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Austin Bus Accident Attorneys

Assisting the Victims of Serious Accidents

Many Austin residents rely on public transportation to get to work, school, or travel around the city. Also, many people take bus trips on the highway for business or personal reasons such as a group charter. Because of this, there are a large number of buses on our roads. Unfortunately, this leads to numerous bus accidents each year as buses collide with other motor vehicles, bicyclists, and even pedestrians, or have accidents due to product defects or poor bus driving. Due to their sheer size and weight, buses can cause catastrophic damage when such collisions occur.

If you were injured or your loved one was killed in a bus accident, we can help. At Howry Breen & Herman, we assist bus passengers, other motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians who are injured as a result of negligence. Our team of dedicated Austin bus accident attorneys has extensive experience handling these types of complex claims. We are skilled and aggressive litigators who are prepared to fight for you and your rights, both in and out of the courtroom.

Injured in a bus accident? Call Howry Breen & Herman at (512) 430-4844 or contact us online to request a free, confidential case evaluation with our team.

Common Types of Buses

A bus, in transportation terms, refers to a large motor vehicle designed to carry passengers along a fixed route, typically with designated stops along the way. Buses are a common mode of public transportation in cities and rural areas, offering an efficient means of moving people from one point to another.

Here are some common types of buses:

  • City Bus: City buses, also known as transit buses or urban buses, are the most common type of bus seen in cities. They operate on fixed routes within urban areas, stopping at designated bus stops to pick up and drop off passengers. City buses often feature a low floor design to facilitate easy boarding and alighting.
  • School Bus: School buses are specifically designed to transport students to and from school. They are typically painted yellow and equipped with safety features such as flashing lights, stop signs, and high seat backs to protect passengers in the event of a collision.
  • Coach Bus: Coach buses, also known as intercity buses or motor coaches, are designed for long-distance travel between cities or regions. They offer comfortable seating, onboard amenities such as restrooms and sometimes Wi-Fi, and are commonly used for tours, sightseeing trips, and interstate travel.
  • Shuttle Bus: Shuttle buses are smaller buses used to transport passengers between designated locations such as airports, hotels, parking lots, and tourist attractions. They operate on a fixed route or loop and are often employed for short-distance transportation within a confined area.
  • Double-Decker Bus: Double-decker buses have two levels, with seating on both the lower and upper decks. They are commonly used in cities with high passenger demand to maximize seating capacity while minimizing the vehicle's footprint on the road.
  • Articulated Bus: Articulated buses, also known as bendy buses or accordion buses, feature a jointed or hinged midsection that allows the bus to bend in the middle. This design increases passenger capacity without significantly increasing the bus's length, making them suitable for high-demand routes.
  • Electric Bus: Electric buses are powered by electric motors and batteries instead of traditional internal combustion engines. They offer environmental benefits by producing zero tailpipe emissions and reducing noise pollution, making them increasingly popular in cities striving for sustainable transportation solutions.

Establishing Liability in Austin Bus Accidents

As with all types of personal injury claims, in order to pursue a bus accident injury claim, you must show that another person, company, or entity acted negligently and that this negligence directly or indirectly led to your injuries. If your loved one was killed in a bus accident, you must show that negligence led to your loved one’s death in order to file a wrongful death claim.

A bus accident may be the result of negligence if it was caused by:

  • Distracted driving
  • Driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol
  • Careless or reckless driving
  • Bus driver error
  • Improper bus driver training
  • Insufficient or lack of proper bus maintenance
  • Failure to conduct bus driver background checks
  • Lack of adequate supervision
  • Defective bus design or faulty parts
  • Poor or faulty road design

It is important to note that this list is not complete. There are many different factors involved that can result in an accident, and many of these factors are caused by negligence.

Additionally, bus accident cases tend to be complex due to the numerous parties involved. There are many different types of buses, including municipal or city buses, school buses, and privately-owned transportation buses, like Greyhound buses. Because of this, it can be hard to determine who is responsible when an accident occurs.

Any of the following parties (or a combination thereof) may be responsible for a bus accident:

  • The bus driver
  • A private company that owns the bus
  • Local or city government
  • The bus manufacturer
  • An entity responsible for road design

Again, this list is not exhaustive. Our firm can help you work to determine who is at fault for your particular bus accident and work to hold those parties responsible for their negligence.

A public transport bus and a car almost colliding into each other.

What Damages Can You Recover in Bus Accidents?

Bus accidents often result in catastrophic injury or death. Victims may suffer severe, life-altering injuries such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, paralysis, or accidental amputation. Even in relatively minor collisions, bus passengers and other victims typically experience injuries like cuts and lacerations, bruises, broken bones, and scarring. The cost of these injuries—both financial and emotional—can be overwhelming.

Financial recovery for your damages can be crucial in your healing process. While every case is different, many bus accident victims are able to recover compensation for the cost of medical treatment (immediate and future), lost income and/or wages, reduced or lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and more. If your family member was killed, you may be able to recover compensation for funeral and/or burial costs, loss of companionship, loss of projected earnings, and more.

