Bus Accident Solicitors — Scotland

Bus Accidents

Bus accident claims

Bus or coach accident claims can happen from various circumstances, from low-speed incidents in city traffic to high-speed road traffic collisions on national motorways. These accidents may involve other road users, cars, bicycles, pedestrians and other buses. The resulting injuries can vary in severity, from lacerations to bone fractures, and in the most serious cases, fatalities.

The bus driver owes a duty of care to both their passengers and other road users. If you’ve been injured due to negligence, you may be entitled to a personal injury compensation claim.

You can claim compensation after a bus accident if you were:

• A passenger on the bus
• A pedestrian injured by the actions of a bus driver
• A passenger in another vehicle that was hit by a bus or coach
• A driver of another vehicle
• A victim of a hit-and-run involving a bus or coach

Our bus injury solicitors handle a wide range of coach accident claims. Even if you think the injury is minor or partially your fault, you may still be entitled to bus accident compensation.

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Common Bus Accident Injuries

While most journeys on public transport are safe, you still run the risk of sustaining injuries in a bus or coach accident. Understanding these potential injuries is crucial to successfully claim bus accident compensation.

Types of injuries

Here are the most common injuries caused by bus accidents.

• Whiplash and soft tissue injuries: These are often caused by a sudden swerve or harsh braking, or when a bus makes an emergency stop. This can lead to passengers jolting, which can be painful and have long-lasting effects.
• Brain injuries: In more serious accidents, passengers may suffer brain injuries such as concussions, lack of mental capacity and severe traumatic brain injury. These can result from impact during a collision or a fall within the bus.
• Spinal injuries: These injuries can range from minor strains to severe damage, potentially leading to partial or complete paralysis. They might occur due to powerful impacts or when passengers are thrown from their seats.
• Fractures: Broken bones and joint injuries are common in bus accidents, especially during collisions or if the bus overturns. These can affect any body part and may require lengthy recovery periods.
• Psychological Injuries: Beyond physical harm, many victims suffer psychological injuries such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, or depression after a bus accident.
• Fatal injuries: A fatal accident can have devastating consequences for families and loved ones. In such cases, a loved one can claim compensation on behalf of the deceased.

Causes of bus accident injuries

Here are some of the reasons why bus accident injuries occur. 

• Driver negligence: Careless or reckless driving by the bus operator can lead to accidents. This might include speeding, distracted driving, or failure to follow safety regulations.
• Mechanical issues: Poor bus maintenance or mechanical failure can cause accidents. Bus companies are responsible for keeping their vehicles in a safe condition.
• Road conditions: Poorly maintained roads or road conditions can contribute to bus accidents, especially in adverse weather conditions.
• Other drivers: Sometimes accidents occur due to the actions of other drivers on the road, not the bus driver.
• Bus stop incidents: Accidents can occur at a bus stop, such as bus passengers falling while boarding or alighting.

Our bus crash solicitors are ready to assist with accidents that occurred on city buses, long-distance coaches, and school buses. Our expert legal team will help you secure maximum compensation.

Making a Claim

How do I make a bus accident claim?

The effects of road traffic accidents can cause indescribable pain and suffering for you and your loved ones. Apart from painful physical injuries and psychological trauma, there could be a lot of confusion concerning what to do next.

Our helpful guide breaks down the process of making a bus accident compensation claim:  

• Seek medical attention: Your health comes first. If you’ve been injured in an accident, seek immediate medical treatment, even if your injuries seem minor. Medical professionals can offer advice on the best way to treat your symptoms to aid in your recovery. This creates an official medical record of your injuries, which can also be used as evidence to back up your claim.
• Gather information: It’s important to collect as much evidence as possible about the accident. This includes the bus number, accident location, witness accounts, details of the bus company and the driver. Our personal injury solicitors can help you to gather these details.
• Contact emergency services: If not already done, inform the emergency services. Their reports can be valuable evidence for your claim.
• Document everything: Take photos of the accident scene and your injuries, and gather witness contact details. This documentation can help to strengthen your case.
• Contact a solicitor: Reach out to our road traffic accident solicitors for expert advice. We’ll guide you through the claim process and help you make a successful bus accident claim.
• Contact the bus company: Keep your bus ticket and report the incident to the bus company.
• Negotiation and settlement: Your solicitor will negotiate with the opposing party to secure fair compensation.
• Court proceedings: If a settlement can’t be reached, your case may go to court. However, this is rare for bus accident claims.

Although the standard cut-off date for making a personal injury compensation claim is three years, it is suggested that you provide as much information as possible regarding the driver and the vehicle concerned as soon as possible.

We understand that making a compensation claim can feel overwhelming, but that’s exactly why we’re here. Our lawyers offer straightforward legal advice to guide you through the claims process.

How Much Compensation?

How much compensation can I claim for a bus accident?

The compensation you’ll receive can vary considerably depending on the circumstances. Injuries sustained by passengers are often less severe, while pedestrians are more likely to suffer serious harm. Regardless of the scenario. The experience can result in significant pain, discomfort and inconvenience.

When injuries are more significant, the compensation can be higher because of the impact they have on your lifestyle, work and personal relationships. The compensation ensures you receive the appropriate treatment, support and rehabilitation.

Potential areas of compensation in a bus crash claim include:  

• Medical and treatment expenses: These include hospital stays, medications, physiotherapy, and any future medical bills resulting from permanent injury from the accident.
• Lost earnings: If you’ve had to take time off work due to your injuries, your claim can replace lost earnings. This also includes future financial losses if your ability to work is affected in the long term.
• Travel expenses: Any additional travel costs incurred due to your injuries, such as trips to medical examinations, can be included.
• Care and assistance: If you need help with daily tasks due to your injuries, the cost of this care can be claimed, even if provided by family members.
• Emotional distress: Compensation can also cover emotional distress caused by the accident, including anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Whatever your injury, rest assured that Watermans will fight for the best possible claim.

Why Watermans? 

Why should I choose Watermans to pursue my personal injury claim?

Watermans make legal services look and feel easy so people can move forward in life.

As your trusted personal injury law firm in Scotland, we’re dedicated to making the claims process straightforward for our clients.

From the moment you contact us, we’ll handle the heavy lifting. Beyond bus accident cases, we also provide access to a range of additional services. These include physiotherapy and psychological treatment to ensure a speedy recovery from your injuries, so you can get your life back on track.

Trusted Personal Injury Solicitors in Scotland

Our expertise in personal injury covers a wide range of areas, including:

• Accidents at work
• Public liability claims
• Road traffic accidents
• Fatal and serious injury claims
• Cases relating to abuse

We represent thousands of clients throughout Scotland each year, securing millions of pounds in compensation for our clients. Our specialist solicitors work on a no-win, no-fee basis, which means that if your bus accident claim is unsuccessful, you won’t end up out of pocket.

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