Bus, Coach & Minibus Accident
Injury Compensation Claims

Things to consider when claiming for a bus or coach accident

• Bus and coach operators must ensure their drivers are suitably trained, and their vehicles are safe, well maintained and fit for purpose.
• If you were injured in a bus accident, as a passenger, or hit by a bus or coach on the road, you can make a claim.
• You may also be able to claim if you were injured because the vehicle drove off before you were seated, or due to a sudden stop, or while embarking or disembarking.
• You can still claim even if you don't know who or what caused the bus accident.
• There is a 3-year time limit from the injury date to start your claim.
• Your compensation is based on how serious your injury is, along with your financial losses and expenses. Check our compensation calculator to see how much you could claim.
• You can start a claim with no win, no fee.

If you were hurt in a bus or coach accident, we can help

Being involved in a bus or coach accident can be a traumatic experience, whether you were a passenger, pedestrian, or riding in another vehicle. Whether the accident occurred due to driver negligence, poor road conditions, or a vehicle defect, you have the right to seek compensation.

If your life, or the life of a loved one, has been affected by a bus or coach accident, we can help. If your injuries were caused by a negligent bus or coach driver, another driver, cyclist, passenger or pedestrian, you can claim No Win, No Fee compensation.

With 75,000 bus and coach injuries on Britain's roads each year, you are not alone

In 2023, there were 749 car occupant fatalities and 72,155 casualties (gov.uk).

Department of Transport (gov.uk) data shows that bus and coach accidents can cause serious injuries - even when there is no collision.

Although COVID lockdowns significantly reduced the total number of bus and coach passengers in 2021, the DoT still recorded 1,505 casualties and 4 fatalities.

The BMJ has stated:

'The significant injuries inflicted on passengers of public buses not involved in road traffic accidents warrant decisive preventative measures by transportation authorities.'

Despite these recommendations, most buses do not have seat belts and the risk of injury remains high.

If you decide to make a bus accident injury claim, your road accident solicitor will take you through every step of the claims process. Your solicitor will be with you until you win your claim and get the compensation you need to move forward.

What if the driver was uninsured or untraceable?

If the driver responsible for the injury is either uninsured or untraceable, a claim can be pursued through the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB).

The MIB is an independent that pays road accident compensation to the victims of uninsured or untraced (unidentified) drivers.

Making a claim through Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB)

How much compensation can I claim for a bus accident?

How much you can claim for your bus accident is based on:

• the nature and severity of your injury,
• the extent to which your injury limits your daily life and working ability,
• any costs or financial impacts you?ve suffered due to the accident.

General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA). Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College (judiciary.uk) and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.

Special damages is compensation for quantifiable financial losses you've incurred as a result of your bus accident injury. Compensation can include loss of wages, commission and any other income income, and any additional expenses directly related to your injury.

These damages will also cover any medical or treatment bills, such as pain medication and physical therapy.

Read more:

A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim

How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?

Average bus accident injury general damages compensation table

The following bus accident injury payouts refer to the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, 17th Edition by the Judicial College (oup.com).

These tables are used by solicitors or by the courts as a starting point when calculating your compensation.

Please note: these average figures represent general damages only, and do not include any element of special damages (e.g. lost wages).

Whiplash

Understanding the psychological consequences of an accident on the road

The shock of an accident on the road can leave lasting emotional scars, long after the physical injuries have healed.

Our 2024 Road Injury Claimant Survey highlights how common psychiatric injuries are, with 32.47% of road accident claims involving psychological harm. 78.53% of these were also associated with a physical injury.

Bus accident trauma can lead to a phobia of using public transport and anxiety in crowded spaces.

Your solicitor will help to ensure you recieve suitable compensation for the diagnosed psychological harm you have suffered, to support your recovery and provide funding for therapies that may not be accessible on the NHS your area.

Our compensation calculator can estimate your compensation for psychological injuries. Or you can call us on 0800 376 1001 to speak to a specialist advisor.

Do I have a bus injury claim?

You can start a claim for a bus accident, if:

• you became ill in the last 3 years, and;
• another person was to blame, and;
• that person owed you a duty of care.

Find out online if you can claim with our injury claim calculator. Alternatively, you can speak to a claims advisor on 0800 376 1001 and find out if you have a claim in minutes.

Is a claim still possible if I was partly responsible for my injury?

Understanding who is legally at fault for an accident often requires navigating through a maze of legal complexities.

Each year, Quittance carries out a survey of potential claimants. In our 2024 Road Injury Claimant Survey, 5.24% of injured road users felt they might be at least partly to blame for their injuries.

Claiming compensation is still an option even if you were partly at fault. These contributory negligence cases are typically resolved with a split-liability agreement.

Read more:

Can I claim if I feel I was partly responsible for my accident?

How long do I have to claim bus injury compensation?

In most cases, you have 3 years from the date of your accident or injury.

If you were injured when you were under 18, a parent, guardian or adult 'litigation friend' can make a claim on your behalf. Once you turn 18, you have until your 21st birthday to start an injury claim.

