Michigan Bus Accident Lawyers

A Michigan bus accident lawyer can help if you or someone you care about was injured by a bus. We handle serious injury cases for bus passengers who were involved in a collision with—or traveling on—a bus.

We also represent motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians struck by a bus. We recover large settlement payouts from bus companies because the injuries caused by these crashes are very serious and often catastrophic to those involved.

• How soon do I need to hire a bus accident lawyer?
• No-fault benefits for bus accident injury victims
• Examples of bus accident lawsuit settlements
• Bus accident statistics in Michigan
• Statute of limitations for bus accident victims

What to Do if You Are in a Bus Accident

If you are involved in a bus accident, it’s important to take immediate steps to protect your health and legal rights. Whether you were a passenger on the bus, another driver, or a pedestrian, trying to deal with the aftermath on your own can be overwhelming. Following these steps can help ensure that you have the necessary information and support to move forward with a claim:

• Seek Medical Attention: Your health is the top priority. Even if you feel fine, some injuries may not appear immediately. Get checked by a medical professional as soon as possible, and keep a record of your treatment. Medical documentation is essential evidence if you choose to pursue a claim.

• Report the Accident: Notify the police or local authorities of the accident. A formal accident report will provide an official record of the incident, which will be crucial in proving fault and damages later on.

• Gather Evidence: If you are able, document the scene of the accident. Take photos of the bus, surrounding vehicles, road conditions, and any visible injuries. If there are witnesses, collect their contact information. This evidence will be important in establishing liability.

• Find an Experienced Bus Accident Attorney: Bus accidents often involve large companies and their insurance carriers, who will send their own team of investigators to the crash scene almost immediately. Their goal is to gather evidence and do everything possible to deny liability. Without experienced legal representation, you may be at a disadvantage when facing these powerful entities. At Buckfire Law, our team of skilled bus accident lawyers will act quickly to gather crucial evidence on your behalf, identify the responsible parties, and handle negotiations with the insurance companies. We will fight to protect your rights and ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.

• File a Claim: With the help of your attorney, you can file a claim against the responsible parties. This can include the bus company, the driver, or other involved parties. Your attorney will guide you through every step of the legal process, helping you seek compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages.

How Soon Do I Need to Hire a Michigan Bus Accident Lawyer?

The bus company and its insurance carrier will have its team of investigators at the bus crash scene very quickly to start gathering evidence. They will do everything possible to deny liability.

You need an experienced personal injury lawyer on your side with the skill and resources to take them on and win your case. The sooner you start your case, the better the likelihood you have of a great outcome.  We will prove that the bus driver was responsible for your injuries suffered in a bus crash.

It is important for our team to perform a detailed inspection of the damage to the bus before it is repaired.  In our experience, the bus company and bus driver will deny fault for the crash.

Our accident reconstruction experts and mechanics need to inspect, measure, and photograph the bus and vehicles involved in the accident to get the data needed to prove fault in the case. If you wait too long, the important physical evidence from the bus crash may be gone or destroyed. That’s why you need to hire a top Michigan bus accident lawyer now!

Choose the Best Michigan Bus Accident Lawyers

Our team of Michigan bus accident attorneys has the highest ratings in the legal profession. Our recognition by the most prestigious legal organizations includes the following awards:

• AV Rating from Martindale-Hubbell (highest rating for skill & integrity)
• U.S. News Best Law Firms in Michigan
• Best Attorneys in America
• 10 Best Michigan Law Firms
• Multi-Million Dollars Advocate Forum

Our family-owned Michigan personal injury law firm has been in business since 1969, making it among the most experienced injury firms in the state of Michigan. We have the skill, experience, and work ethic to win your bus accident case.

We have law offices in Southfield, Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Macomb County. We handle bus accidents on a statewide basis, including in Monroe, Lansing, Port Huron, Kalamazoo, Flint, Saginaw, and Traverse City. Many of our clients live in West Michigan and even in the Thumb Area.

We can meet at your home or at the hospital. Most times, one of our award-winning accident lawyers will visit you the same day that you call our office.

You can have a personal injury attorney from the Buckfire Law Firm working on your case without any money to get started on your case. We will represent you from start to finish without the need for you to pay a single dollar until you win a settlement. And then, we only get paid our fees out of the settlement check at the end of your bus accident case.

