A party bus can be great for transporting wedding guests or wedding parties, taking a bunch of friends out for a birthday or bachelor/bachelorette party, or getting to prom in style. Unfortunately, accidents involving a party bus can often be very serious for the passengers inside the bus, and victims of these kinds of accidents could face very severe injuries or even death.
If you or a loved one was injured in an accident on a party bus in the Baltimore area, or if a loved one was killed in a party bus accident in Baltimore, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras today. Our Baltimore party bus accident and injury attorneys have decades of experience handling personal injury cases and auto accident lawsuits on behalf of injury victims. For a free legal consultation and more information about how to sue the at-fault driver and transportation company, call our law offices today at (410) 694-7291.
Causes of Party Bus Accidents and Injuries in Baltimore
The cause of an accident involving a party bus can vary greatly, just as the cause of any car accident could. Unless a passenger on a party bus was bothering or distracting the driver, it is very unlikely that anyone in the back of the bus would have contributed to the cause of the crash. This means that most accidents can be attributed to three types of issues: the bus driver’s negligence, the other driver’s negligence, or negligence on the part of the party bus company.
The Bus Driver’s Negligence
If your party bus driver was not properly equipped to drive the bus, they could be held liable for any accident they cause. Failing to have a proper commercial driver’s license, failing to drive with the proper care or skill, or driving while under the effects of drugs or alcohol can be serious violations that can mean the bus driver is at fault for any crash they cause. Similarly, if the driver was texting or focusing more on directions on a GPS than on the dangers on the road, they could be responsible for any crash they caused by distracted driving.
Additionally, the driver could be responsible for any traffic violations they commit. Excessive speeding, running a red light, and other common traffic violations could put the driver at fault for any accident they cause like this.
Lastly, the driver must know their vehicle, and any accidents they cause because they did not take into account the size and weight of their vehicle could be the driver’s fault. These kinds of vehicles often have a higher rollover rate because more weight is positioned above the center of mass of the vehicle. As such, drivers need to be more careful when making tight turns or quick maneuvers. Similarly, failing to slow down or brake gradually could cause passengers to be thrown around inside the bus, causing injuries that the driver was responsible for.
The Other Drivers’ Negligence
If another driver caused your crash, they could be held liable instead of the bus driver. These accidents could be caused by drivers who have trouble seeing around the bus and make mistakes on the road, drivers who speed to pass a slow bus, or drivers who make other mistakes and commit traffic violations near the bus. Many bus accidents are caused by other drivers who crash into the bus or force the driver to make quick moves that ultimately cause a crash.
The Bus Company’s Negligence
If the bus was not safe enough to be taken out on the road, the bus company might be directly responsible for the accident to some degree. Dangerous party busses with unsafe interiors or malfunctioning parts could be too dangerous to use on the road. Similarly, the construction of many of these vehicles is unsafe if the party bus is constructed by taking apart a smaller vehicle and extending it like a limousine or if the bus is built on a frame of a smaller vehicle and the weight is positioned too high in the vehicle to avoid rollover.
The bus company or transportation company who rented the bus can also be held responsible for the driver’s mistakes. As their employer, the bus company is responsible for the mistakes their driver commits. Additionally, if the company hired a driver they knew or should have known was not licensed or had a history of dangerous driving, they could be held responsible for their negligent hiring.
Suing for Damages for Party Bus Accidents in Baltimore, MD
If you or a loved one faced serious injury in an accident involving a party bus, you might be entitled to sue the at-fault parties for damages. As mentioned, the fault can lie with the party bus driver, the other drivers involved in the crash, or the party bus company. Fault can also lie with a combination of these parties. Ultimately, your lawyer will help you determine which parties were responsible for the crash and include all of them in the lawsuit.
First, in order for you to receive compensation for the injuries you faced, your lawyer will need to prove what duties the at-fault parties owed you and how they violated those duties. This proves the defendants’ negligence, which is the foundation of any personal injury lawsuit. After that, your lawyer will prove how this negligence caused the crash and caused you to suffer injuries or a death in the family. Then, your lawyer will prove what damages you suffered by producing medical bills, lost wages, evidence of your pain and suffering, and proof of any damages caused by the death of a loved one. Your lawyer can then argue that you deserve this compensation, and the court can award you damages for the full value of these harms.
Call Our Baltimore Party Bus Accident Attorney for a Free Case Consultation
Talk to a lawyer about what your case might be worth and how to proceed with filing a lawsuit to get the compensation you need after a serious party bus accident. the Baltimore party bus accident and injury lawyers at Rice, Murtha & Psoras represent victims of auto accidents and fight to get them the compensation they deserve from at-fault drivers and transportation companies that put dangerous drivers on the road. For a free legal consultation on your potential case, call our law offices today at (410) 694-7291.