Bisnar Chase Practice Areas and Locations

Do I have a case for my car accident injury?

Free Case Evaluation - Our full time staff is ready to evaluate your case submission and will respond in a timely manner.

*Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship*

Do I have a case for my car accident injury?

Free Case Evaluation - Our full time staff is ready to evaluate your case submission and will respond in a timely manner.

San Francisco Bus Accident Lawyers

The San Francisco Bus Accident Lawyers of Bisnar Chase have been representing cases for over 40 years, winning over $500 Million for our clients. Having established an impressive 96% success rate, our team of legal professionals are ready to fight for you.

Public transportation, school buses, shuttles and other types of large multi-passenger vehicles can make things easier on schedules and budgets, or even for a good time out on the town, like bachelor and bachelorette parties, prom transportation and more. But when bad situations become a reality in these large moving blocks of metal, severe consequences can result, especially if negligence or wrong doing is a factor.

If you have been injured or have experienced a traumatic injury, call our San Francisco Personal Injury Lawyers for your Free consultation at 415-358-0723.

This page will cover the following:

The San Francisco Bus Accident Lawyers understand that everyone needs transportation of some kind at some point in their life, the only problem is that transportation of any kind is dangerous.

Whether it's a family taking a bus downtown, a taxi from one city to another, subway, train, airplane, Uber, Lyft, whatever it is, they all have their hazards. With Buses, the vehicle themselves are very large, very heavy, and transport large number of people at a time, increasing both the overall weight and risk of large catastrophic injuries or casualties.

Why is weight a factor? The weight of any vehicle increases or decreases its ability to maneuver, steer, accelerate and brake in an efficient and safe manner. Increasing the weight with large numbers of people and their luggage can significantly increase the dangers of travel.

At Bisnar Chase, our legal team encounters individuals who become victims of public transportation, and are here to help.

If you have experienced a personal injury or traumatic event riding a public bus, contact our San Francisco Personal Injury Attorneys for a Free consultation and case evaluation at 415-358-0723.

Are San Francisco Public Buses Safe?

With over a million individuals killed in car accidents every single year, road travel is very dangerous. But are public buses safe?

Generally speaking, public bus travel is safe. They travel at lower speeds than most road vehicles, are not as prone to distracted, intoxicated or reckless driving behavior, due to strict laws, rules and guidelines set on bus driver safety, and are set to an assigned schedule.

Buses are supposed to be maintained by government personal and staff, ensuring the safety of each and every bus. Brakes, tire pressure and quality, engine and acceleration attention as well as many other aspects that could potentially endanger passenger's well-being.

School buses, charter buses, double-decker buses, Greyhound buses - What type of buses are the most dangerous? Where you thinking about the danger you were in the last time you were riding on a bus?

Here is a list of the Top 5 Most Dangerous Types of Buses:

1. Articulated Bus (accordion): You may not be familiar with these types of buses, but if you ever get an opportunity to ride in one of these vehicles, just stay aware of the dangers. These buses, depending on overall safety and maintenance, are generally safe for the most part. The dangers of these buses specifically are in turns and bends. Passengers need to watch for being pinned, pinched or crushed in the conjunction areas, in the accordion-zones. Also if the bus looses control, or experiences a side impact, the conjoining areas are weak points that can become "sudden and unexpected ejection points" for passengers.

2. Double-Decker Bus:Famous for being seen in England, these double-decker and two story buses can be found in many tourist areas. Great for touring and site-seeing, they can be extremely dangerous in the event of an accident. If one of these buses happen to flip, roll or tip over, riders on the top deck are at risk for extreme injury or death. Low bridges also become a severe risk, if the driver is not paying attention or a bridge is unmarked.

3. Greyhound (cross-country):Cross country buses and in no specific isolation to the Greyhound company, can be dangerous to ride on, due to higher risks of experiencing more hazardous situations. Cross country buses travel long distances, getting passengers from one city to the next, in many cases from one side of the country to the other. Experiencing heavy rain, dangerous conditions, snow, ice, high elevations, dangerous roads and many other risk factors is common. Cross country bus drivers need to be properly trained and disciplined in their driving techniques and strategies.

4. City Buses: There are many buses in the downtown areas, city streets and outlining suburban areas. City buses encounter cramped conditions, heavy traffic and thick congested streets every day. Lots of foot traffic, pedestrians and cyclist are constant dangers and offer extra risk factors. In downtown areas and low poverty-prone areas, violence, assaults and dangerous individuals tend to ride city buses as a cheap way of getting around, which can lead to attacks, muggings and robbery. Stay alert, stay prepared.

5. School Buses: We trust that the transportation we allow our children to ride in is safe and reliable. Yet, school buses have no seat belts. School buses have rules and guidelines that children and teens must follow, but is poorly enforced. School buses are large and heavy vehicles that when out of control can be extremely dangerous. The largest percentage of injuries and fatalities involving school buses are pedestrians, cyclists and others outside of the bus. Pedestrian accidents can be very severe when involving buses.

San Francisco Bus Accident Statistics

Like semi truck accidents and other heavy vehicle collisions, bus accidents can be catastrophic and cause severe damage. Here are some statistical information to give you a better sense of the safety, dangers, pros and cons of bus transportation.

