Public Transportation and Bus Accident Attorney in Louisville, Kentucky

How Do Public Transportation Accidents Occur?

A collision involving a bus or other public transport vehicle can occur for several reasons, including but not limited to:

• Bus driver error caused by blind spots or other difficulties operating such a large vehicle;
• Fatigue caused by long, rigorous bus schedules;
• Driver operating the public transit vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol;
• Mechanical issues with the public transportation vehicle that causes the brakes, steering, or any other imperative component to malfunction; or
• Issues like construction zones, poor lighting, or other difficult road conditions.

What Potential Injuries are Sustained from a Public Transportation Wreck?

Standard transit buses can range in weight from 20,000 to over 30,000lbs. Compared to the size and weight of a standard passenger car (6,000lbs or less), it makes sense that a collision would result in severe injuries. Kentucky bus accidents can cause any of the following injuries:

• Cuts and abrasions;
• Broken bones;
• Internal organ injuries;
• Soft-tissue injuries;
• Burn injuries;
• Brain injuries; and
• Spinal cord injuries.

Even if your injuries are not listed above, you still may have grounds to file a personal injury claim to receive compensation for the resulting damages. Consider speaking with the legal experts with Morrin Law to discuss your case.

Data on Kentucky Accidents in 2022

Under Kentucky Revised Statute 189.635, “Every law enforcement agency whose officers investigate a vehicle accident of which a report must be made…shall file a report of the accident…within ten [10] days after the investigation of the accident upon forms supplied by the bureau.”

As an introduction to the 2022 Traffic Collision Facts, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provides the following definitions:

• Collision – An unintended event that produces damage, injury, or death;
• Motor vehicle collision – Any collision involving a motor vehicle that occurs on a trafficway, or after the vehicle runs off roadway but before events are stabilized;
• Fatal collision – Any motor vehicle collision that results in fatal injuries to one or more persons;
• Fatality – When a person(s) is killed due to a fatal motor vehicle collision;
• Injured – When a person(s) is hurt due to motor vehicle collision; and
• Nonfatal injury collision – Any motor vehicle collision that results in an injury, other than a fatal injury, to one or more persons.

During 2022, there were 130,042 total reported collisions in Kentucky. Out of those, 108,713 of the total collisions took place on public roads, resulting in 88,430 instances of property damage, 19,572 instances of nonfatal collisions, and 711 instances of fatal collisions.

The following table provides information on the different types of public transportation vehicles involved in collisions during 2022:

Important Evidence to Gather for a Personal Injury Claim

If you are planning to file a personal injury claim for injuries sustained in a public transportation crash, you will need evidence to support the case. The Office of Morrin Law can help you during the investigation by gathering the following evidence:

• Obtaining the police report to identify all parties involved;
• Receiving images or video footage of the accident scene and any property damage; and
• Identifying and taking statements from any witnesses to the collision.

Once we have the necessary evidence that supports your claim, we can help by contacting the insurance companies on your behalf. If settling is not an option and it becomes necessary to take the case to trial, we will do everything we can to win the compensation you deserve. Contact Morrin Law to receive a free consultation regarding your case.

Determining Liability in a Public Transport Accident

Gathering evidence is important to prove who is responsible for the damages resulting from the accident. Determining liability for a bus or public transportation accident can be complex for several reasons.

First, Kentucky follows the pure comparative fault rule. Under Kentucky Revised Statutes Section 411.182, the damages awarded in a car accident are reduced by the percentage of fault from each party involved. That means if the injured person and defendant both acted in a negligent manner that resulted in the collision, the compensation the victim is awarded will be adjusted.

Liability can also be affected based on several factors, such as the number of defendants involved and whether the injured person was in another passenger vehicle, a passenger on the bus, or a pedestrian or cyclist.

• Passenger on bus – Depending on the circumstances, liability could fall on the bus operator or transportation company.
• Pedestrian, cyclist, or other passenger driver – Liability for an accident involving a pedestrian, cyclist, or other passenger vehicle is analyzed and managed the same way as a standard car crash.
• Bus driver – If a bus driver is injured in a public transportation collision, they may be eligible to use their workers’ compensation insurance, which works on a no-fault basis and would not require the proof of any party’s negligence to be awarded compensation.

A personal injury attorney experienced in public transportation accidents can help explain liability and determine fault.

Example Case in Louisville, KY

The following provides examples of recent public transportation accidents in Louisville, Kentucky:

• March 2023 – A collision involving a passenger vehicle and local school bus resulted in a fatality. According to the Louisville Metro Police Department spokesperson Alicia Smiley, the accident took place on March 17, 2023, after 4pm between Mud and Smith Lanes in Louisville. A male driver in a passenger vehicle in the eastbound lane crossed over lanes “for some unknown reason” and resulted in a head-on collision with a Jefferson County Public School bus. The bus driver, a bus monitor, and a child who were on the bus were all transported to a nearby hospital to treat minor injuries. The driver of the passenger vehicle was taken to a hospital where he later died.
• July 2023 – Officers with the Louisville Metro Police Department responded to a collision involving a passenger vehicle and a local public transit bus. According to the local report, a passenger vehicle was traveling southbound on 22^nd St and ran through a traffic light, resulting in a collision with a Transit Authority of River City (TARC) The bus had been traveling westbound on Market Street, and attempted to avoid the car but was still struck. The impact caused the bus to crash into a nearby building, as well. The bus driver was taken to the hospital for minor injuries. One of the two passengers on the bus was also taken to the hospital for injuries. The driver and passenger in the other vehicle sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to the University of Louisville Hospital.

Contact a Louisville Accident and Personal Injury Lawyer

After being involved in an accident with a bus or other public transportation vehicle, you should contact the Kentucky personal injury attorneys with Morrin Law. The clock starts ticking from the date of the accident or last PIP payment, and Kentucky allows two years for any accident resulting in injury or death that involved a motor vehicle. However, you should not wait to collect the necessary evidence and consult with experienced attorneys to discuss your case.

Morrin Law offers new clients free case evaluations to determine if we can add exponential value to your case. We understand how challenging this time may be and want to do everything we can to get you the compensation your injuries deserve. Call our office today at (859) 358-0300.