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Have you been injured in a bus accident in New York?
You need to talk to the attorneys at De Caro and Kaplen, LLP who have 26 years of experience obtaining fair trials and settlement for bus crash victims in NY.
In recent bus crash cases handled by our firm, we have been successful in proving that the cause of the bus accident was driver inattention or fatigue caused by too many hours behind the wheel.
In another bus accident case, we were able to establish that the bus driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash and should have been prevented from getting behind the wheel. Carefully interviewing passengers on the bus allowed us to prove that the bus driver’s breath actually smelled of alcohol when he left the passenger depot. We also showed how unsafe and dangerous rates of speed caused the bus operator to lose control of his vehicle and flip over.
Bus crashes are a frequent cause of life threatening injuries.
Strict regulations in New York and throughout the country govern the operation of a bus and the competence of the bus driver. After all, the bus drivers are transporting many passengers at the same time and their conduct can pose a risk not only to other vehicles on the road, but their negligence also can cause serious injury to many of the passengers.
Despite stringent bus safety regulations, bus crashes continue to take place. The rise in charter bus traffic, especially in buses transporting passengers to casinos has caused a dramatic rise in bus accident numbers. These casino bound buses are frequently involved in wrecks, causing severe injuries. New tour and charter bus operators are cropping up everyday that lack the proper financial resources to both hire trained drivers and perform proper maintenance and safety inspections of their buses.
It’s imperative that the driver selection process and hiring practices of bus companies must be investigated in all bus accident cases.
Some bus drivers simply should not be allowed to drive. A careful examination of their past driving record should prevent any responsible bus company from hiring them. A history of accidents, serious traffic infractions and even convictions of drunk driving or criminal conduct should be enough to alert the bus company that the particular driver should not be hired. As your bus accident lawyers, De Caro & Kaplen, LLP will carefully research the driver selection process and hiring practices of the company that allowed the driver to get behind the wheel.
With proper bus maintenance a bus trip need not end in a permanent injury to the rider.
Our accident reconstruction investigators have found that faulty bus maintenance including brakes that were not operating properly and tires that were bald are frequently found to play important roles in causing these bus crashes.
Safety training by a conscientious bus company can cause a dramatic reduction in bus crashes. If drivers are taught proper accident prevention techniques a bus accident that may have occurred can be avoided.
An average of 20 students are killed each year and many more receive permanent injuries in school bus crashes.
We have represented children who were seriously injured when buses flipped over because they were operated an unsafe and dangerous speeds. In another case, the bus driver actually fell asleep behind the wheel. Long hours behind the wheel caused by demands of the bus company cause driver fatigue leading to what would have been an avoidable collision resulting in a serious bus accident.
The school bus accident attorneys at De Caro & Kaplen represented three young girls who were passengers on a bus returning from a summer field trip. Through investigation of the bus accident, we were able to prove that the driver was not properly qualified to operate a bus and was driving too fast. Because of inattention, he struck a car traveling in front of him. The bus driver lost control of the bus, causing it to overturn on the highway. The elementary school age children we represented were thrown out an open window of the bus. All three children complained of headaches and had cuts and bruises on their face and head. They were taken to the hospital where it was discovered that one child had a broken leg, another, a broken arm and a third a fractured skull.
When our bus accident lawyers became involved in the case, after reviewing the children’s medical records and fearing that these children might have also suffered permanent brain injuries, referrals to a child neurologist and neuropsychologist were made. These careful evaluations revealed that one of these children was suffering from a form of epilepsy caused by the bus accident. The other two children were at risk for possibly developing learning difficulties caused by minor brain trauma received. After beginning a lawsuit, a settlement providing life long benefits for the children was reached.
Because of bus driver inattention, we have also seen cases of children injured when they were run over by the bus while getting on or off of the vehicle. Injuries also take place because children are discharged in an unsafe location.
Despite laws in all states that require drivers to stop when a school bus is picking up or discharging passengers, these laws are frequently ignored by vehicle operators. Investigators following school buses that stop and put out the stop sign arm found that many drivers just ignore the warning and go around the stopped bus.
If you or your child has been injured in a bus crash, contact the bus accident attorneys at De Caro & Kaplen, LLP now for a free consultation.
