Skip to content

Bus Accidents

Home / Practice Areas / Bus Accidents

Chicago Bus Accident Lawyer

Chicago Bus Accident Lawyers

Advocating on behalf of Illinois residents, students, and visitors who have been injured in a bus crash

Bus drivers and bus companies owe an especially high safety duty to their passengers. When an accident occurs, multiple passengers can be hurt or killed. School bus drivers need to secure the safety of our children. Both public and private bus companies need to regularly inspect their buses for safety and maintenance issues. Drivers need special licenses to show they understand the mechanics and logistics of driving a bus.

At Gainsberg Law, P.C., our Chicago bus accident lawyers understand why bus crashes happen and can help you determine who is responsible. We work with government authorities, our own investigators and reconstruction accident experts (if necessary) to determine exactly how and why the bus accident happened. We have successfully represented clients in cases against the Chicago Transit Authority; in one case, we secured a $1 million settlement for a pedestrian struck by a CTA bus.

How can we help?

Play Video

What types of bus accident cases do you handle?

Gainsberg Law handles all manner of bus accidents, including those involving:

  • Chicago Transit Authority buses
  • Pace buses
  • School buses
  • Charter buses
  • Tour buses
  • Greyhound buses
  • FlixBuses

Whether you were injured while traveling, in or around a bus depot, or while entering or exiting the bus, we can help. We represent folks who have been injured in collisions with other vehicles, rollovers, bus fires, and other incidents.

What are the common causes of Chicago bus accidents?

Bus accidents can happen because the bus driver or another driver was:

  • Driving while distracted. Driver distraction includes texting, talking on a cell phone, eating or drinking, looking at a GPS or entertainment system, and any activity that takes a driver’s mind off the road, eyes off traffic, and hands off the wheel. School bus drivers need to ensure that the children on the bus do not distract the driver’s attention.
  • Speeding or violating any other Illinois traffic laws. The speed limit in most school areas when children are nearby is just 20 mph. The speed limit in residential neighborhoods is often just 30 mph.
  • Driving too fast for weather or traffic conditions. Bus drivers need to be especially careful when driving on slick roads or at night.
  • Driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. There’s never any excuse for driving while impaired.

Many bus accidents happen while a child, an adult, or someone with a disability is boarding or exiting a bus. Drivers near a school bus are required to stop when children are getting on or off their bus and/or when the stop arms are extended and the bus’s red lights are flashing. Drivers near a city bus or commercial bus should use extreme caution when passengers are getting on or off a bus.

How dangerous are school bus accidents?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 23.5 million children are transported to and from schools and school-related activities on 450,000 public school buses each year. While the statistics show that school bus accidents are less likely to happen than car accidents, when accidents do happen, multiple children can be hurt. The injuries can be permanent. Some riders do die.

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), other victims of school bus accidents include the occupants of other vehicles and pedestrians. In 2021, the number of school buses nationwide was 489,748, carrying 20.5 million elementary and secondary school children each day. School buses, in 2021, were involved in 108 deaths and 9,700 injuries. Of those victims, 74 were occupants of other vehicles and 21 were pedestrians.

What standard of care do bus drivers and companies owe to passengers in Chicago?

A bus in Illinois is defined as any vehicle designed to carry 10 or more people, not counting the driver. Commercial and school bus drivers owe the highest standard of care to passengers because so many people can get hurt. Buses include transit buses, inter-city buses, tour buses, and school buses.

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) operates the second-largest public transportation system in the nation. The CTA covers Chicago and the nearby suburbs. “The CTA system is composed of 140 bus routes and 242 miles of rapid transit rail track.”

Who is responsible for a bus accident in Chicago?

Our Chicago bus accident lawyers file claims against any person or entity that caused the accident. Common defendants include:

  • The bus driver
  • The bus companies
  • Any companies contractually responsible for the maintenance and repair of the bus
  • The government sector that is responsible for providing transportation for adults and children — often a state, city, county, or town – such as the city of Chicago
  • Any parts manufacturer, distributor, or seller that failed to design or make a part or piece of equipment properly

What types of injuries do bus accident victims suffer?

The victims of a bus accident can suffer the same types of injuries as car accident, truck accident, and motorcycle accident victims – spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injuries, traumatic amputation, broken bones, burn injuries, crush injuries, nerve damage, and other serious injuries.

At Gainsberg Law, our Chicago bus accident lawyers understand the unique challenges involved when children are injured or tragically killed. Children have difficulty stating how the accident happened and what symptoms they have. Their injuries may be more severe than adult injuries. Physicians need to consider that children will grow and any treatments need to consider that growth. When children have permanent injuries, their bills will be much larger than those for adults because children have much longer to live.

We demand compensation for a bus accident victim’s medical bills, pain and suffering, lost income, and any other damage. If a loved one dies, we demand wrongful death damages for the family members.

Do you have a bus accident lawyer near me?

Gainsberg Law meets clients at our office located at 77 W Washington Street, Suite 1215, right in downtown Chicago. For those who like the bus, there are two bus stops right near us if private transportation is a problem. Our Chicago bus accident lawyers conduct video conferences by appointment. We also meet clients who are too ill (or too afraid to ride the bus after a bus accident) to come to our office at a hospital or another healthcare facility.

We’ll answer all your questions and prepare you for each stage of the claims process.

Talk with a caring Chicago bus accident lawyer as soon as you can

At Gainsberg Law, our Chicago bus accident lawyers fight for each client as if they are a member of our family. We speak with many witnesses — the other passengers on the bus and anyone else who has knowledge of the crash. We conduct detailed investigations. We know how anxious you are about your medical recovery and what happens in litigation. We have a strong record of successful settlements and verdicts for our personal injury clients. For help now, please call us or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation.