Fatigued Driver Bus Accident

California Bus Drivers Owe Their Passengers a Duty of Care

The law demands that those responsible for public transportation (“common carriers”) be well-vetted and appropriately trained, and that they remain alert and obey all traffic laws. Bus drivers and the companies that employ them can be held accountable if they fail to comply.

If you have suffered serious injury due to the extreme fatigue or sleepiness of a bus driver, you are entitled to substantial damages. Our bus accident attorneys will work doggedly to see that you receive compensation for medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering. Whether you were riding a bus to commute, shop, get to a medical appointment, visit a friend, or for some other reason, you were entitled to expect safety as well as convenience.

Reasons for A Fatigued Driver

There are a great many reasons for fatigue. Though these reasons are understandable, and at times inevitable, there is no excuse for taking the wheel when fatigue interferes with your ability to drive. This is even more important when you are a professional driver. Reasons your bus driver may have been fatigued include:

• Extreme physical exertion
• Inadequate sleep or sleep disorders (e.g. sleep apnea)
• Elongated work hours (perhaps at more than one job)
• Underlying illness
• Side effects of medication

Whatever the reason for your bus driver’s fatigue, she or he should not have been driving in a fatigued condition.

Fatigued Drivers Have a Variety of Potential Victims

Bus passengers not only have a range of destinations, but may be using public, private or school buses for many different reasons, such as:

• Commuting, shopping
• Engaging in social or recreational activities
• Getting to and from public school or college
• Attending a destination wedding or family reunion
• Attending a company or club activity or a religious retreat

Whether you are a frequent bus passenger, taking the bus for a special outing or vacation or because your car is in the shop, you have the right to expect safe transport. If you have unwittingly stepped onto a bus being driven by a fatigued bus driver, you may be entitled to compensation.

Our bus accident attorneys are here to support you whether you were a passenger on the bus, the driver or passenger of another vehicle, a bicyclist or a pedestrian. We will also provide strong legal advocacy if you have lost a loved one in a wrongful death resulting from the erratic driving of a fatigued bus driver.

Buses May Not Be as Safe as You Think

Although buses are large, typically move slowly, and look protective, they are cumbersome to maneuver and more likely to tip over in a collision because of their height. Also, in spite of the fact that school buses in California are now required to have seat belts and laws are in place for seat belts to be mandated in all buses by 2035, riding a bus currently presents several risks not found in cars, including:

• Passengers in public buses often stand with only hanging straps to help them balance
• In a crash, bus passengers can collide with metal poles, grab rails or other people
• Even seated bus passengers may stand in preparation for disembarking, making themselves more vulnerable to injury
• Passenger in buses are not typically engaged in conversation with the bus driver,

and so are not in a position to pick up signs of the driver’s fatigue or lack of attention to the road.