Philadelphia Bus Accident Lawyer

Many people throughout Philadelphia rely on the city’s public transportation system to get around each day, and many more use the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transport Authority’s (SEPTA’s) buses when visiting and touring the area. This results in many buses on our roadways, which inevitably leads to dangerous bus accidents. If you’ve suffered an injury in a bus accident that was caused by a bus driver or a bus company’s negligence, look to an experienced Philadelphia bus accident lawyer for the skilled legal counsel you need.

Bus Accidents: The Statistics

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) shares a range of sobering statistics that highlight just how common – and dangerous – bus accidents are in the United States. Consider the following:

In a recent year, there were nearly 6,000 fatal crashes that involved a bus or large truck, which reflects an increase per 100 million miles traveled over the prior year.
From 2010 to 2021, there was a 52 percent increase in fatal bus and large truck accidents, and from 2020 to 2021 alone, there was a 17 percent increase.
From 2009 to 2021, the number of bus and large truck accidents that led to injuries increased significantly.
From 2010 to 2021, intercity buses accounted for 11 percent, school buses accounted for 37 percent, and transit buses accounted for 36 percent of all fatal bus accidents.

Bus Driver Negligence

Bus driver negligence is often the direct cause of serious bus accidents, and this negligence can come in all the following dangerous forms:

Distraction – Distracted bus drivers lose sight of their primary concern, which is the safety of everyone on their bus and of everyone with whom they share the road.
Impairment – The law has zero tolerance for commercial drivers who are impaired by either alcohol or drugs and put others at extreme risk in the process.
Excess Speed – The greater a bus driver’s speed, the more likely they are to cause an accident, and the more likely it is to be deadly.
Failure to Follow the Rules of the Road – Bus drivers are often held to tight schedules, but sacrificing safety to shave time off their routes, such as by ignoring the rules of the road or by exceeding the speed limit, is exceptionally dangerous.
Exhaustion – To operate a bus safely, bus drivers need to be wide awake and attentive. Drowsy bus drivers experience many of the same impairments that drunk bus drivers do, which showcases just how dangerous exhaustion behind the wheel can be.

It’s important to note that negligence on the part of bus companies can also play a significant role in bus accidents, including:

Failure to hire bus drivers with the necessary experience and licensure
Failure to properly maintain their fleet of buses
Failure to carefully adhere to all safety standards, including in terms of the number of passengers allowed on the bus