According to the NHTSA, in an article posted by USA Today: "on average/per year":

  • Approximately 130+ fatalities in school vehicle related crashes every year
  • 8% of those crashes are in buses
  • Bicyclist, pedestrians and others outside of the bus make up 21% of those fatalities
  • The most of these fatalities are people in other vehicles
  • Seat belts are not required on school buses in: California, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, and Texas

To learn more about school bus safety, visit NHTSA/School-Bus-Safety.

No Seat Belts in School Buses?

We have instilled in our minds, that it is important to wear seat belts when traveling. Whether you are wearing a seat belt in a car, train, plain or semi truck, it's the law, it saves lives, it's the smartest thing to do.

But why is it not a federal law for school buses to require seat belts in school buses that our young and innocent children ride in every single day to school and on field trips?

Researchers and the NHTSA state that it will cost between $10,000-12,000 per bus, to equip essential and efficient safety belts, which will come to millions if not billions throughout all of the buses in the country.

It sounds as if it is money over safety is the concluding factor, but time will tell. Seat belts are not required on school buses in: California, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, and Texas. How do you feel about seat belts not being required on your child's bus to school?

Was your son or daughter injured in a school bus accident either on their way to school or coming home? What about when on a field trip with a class or after-school program?

If you or your loved ones have experienced a personal injury or traumatic event, contact the San Francisco Bus Accident Attorneys for your Free case evaluation and consultation.

You could be entitled to compensation, and Bisnar Chase will win you maximum compensation, or you do not pay.

How To Protect Yourself in a Bus Crash

If only we could prevent the worse from happening - How can you know when danger is going to strike when riding in a bus?

Obviously, you won't be able to guarantee that you can protect yourself from danger, every time it strikes, but being prepared, in the case of having the ability to, will help.

  • Don't get on a bus if you notice the driver is intoxicated or noticeably negligent. This can be very dangerous to you, the other passengers, other drivers on the road, as well as pedestrians, cyclist and property. Instead, call 911 and report the driver.
  • If you are already on the bus and notice negligence or wrong-doing of the bus driver, call 911 and report the situation immediately.
  • Don't get on a bus if you notice visible or audible damage. Instead, let the driver know there is something wrong, and report the situation.
  • If driving conditions are extreme, such as heavy rain, snow, hail or unsafe driving conditions, such as flooding, icy roads and so forth, find another way of transportation.
  • If you are on a bus and notice a car approaching the rear, front or sides of the bus in a non-stopping motion, warn the driver and nearby passengers, move from the area of soon-to-be-impact, find cover and brace - this is not a guarantee for health and safety, but will prove better than staying in the line of impact and waiting to see what happens.

For more on how to stay safe on buses, you can visit an article on the DailyMail.com/How-to-Stay-Safe-on-Trains-and-Buses.

After experiencing any type of accident, hit or traumatic situation, it is best to be evaluated by a health care professional. Whether you seek medical attention at an urgent care facility, take ambulance transportation or visit the emergency room of a hospital, ensuring that your health and safety is 100% is always the best practice.

Often, injuries go untreated due to the victim being unaware of the injuries in the first place. Common injuries that go untreated, causing more serious and potentially life-threatening conditions consist of:

  • Head injuries
  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Internal bleeding
  • Internal lacerations
  • Bone fractures
  • Infections

Seeking medical attention has it's benefits which can also help win your case.

Why Documenting Injuries is Important

Making sure that your injuries are documented in affiliation with the incident or accident is a must. Not having or having your injuries documented can make or break your case.

Later down the line throughout the process of your case, not having legally documentation of your injuries can bring questions to if the injuries were preexisting or happened after the fact. It can also be argued that the victim inflicted the injuries upon themselves in order to look like they were more injured than they were at the time of the accident, with the resulting injuries of the accident.

How Can You Legally Document Your Injuries?

  • Seek medical attention (Dr's notes, hospital reports, x-ray, treatments, etc.)
  • Police reports
  • Photos and video (of the accident, location of the accident, placement of vehicles, peoples, etc.)
  • Audio with digital time stamp (iPhones/Androids - shows what time the audio was recorder. Although this is not the best method, anything is better than nothing - usually only used if the only camera available is broken)
  • Witnesses - having people who saw the accident or who were involved in the accident giving information of what they saw, when they saw it, how it happened and any other information they can give about your injuries at the time of the accident - usually in writing, audio, photos and video.

Any documentation is good documentation. No documentation can break your case to the argument that your story was exaggerated and of false happenings.

Quality Legal Representation That Wins

The team of skilled and dedicated San Francisco Bus Accident Attorneys have over 40 years of experience. Having established a 96% success rate, the legal professionals of Bisnar Chase want to be there for you every step of the way.

You can never ask to many questions and we will never put you or your case on the back-burner. When you are a client of ours, you become family, and we will always have your back, even after your case is settled.

To hear it what its like to be represented by Bisnar Chase, visit our client testimonial and video testimonials page. Become one of our victories and success stories, part of the $500 Million we have won for our clients, and get your life back.

Bisnar Chase wants to help and represent you and your case, to win and get you maximum compensation. Call us for your Free consultation and Case Evaluation at 415-358-0723.

Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys
5139 Geary Blvd
San Francisco CA 94118
(415) 358-4887
View Map

Have a question that wasn't answered here?