
- Spinal injuries
- Broken bones
- Damage to internal organs
School buses
These are not exempt from accidents, though we'd like to hope they are. Since 1990, it's reported that over 1,450 people have been killed by school bus accidents. The worst school bus accident in Texas occurred on September 21, 1989, when a truck hit the school bus and knocked it into a caliche pit (an excavation of calcium carbonate) which was filled with water. Twenty-one children drowned and 60 were hurt.
- Emergency exits
- Strong roof structure
- Well-designed fuel systems
- Strong joints in the body
- As the bus approaches, stand away from the curb and wait until the driver invites you in
- When getting off, make sure that your clothing or book bag straps are not caught in the door
- When walking away from the bus, never walk behind it; walk in front, at least 10 feet ahead of it, after making sure the driver has seen you
- If you drop something next to the bus, tell the driver before you try to pick it up
- When driving in or near school zones, be especially watchful for children; they can be impulsive in their movements. Drive slowly.
- Watch for the bus's flashing lights. Yellow flashing lights tell you it's going to stop to load or unload children. Red flashing lights mean it's stopped and you must stop behind it, a safe distance away, until it starts moving again.
Bus design
Safety is supposedly created for children on school buses by "compartmentalization", which refers to seat spacing and design. The seats are strongly built with high backs, and closely spaced. And although these buses have:
making them apparently safe, the children don't wear seatbelts. So if the bus rolls over, they're vulnerable to being tossed against the roof or out a broken window.
Rules for students
Rules for motorists
Passenger vans
In Texas, 15-passenger vans are exempt from the federal motor vehicle safety standards. These vans are popular, used by church and school groups, sports teams, and senior groups, for example. They have a high incidence of rollover. The federal standards state that children should not be transported in these vans.
Accident investigation
At Marc Whitehead & Associates, our bus accident attorneys know what to look for when investigating an accident. Our investigators are trained, and we have working relationships with many experts.
If you've been hurt in a bus accident, or lost a loved one that way, in Houston or anywhere in the Texas gulf coast, consider hiring an accident attorney to work for you. If negligence can be proved, you will potentially be entitled to compensation for:
- Medical bills and/or funeral costs
- Cost of any therapy
- Cost of long-term care
- Property damage
- Loss of income
- Pain and suffering
Contact us at Marc Whitehead & Associates for a free bus accident consultation. We understand the pain and stress that can follow a bus accident, especially if a child was involved.
If a bus accident has left you too injured to come to us, we can come to you.
Providing Comprehensive Legal Representation to Clients in
Houston and Throughout the Texas Gulf Coast
Marc Whitehead & Associates – Attorneys at Law, L.L.P.
5300 Memorial, Suite 725 | Houston, Texas 77007
Houston: (713) 228-8888
Fax: (713) 225-0940
Toll Free: (800) 562-9830