Common causes of bus and coach accidents

Bus injury claims are common in the following circumstances:

• The driver lost concentration and hit another vehicle
• The driver closed the bus doors before the passenger was able to get off the bus
• A passenger slipped on a spilt liquid in the aisle
• The driver pulled away and accelerated while a passenger was making their way to a seat
• A passenger banged their head on the seat in front when the driver braked abruptly
• A person standing at a bus stop was hit by the bus
• Another motorist caused an obstruction, resulting in the bus driver veering off course
• A passenger was injured by faulty equipment on the bus
• A standing passenger was thrown off balance by unexpected braking
• A pedestrian was hit by a bus when crossing the road

Who is responsible (liable) for my bus accident?

The law expects passengers to behave reasonably, to follow the driver's instructions, and to observe bus safety warning signs. However, the driver and their employer also owe you a legal duty of care.

Who is held liable for your injury will depend on the circumstances that led to your injury, for example:

• If you were injured because the bus driver was operating the bus in an unsafe manner a claim would be made against the bus operator.
• If a the driver of a car caused a collision or distracted the bus driver, a claim would be made against the other driver's insurance company.
• If the bus accident was caused by a potholes, a claim might be made against the local authority.

Many buses now carry CCTV cameras which are helpful to both parties. CCTV can prove you were travelling on the bus at the time of an accident, CCTV can also show how the driver acted, helping to establish who was at to blame for the accident.

How must bus and coach operators fulfil their duty of care?

By law, bus and coach operators must take all reasonable steps to ensure the health and safety of their passengers.

Companies must take additional steps to safeguard passengers who are at a greater risk of injury, including:

• Children riding to school on a school bus - It may be appropriate for drivers to give children more time to take their seat. Handles and other safety measures should also be reachable by children and fit for purpose.
• Disabled passengers - Buses must be suitable and safe for passengers with mobility issues and who use wheelchairs.
• Elderly passengers - Drivers should ensure older passengers can safely board and leave the bus, and find their seat safely.
• Passengers with prams and pushchairs - Buses must have safe spaces for prams to be stored during travel, and drivers should be appropriately trained.

Bus and coach operators must carry out regular safety and risk assessments. Operators must also ensure that drivers are suitably trained and that vehicles are well-maintained.

What should I do if I was injured by a bus?

If you are injured on or by a bus, seek medical attention as possible.

The following steps will then help you and your solicitor to build a robust case, should you decide to claim compensation:

• Report the incident to the police and to the bus operator.
• Get the bus licence plate and/or bus number
• Get the driver's name and number
• Retain your ticket or bus pass to prove you were a passenger
• Keep a record of when, where and how the accident occurred
• If possible, take photographs of the scene of the accident
• Get the contact details of any witnesses

What if I didn't get the details of the bus or bus driver?

After an accident you may be in shock.

You will not be expected to have had the presence of mind to obtain the driver's details at the time of the accident.

It is usually sufficient to provide whatever details you can remember, e.g. the bus route or service number, and the time and place you boarded the bus.

Your solicitor will whatever information you do remember to build a case.

Bus injury claim case study

Compensation of £580,952 was awarded to a 50 year-old woman in 2014 for the severe PTSD following an injury on a bus.

Injury Details

The claimant boarded a bus and before she was able to sit down, her leg buckled and she fell and became trapped between seats.

She experienced excruciating pain and it was later confirmed that she had dislocated her knee.

As she fell, fellow passengers rushed to her attention, but they were unable to free her from between the seats.

The ambulance took nearly 1 hour to arrive. During this wait, she was under serious physical and psychological distress.

In the months that followed her accident, the claimant suffered anxiety, depression and nightmares about being trapped and unable to escape.

She would often collapse unexpectedly and find herself unable to move, despite being able to acknowledge sights and sounds around her. This was occurring almost daily, making it difficult for her to go out or function at home.

Her cognitive ability was also affected as she struggled to concentrate. Ultimately she had to leave her museum job, and she decided to relocate her family to Wales.

The claimant was subsequently diagnosed by psychologists as suffering from dissociative seizures and PTSD.

Compensation award

A claim in negligence was served on the defendant NHS trust and the case was heard in London at Queen's Bench Division

The claimant relied on evidence from her psychiatrist who categorised her PTSD as severe. The psychiatrist said that every aspect of the claimant's life was negatively impacted, that the effects were permanent and that her mental capacity would never return to its pre-trauma levels.

The damages awarded totalled £580,952.

£60,000 of this compensation constituted general damages for pain, suffering and loss of amenity.

How your bus injury happened will affect the claims process

The process for making a claim for an injury on a bus will depend on the accident's location and circumstances. Click the icons below for details.

Road accidents Pedestrian injuries Cycling accident Motorcycle accident Other accidents

Sources

Author:
Chris Salmon, Director

About the author

Chris Salmon is a co-founder and Director of Quittance Injury Claims. Chris has played key roles in the shaping and scaling of a number of legal services brands and is a regular commentator in the legal press.