How Do Bus Accidents Happen?

Just by their nature alone, large buses are very difficult to drive and maneuver on the roads and highways. The ability to control, stop and steer a bus takes concentration and requires incredible anticipation and reaction to other vehicles on the road.

Unfortunately, many bus drivers drive carelessly and without paying proper attention to the roadway.

The most common causes of Michigan bus accidents include:

• Negligent driving of the bus driver, including speeding, running red lights, and improper turns.
• Failing to stop within the assured clear distance ahead and rear-ending another vehicle.
• Wide turns causing the bus, and even its mirror, to strike a car, bicyclist, or pedestrian.
• Fatigue of the bus driver for driving without enough sleep to safely operate the bus.
• Failing to drive safely during poor weather conditions, like rain, ice, and snow.
• Blind spots interfering with the vision of the driver.
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Distracted driving.
• Inexperienced and poorly trained drivers.

In addition, many times the accident is due to the fault of the bus company that owns and operates the bus. This includes situations when a crash is caused by a defect or mechanical problem with the bus or lack of safety features on a bus. Bus companies are liable when poorly maintained buses cause bus accidents.

The company can also be held liable for the negligent hiring of an unfit driver or the failure to remove a driver with a history of accidents or erratic behavior.

Do Michigan Bus Accident Injury Victims Get No-Fault Insurance Benefits?

Almost every bus passenger injured in a Michigan bus accident is entitled to receive Michigan No-Fault Insurance benefits. These benefits pay for medical expenses, lost wages, attendant care benefits, household services, and other substantial benefits. Your auto insurance may cover you even if you were injured on public transportation.

A bus passenger may be able to receive these benefits even if the passenger did not own a vehicle or have an auto insurance policy. Additionally, drivers, passengers, bikers, bicyclists, and pedestrians injured from being hit in a bus accident may also be entitled to no-fault insurance benefits.

Call us and we will tell you how to get these benefits started immediately. Our bus accident attorneys will determine if you are eligible for these benefits and which auto insurance company is responsible to pay your benefits. We will review your auto insurance policy and assist you in preparing all of the paperwork and filing your claims.

Can you Sue a Bus Company and Bus Driver in Michigan?

If you were an injured bus passenger and the accident was caused by the negligent driving of the bus driver, you can sue both the bus company and bus driver for compensation. Bus drivers are often not paying attention or driving recklessly and this can have tragic consequences.

If you were the driver or occupant of another motor vehicle or a motorcyclist, bicyclist, or pedestrian hit by a bus, then you can also sue the bus driver and bus company for compensation. For example, if you were involved in an accident with an airport shuttle, you may be able to sue the shuttle company.

There are many factors used to determine your compensation from bus accidents. The amount of your settlement will depend on the seriousness and permanence of your injuries, the type, and length of your medical treatment, and how the injuries have affected your ability to lead a normal life.

Other settlement factors include whether you had an excess loss of income and any scars or disfigurements caused by the accident. An experienced Michigan bus accident lawyer will hold all responsible parties accountable for the crash and get you the compensation you deserve.

Statute of Limitations for Michigan Bus Accidents

Under Michigan law, the time limit to sue someone for personal injuries from a Michigan bus accident is three years from the date of the accident. This is known as the Statute of Limitations. The period may be extended longer if the person injured in a bus accident was a minor at the time of the crash.

In addition, a claim for no-fault insurance benefits (PIP claims) must be filed within one year of the accident and any medical bills must be submitted within one year of the date of the service. If a claim is denied, then a lawsuit for the PIP benefits must be filed at the courthouse.

What is the Compensation for a Michigan Bus Accident?

Bus accident injury victims can sue the bus driver and bus company for different types of compensation. These damages are often significant and settlements include payouts for past, present, and future:

• Pain and suffering
• Fright and shock
• Mental anguish
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Disability from activities and work
• Wage loss and loss of earnings
• Other economic losses

For deadly Michigan bus accidents, the surviving family members can file a wrongful death lawsuit. These lawsuits seek monetary compensation for the pain and suffering endured by the decedent from the time of accident until death, the loss of society and companionship suffered by family members, loss of income, loss of support, and funeral and burial expenses.

