Many believe that buses are the safest means of transportation out there, but are they, really? Even though the likelihood of getting injured or killed while riding a bus is much lower than when driving a passenger car, there are plenty of bus accidents in Riverside and all across California.
Driving a passenger car is more dangerous than riding a bus for two reasons. Firstly, buses are much higher off the ground than most passenger cars (meaning: they are less vulnerable to impact damage in crashes). Secondly, buses are much larger than passenger cars (meaning: buses have more crush zones that absorb energy from the impact).
Bus stop accidents are even more deadly
But what about bus stop accidents? While the passenger is not technically inside a bus when waiting for a bus or exiting a bus at a bus stop, this type of bus accident may still fall under the umbrella of motor vehicle accidents.
“Needless to say, a person is more likely to sustain severe injuries or die in a bus stop accident than when riding a bus,” says our Riverside bus accident attorney at JML Law. “That’s because persons waiting for or exiting a bus are not protected from direct impact by all those layers of metal and steel.”
Waiting for a bus, in itself, can be more dangerous than crossing an intersection, as persons standing at a bus stop are more likely to get distracted by their phones, other devices, daydreaming, or having a conversation with other persons, and thus do not have sufficient time to react to a car or bus traveling at a high speed in their direction (as a matter of fact, persons at bus stops are never on alert, because they do not expect anything bad to happen to them).
Woman killed while waiting for a bus in California
This was the case earlier this week in Orange County, California when a woman was killed while waiting for a bus. As reported by Patch, the woman killed while waiting for a bus was identified as a 31-year-old woman, though the police have yet to disclose her name.
The bus stop accident occurred on Main Street between Washington and 15th Street just after 11 a.m. As revealed by Santa Ana police, the woman was killed when a car spun out of control and fatally struck her. She died at a nearby trauma hospital.
The investigation conducted by the best bus accident attorneys in California has yet to determine fault in the fatal bus stop accident. How is fault determined in this type of accident? Our bus accident attorney Riverside explains that parties that could potentially be held liable in the fatal Santa Ana accident include but are not limited to:
- The driver of the car, which struck the woman
- Manufacturer of the car or its parts and components (as long as there was a design, manufacturing, or warning defect, which caused or contributed to the crash)
- City, county, municipality, or state (for failure to design a safe bus stop or failure to remedy hazardous conditions on the road or sidewalk, if any)
- Owner of the bus stop where the accident occurred
Parties that can be sued in bus stop accidents
These are not the only parties that can be held liable in bus stop accidents in California. Our experienced bus accident lawyer in Riverside explains that one or more of the following parties can be held responsible if a person gets injured or dies while waiting for or exiting a bus at a bus stop:
- Bus driver
- Bus owner and/or operator
- Manufacturer of the bus and/or its parts and components
- Person or persons responsible for inspection and maintenance of the bus
- City, county, municipality, or state
- Owner of the bus stop
- Other drivers involved
Given that there could potentially be multiple parties to sue after a bus stop accident in California, it is highly advised to consult with a Riverside bus accident attorney to determine liability in your particular case. Get a free consultation from our lawyers at JML Law by calling 818-610-8800.
