Due to the ever-increasing congestion on our public highways, bus transportation is on the rise. So too are injuries and death resulting from bus crashes and other bus related accidents. At the Scanlan Law Group, we are all too familiar with bus related crashes, and we have more than 25 years of experience in representing the victims in these cases.

The statistics are not pretty. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, 19,000 people were injured in bus accidents in 2002. The principal causes of bus accidents are driver negligence, defective equipment, dangerous roadways, poor weather conditions and improper maintenance.

School buses are a particularly tragic source of bus injuries and deaths. More than 23 million students ride in school buses every day; that's about 10 billion student rides annually. Although actual fatalities from school buses are, thankfully, quite low-there were 16 fatalities in 2000-there were 9,000 school bus related injuries in 2000 (including both drivers and passengers). School bus injuries result from several different causes. Most full-size school buses are not equipped with seat belts, thereby exposing children to a great risk of harm. And school bus injuries do not occur only on the bus itself. Eighty percent of the children killed in school bus accidents were either boarding or leaving the bus at the time of the accident. Additionally, with the severe budgetary pressures facing many school districts, bus maintenance schedules get stretched, vehicles are kept in service for longer periods of time, and many districts seek to save costs by using lower paid and less experienced bus drivers. These factors can also lead to school bus injuries.

The injuries that can result from bus related accidents are depressingly familiar: brain and spinal cord injuries; sprains; fractures; abrasions; internal and soft tissue injuries; burn injuries; and just about every other injury associated with the operation of other motorized vehicles.

Because bus cases can be very complex, you need experienced and aggressive attorneys to successfully handle them. The Scanlan Law Group has the necessary experience. We have sued bus manufacturers and other individuals and entities responsible for bus injuries, and we are not afraid to take them to trial if one of our clients has been injured. Accordingly, if you or someone you know have sustained a bus related injury, please contact the Scanlan Law Group for a free initial consultation.