When people step onto a bus, they are trusting someone else with their safety. We trust buses to carry small children to school, busy commuters to work, high-school teams to their games, and to transport people in cities all around the country. That trust is supposed to be backed by professional drivers, rigorous training, strict safety rules, and well-maintained vehicles.
Unfortunately, sometimes that trust is betrayed, and a bus crash changes life in an instant. When this happens, it is important to seek the advice of a bus crash attorney for legal advice.
Why Bus Crashes Are So Catastrophic
Several factors make bus crashes uniquely devastating. Buses can weigh anywhere from 8,000 to over 40,000 pounds. Heavier vehicles take longer to stop, are harder to maneuver, and transfer far more force in a collision. Additionally, many bus riders are not protected by seatbelts. Perhaps most importantly, a single bus carries dozens of people at once, and when it crashes, it puts everyone on board and nearby at risk. The consequences of a bus crash do not end at the scene, but ripple outward into families, classrooms, teams, and entire communities.
When a bus crashes, the result can be multiple traumatic injuries to those on board, including head trauma, spinal injuries, broken bones, and, tragically, fatalities. Occupants of surrounding vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists are just as vulnerable. These cases are not just accidents, but frequently involve preventable failures in training, supervision, maintenance, or safety policies.
Why Bus Crashes Happen
Bus crashes are rarely random, but often the result of negligence and systemic safety failures. Across the country, transportation companies and public agencies have allowed dangerous conditions to develop, including driver shortages, rushed or inadequate training, aging fleets, and understaffed maintenance departments, all while continuing to put buses full of people on the road.
Those failures show up again and again in serious bus crash cases, including:
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Drivers operating vehicles while fatigued, distracted, or improperly trained
- Mechanical defects and maintenance failures that should never have been missed
- Unsafe scheduling and pressure to stay on the road despite safety risks
- Dangerous routes, intersections, and roadway design
These are not unavoidable mistakes. They are the predictable consequences of organizations choosing speed, staffing, and cost-cutting over safety.
Commercial & Charter Bus Crashes
When people think of bus crashes, they often picture school buses, but in reality, commercial and charter buses are involved in some of the most serious crashes nationwide. Unlike school districts, which may be shielded by immunity laws, private bus companies such as Greyhound and other charter carriers are subject to strict safety obligations and insurance requirements. When those companies cut corners, the consequences can be devastating and accountability is essential.
Examples of Commercial/Charter Bus Crashes
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In Soberay v. Greyhound, one of the most significant bus crash verdicts in Ohio, a Cuyahoga County jury awarded more than $27 million to a Cleveland resident who was catastrophically injured when a Greyhound Lines, Inc. driver fell asleep at the wheel on a Pennsylvania highway and crashed into a tractor-trailer. The impact crushed the passenger’s lower body, ultimately requiring the amputation of his right leg and more than 30 surgeries to address extensive orthopedic and internal injuries. The jury awarded approximately $23 million in compensatory damages and $4 million in punitive damages, finding that Greyhound’s conduct demonstrated a reckless disregard for passenger safety. The Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals later upheld the verdict, reinforcing that commercial bus carriers can be held fully accountable when systemic safety failures lead to devastating harm.
- In Hoang v. Greyhound, a Pennsylvania jury awarded more than $5 million to four passengers after a Greyhound bus collided with a tractor-trailer when the driver fell asleep, finding both the driver and Greyhound acted negligently and with reckless disregard for passenger safety.
- In Reedy v. Greyhound, a Texas jury awarded $18.7 million in after a passenger was badly injured when the bus overturned, with evidence showing the driver had been using a cell phone immediately prior to the crash.
These cases show how commercial and charter bus carriers can be held accountable when they fail to train, supervise, or manage drivers properly, push drivers into unsafe schedules, or overlook mechanical and operational hazards that foreseeably endanger passengers and other road users.
Who Can Be Held Responsible After a Bus Crash?
Bus crash cases can get complicated because they often involve multiple layers of liability, including:
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The bus driver
- A commercial bus company (e.g., Greyhound, charter operator)
- A district, city, or transit authority
- A private transportation company
- A maintenance contractor
- The bus manufacturer or parts supplier
- In certain circumstances, a school district, city, or transit authority
Each of these entities may carry separate insurance policies, with different coverage limits, defenses, and legal obligations. Identifying all responsible parties, and all available insurance, is critical to fully compensating injured victims.
That is why families affected by a bus crash should speak with an attorney who understands how to navigate multi-party liability, overlapping insurance coverage, and institutional defendants.
What to Do If You or a Loved One Is Involved in a Bus Crash
Bus crash cases require immediate, careful investigation. Evidence disappears quickly. Surveillance footage is overwritten, maintenance logs get buried, and witnesses scatter.
If a crash occurs, it is crucial to contact an attorney before speaking with insurers. Waiting too long can cost families critical evidence and, in some cases, their legal rights.
How Plakas Mannos Helps Families After Bus Crashes
At Plakas Mannos, we have experience handling complex bus crash cases involving institutional defendants, transportation companies, and large insurers. Bus crash cases require aggressive investigation, expert analysis, and a willingness to hold powerful organizations accountable.
When a bus crash injures a child or loved one, families deserve answers, and they deserve justice.
If you or someone you love has been hurt in a bus crash, our team is ready to help.
About the Author
Elisabeth C. Jackson is an associate attorney at Plakas Mannos with a focus on personal injury, wrongful death, criminal law, and general litigation.
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