Examples of Michigan Bus Accident Settlements

There is no average or typical bus accident settlement payout because every case is completely different. A skilled bus accident attorney will work hard to get you the maximum compensation.

The factors used to determine the settlement include the negligence of the bus driver, the seriousness of the injuries, the type of medical treatment needed, and whether the injuries are permanent in nature. Some examples of settlements include:

• $9,500,000 settlement against the City of Detroit for a biker injured in a bus accident.
• $5,000,000 jury verdict in an Oakland County fatal bus accident lawsuit.
• $4,500,000 settlement for a passenger in Detroit run over by the bus.
• $1,600,000 settlement for a man killed in a bus crash.
• $950,000 settlement for a Port Huron area rear-end bud accident.

Bus accident cases often result in large compensation payouts because the companies have significant liability insurance policies to pay the recoverable damages.

A person injured in a car accident by a private citizen would likely not receive the same size settlement even with similar injuries because most drivers have the minimum or low liability insurance coverage limits. Our bus accident lawyers will find all possible insurance policies that can add up to pay your settlement.

Michigan Bus Accident Case Study

A woman was a passenger in a vehicle that was struck by a school bus owned and operated by Safety Transportation in Detroit, Michigan. The bus driver made an improper turn at an intersection in front of oncoming traffic and caused an accident. Eyewitness blamed the bus driver for the crash.

The woman suffered multiple injuries, fractures to her wrist which required surgery. She also suffered a torn rotator cuff that caused her to have two surgeries, as well as significant ligament damage.

A bus accident lawsuit was filed in the Wayne County Circuit Court. After a weeklong trial, the jury awarded over $4,000,000 in damages to the plaintiff.

Types of Buses Involved in Crashes

Many types of buses operated on the Michigan roads and highways. These include buses used for public transportation and for private purposes, like charter buses and school buses. The most known bus providers and companies serving Michigan are:

• SMART Bus
• AATA (Ann Arbor Transportation Authority)
• Blue Water Transit
• Greyhound Bus Lines
• Transit Windsor
• Indian Trails
• Megabus
• Dean Trailways
• Michigan Flyer
• Carefree Coaches
• Blue Lake Charters & Tours
• Tours By Ruth
• Northern Michigan Party Rides

Many buses travel to Michigan from other states and Canada with tourists visiting Detroit and its many museums, sports arenas, concert venues, and other attractions. Charter buses often bring visitors to the three casinos located in the city of Detroit and others throughout the state.

In addition, many serious crashes occur in other states in which Michigan residents, athletes, and students are traveling to out-of-state destinations on a bus.

A bus accident attorney can also help you if you were injured on a bus in another state that started the trip here in Michigan.

Bus Accident Statistics in Michigan

Michigan accident statistics group buses along with heavy trucks in the same category for bus accident statistics.

In 2023, there were over 6000 bus and truck crashes with other vehicles. These accidents caused over 1500 serious injuries and 101 deaths. There were 527 school bus-related crashes, ten of which resulted in fatalities.

The bar chart below shows the number of fatalities in school buses in the United States from 2013-2023. From 2013-2019, there was an up-and-down trend converging to around 12 deaths per year. There was a sharp decrease in deaths in 2020, before rising again in 2021.

Start Your Michigan Bus Accident Case Right Now

To start your Michigan bus accident case, you will need to hire an experienced lawyer as soon as possible after the bus accident.

Our personal injury attorneys like to start our accident investigation immediately. This allows us to conduct witness interviews, get photographs and surveillance video, and inspect all vehicles involved in the bus crash.

Call our top-rated bus accident attorneys today to start your case. We handle cases throughout the entire state of Michigan and we will visit you at your home, hospital, or anywhere else convenient to you. We are ready and eager to begin helping you on your road to recovery. Contact us today if you were injured in a bus accident!

Michigan Bus Accident References and Resources

• Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – School Bus Safety
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration – Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts
• National Transportation Safety Board

Legally reviewed by:

Lawrence J. Buckfire, J.D.
University of Michigan, B.A (economics)
Wayne State University School of Law
Super Lawyer
U.S. News Best Lawyer
The National Trial Lawyers-Top 100 Trial Lawyers
The Best Lawyers in America