Tour Bus Crash

Professional tour buses are duty-bound to provide a safe experience for the tourist, and operators are legally required to drive responsibly. When the driver acts negligently or follows dangerous driving practices and causes an accident, tourists suffer severe injuries and death.

If the equipment fails, tires malfunction or defective brakes cause an accident; injured victims have a legal right to seek compensation.

Based in Chicago, the bus accident attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC know why so many tourists are drawn to our great city. Unfortunately, we also understand that some Illinois bus tour companies cut corners when it comes to the safety of passengers and other drivers sharing the road with these buses.

When an incident involving a tour bus in Illinois occurs, our Chicago bus accident lawyers are here to represent the interests of you and your family. Even if you live outside of the Chicagoland area, we can assist you with your injury case.

Our law firm will work on your behalf to seek compensation from the tour company insurance company to recover your medical bills, time away from work, and pain and suffering. Complete the contact form, and we will be in contact with you shortly.

Riding the Bus in the Time of Covid-19

Since the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) became a worldwide pandemic, public transportation, including local CTA bus lines, has been in free fall. Ridership on public transportation vehicles has been hit hard, as have airplanes and travel by rail. Many cities, including those in the Chicago area, have taken a hard look at how the public is exposed to life-threatening infection.

The rise in cases involving sickness and death has fallen squarely on the shoulders of tour bus businesses, charter companies, and regional bus systems, including the Chicago Transit Authority. Many communities and Cook County, DuPage County, Lake County, Arlington Heights, Des Plaines, and the Chicago area operate a heavily localized network of buses and rail cars.

Many essential workers from low-income areas do not have a motor vehicle for transport to and from work. Even with the threat of sickness from Covid-19 (coronavirus disease), these workers have no other choice than to use mass transit buses, including CTA buses.

Sadly, riding shoulder to shoulder with others on large vehicles places everyone at risk, including the bus driver. Many communities have chosen not to allow children to return to their classrooms because of the exposure they did receive riding school buses.

Protecting the Public

The responsibility of the Chicago tour bus company and operator extends to every passenger on board, and out to every other motorist and others sharing the roadway. Good driving behavior should include:

 
• Following the rules of the road and traffic laws including driving within the speed limit
 
• Avoiding erratic moves including sudden stops or starts
 
• Ensuring proper turning distance to avoid hitting pedestrians and bicyclists on street corners and sidewalks
 
• Ensuring that every passenger, especially the elderly, are fully seated before moving the bus
 
• Ensuring that all tourist have fully entered or exited the bus before moving away from the stop
 
• Providing a safe location for passengers to disembark once reaching the destination
 
• Ensuring passengers disembark at a secure area when the tour bus breaks down to provide protection away from the busy roadways and freeways

Ensuring that the bus is maintained correctly is also essential. Even though traveling on a bus tends to be one of the safest modes of transportation, any accident usually produces catastrophic results.

Common Tour Bus Crashes

Tour bus accidents with serious injuries or fatalities can occur at high speeds on highways or in town when traveling at slow speeds. The most common types of tour bus accidents involve:

 
• High-speed collision
 
• Sudden starts and stops
 
• Rollover accident
 
• Crashes on highways and toll roads
 
• Collisions involving the center median on a freeway or roadway
 
• Head-on collision
 
• Defective wheelchair lift
 
• Bus door injury
 
• Onboard assault
 
• Driver's negligence

Many severe injury cases involve passengers traveling in wheelchairs that are harmed by negligent care or handling by the bus driver when using the wheelchair lift.

While the tour company might not own the bus or have no legal connection to the driver, they may still be legally liable for the injuries or deaths that happened as a result of the accident.

Common Tour Bus Accident Injuries

Any type of accident injury involving a bus could create life-threatening changes. Some common injuries suffered by tour bus accident victims include:

 
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and head trauma
 
• Neck and shoulder injury
 
• Amputation
 
• Broken hips, leg bones, wrists and hands
 
• Emotional distress and anxiety
 
• Pain and suffering
 
• Wrongful death

Filing a Personal Injury Claim After an Illinois Tour Bus Accident

Bus companies providing tour services are common carriers under the law. Like public transportation companies and other bus carriers, the tour bus company can be held legally liable for any injury caused by accident.

Often, a skilled personal injury attorney can show negligence by a bus driver or other employee providing unsafe conditions. Sometimes, it is the bus company alone at fault when equipment is allowed to fall into disrepair.

In addition to the bus company and operator being held liable, third parties might also be at fault or responsible for the accident. Additional parties at fault could include bus manufacturers selling a defective product or bus parts manufacturers selling faulty brake systems or tires.

Many victims will file a bus crash lawsuit to recover damages and losses. In many incidences, tour companies will negotiate a contract with standard bus companies or common carriers.

Hiring a Chicago Tour Bus Accident Attorney to Protect Your Interests

If you have suffered severe injuries in a Chicago tour bus accident, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC can help. Our skilled Chicago bus accident lawyers provide every client with the highest level of legal care.

We offer a free initial consultation to determine what happened in the collision in any event before, during, or after the accident that might also have been a factor in your injuries. We accept tour bus accident with injury cases on contingency. We handle every aspect of your case, including negotiations and litigation, to allow you to focus on recovery.

We invite you to call our law office at (888) 424-5757 to schedule your free evaluation. We can provide you legal representation to hold every responsible party accountable for their negligent conduct. We will develop a solid case to ensure you receive the financial compensation you deserve for your injuries, damages, and losses.

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