Those who are fed up with traffic gridlock and gas prices over four dollars a gallon may be tempted to turn to public transportation options like metro buses. While buses can be a very safe mode of transportation, bus drivers who are careless and busing companies that are indifferent to safety standards may cause serious bus accidents resulting in catastrophic injury and wrongful death. If you or someone you love has been injured in a serious Mississippi bus accident, our Mississippi bus accident attorneys at Barrett Law have experience with complex issues involved in bus accident litigation of all kinds, including:
- Public buses run by government agencies
- School buses
- Commuter buses run by private companies
- Tour bus lines
- Long distance bus carriers
Serious Bus Accidents Involving Rogue Busing Companies on the Rise
Although bus accidents are not as common as some other types of motor vehicle collisions, they are hardly a rare event. There are in excess of 60,000 bus accidents per year in the United States, and the large size and weight of buses means that they pose a serious risk of injury and even death to those who are involved in a bus crash. When buses run off the road and rollover, bus occupants may be ejected from the vehicle, which is likely to result in catastrophic injuries because buses lack basic safety features such as seatbelts and airbags.
There has been a rash of bus accidents across the United States recently, which have been the product of bus companies that operate despite failure to comply with federal safety rules and frequent safety violations. Many of these accidents have resulted in life-changing injuries and even fatalities for patrons of rogue tour bus lines. Sometimes bus companies with a poor safety record simply close their company and reopen within months under a different business name. The issue of bus safety involving rogue tour bus lines has become so significant that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which regulates bus carrier safety, is currently considering new regulations to prevent system wide abuse by rogue bus companies.
Why Do Mississippi Busing Accident Lawsuits Require Experienced Busing Accident Attorneys?
Buses that are not properly maintained or that are operated by bus drivers that are not properly trained or supervised pose a danger to everyone on the road, including passenger vehicle occupants, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. The massive size of a bus means that the occupants of any vehicle that collides with a bus faces a significant risk of suffering life-changing permanent injuries.
Bus accidents require an attorney experienced in handling these special types of collisions, which may often involve litigation against a large public entity. Public entities have substantial financial resources to fight litigation and are often protected from liability for personal injury lawsuits by the doctrine of sovereign immunity. While many public entities have passed statutes that limit this immunity and permit injury victims to make claims, special rules and extremely short deadlines often apply. Our experienced Mississippi bus accident lawyers are well versed in the specific requirements imposed by these special rules and time limits.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a Mississippi bus accident or a loved one has died, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and loss. At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi. Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.