Finding Fault in a Bus and Pedestrian Accident

Q: Is a bus driver always at fault in a pedestrian accident?

Personal injury attorneys know that sometimes the worst tragedies are completely unexpected and happen in an instant.

Automobile accidents can involve trucks, cars, bicycles, and even pedestrians. Pedestrians– – in their exposed and unprotected state – – are the most vulnerable to death or injury when hit by a moving vehicle. That was certainly the case involving a city bus and a man enjoying a kiddie pool on the front lawn.

According to authorities and witnesses, a big city bus ran a red light, hit two cars, “jumped a curb” and plowed into a man, crushing him between it and the front of the home where the wayward bus had finally stopped.

Witnesses said the “mangled” man had no pulse, a broken neck, and a severed leg after hitting the home with such force. Two other adults in and beside the pool were reportedly not directly hit by the bus but “had to be rescued from under a fence” and were “hospitalized for pain”. In addition, the bus driver, the drivers of the two cars that were hit, and two of the 16 passengers on the bus were reportedly hospitalized with “non-life-threatening” injuries. An investigation is continuing.

In cases like this, investigators would examine whether and why the bus driver may have lost control of the bus or whether there may have been a mechanical, medical, or other issue wholly or partially responsible for the crash.

When someone is killed as a result of the negligent, reckless, or intentional actions or inactions of someone else, the victim’s closest surviving members may be entitled to commence a wrongful death lawsuit. Compensatory damages in the event liability is established may include the victim’s final medical and funeral expenses and other financial damages depending on the relationship between the victim in the survivor.

Those who survive the accident may commence a personal injury lawsuit. Compensatory damages may include current and future medical expenses, current and future lost income or diminished earning capacity, and more, depending on the circumstances of each action.

If you or a loved one has been injured or a loved one has been killed as a result of somebody else’s actions, the personal injury attorneys at Noland Law Firm can help maximize the compensation to which you may be entitled. Contact us today for a free consultation.

From our offices in Liberty, Missouri, we represent accident victims and their families in Kansas City, Blue Springs, Gladstone, Independence, Liberty, Clay County, and throughout the greater Kansas City area.