Understanding the Duty of Care for Austin Bus Companies

A bus is considered a common carrier or a vehicle used to provide for-price transportation to people. Designating a bus as a common carrier is important in a personal injury claim because common carriers have a higher duty of care owed to passengers and other motorists than a typical driver. Under Texas law, a common carrier should use the same “foresight” to avoid accidents as a “very cautious, prudent, and competent” person would. If it can be proven that a bus driver was not using this heightened definition or sense of caution at the time of a crash, then a majority or totality of the liability can be placed on them and the parent bus company.

Seek Legal Guidance After a Bus Accident in Austin

For nearly a quarter of a century, our firm has been serving clients throughout Austin, Georgetown, and areas all over Texas. We have helped countless individuals and families who had their lives forever altered by the negligence of another person or entity. Our Austin bus accident attorneys can help you work to recover the full and fair settlement or verdict you are owed. With extensive trial experience, we are not afraid to take on negligent parties in the courtroom. We offer compassionate, personalized legal services with a results-oriented approach.

To learn more about how our team can help you, contact us online or by phone at (512) 430-4844 and schedule a free case evaluation today.

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Bus Accidents
  • Best Lawyers Best Law Firms US News 2023
    Howry, Breen & Herman is proud to have been named a Tier 1, 2 and 3 Austin “Best Law Firm” in 9 practice areas by U.S. News – Best Lawyers® (“U.S. News” and BL Rankings, LLC). Law firms are selected for inclusion in this prestigious ranking based on a series of quantitative and qualitative criteria. Our specialty and tiers are listed here: https://bestlawfirms.usnews.com/profile/howry-breen-herman-llp/overview/36628
  • Texas Lawyer Austin Best of 2020: Personal Injury Firm
    Howry Breen & Herman, LLP was selected the Top Personal Injury Law Firm in Austin by Texas Lawyer, “Best of 2020”. The annual special supplement contains the results of Texas Lawyer readers’ poll, wherein readers cast their votes for the best providers of services and goods to the legal profession.
  • Attorney Sean Breen and Attorney Chris Lavorato placed in California’s Top 100 Settlements for 2019, as tracked by The Recorder and VerdictSearch.
  • Our law firm is proud to have been recognized in the Texas Verdicts Hall of Fame. Texas Lawyer in conjunction with VerdictSearch, recognize attorneys and law firms for their verdicts of $10 million or more. In 2011 Sean Breen was a Hall of Fame Award Recipient for the #1 Premises Liability Top Texas Verdict, awarded by Texas Lawyer, for the jury verdict award in the case VanDusen v. Aspen Square Management. In 2016 Sean Breen was inducted into the Texas Verdicts Hall of Fame, awarded by Texas Lawyer, for an outstanding verdict in Nester v. Textron.
  • America's Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys 2021
    Selection to America’s Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys® is by invitation only and is reserved to identity the nation’s most exceptional litigators for high-value personal injury, catastrophic injury, wrongful death, product liability, and medical malpractice matters. HBH is proud that Sean Breen has been selected for this award. Less than one-half percent (0.5%) of active attorneys in the United States will receive this honor — truly the most exclusive and elite level of attorneys in the community. (2017-2022)
  • Best Lawyers Best Law Firms US News 2016
    Howry, Breen & Herman is proud to have been named a Tier 1, 2 and 3 Austin “Best Law Firm” in 7 practice areas by U.S. News – Best Lawyers® (“U.S. News” and BL Rankings, LLC). Law firms are selected for inclusion in this prestigious ranking based on a series of quantitative and qualitative criteria. Our specialty and tiers are listed here: https://bestlawfirms.usnews.com/profile/howry-breen-herman-llp/overview/36628
  • Best Lawyers - Lawyer of the Year | Litigation - Trusts & Estates (by BL Rankings, LLC d/b/a Best Lawyers and Co., LLC)
  • Best Lawyers - Lawyer of the Year | Personal Injury - Plaintiffs (by BL Rankings, LLC d/b/a Best Lawyers and Co., LLC)
  • Lifetime Achievement selection to America’s Top 100 Attorneys® is by invitation only and is reserved to identify the nation’s most exceptional attorneys whose accomplishments and impact on the legal profession merit a Lifetime Achievement award. Selection is not achieved based on a single accomplishment or a single great year of success, but rather on a lifetime of hard work, ethical standards, and community enriching accomplishments that are inspiring among the legal profession. Both Sean Breen (2017) and Randy Howry (2018) are honored to receive this award.
  • America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators® is reserved to identify the nation’s most exceptional trial attorneys in high value, high stakes legal matters. To be considered for selection, an attorney must have litigated (for either plaintiff or defendant) a matter (1) with at least $2,000,000 in alleged damages at stake or (2) with the fate of a business worth at least $2,000,000 at stake. These minimum qualifications are required for initial consideration. Thereafter, candidates are carefully screened through comprehensive Qualitative Comparative Analysis based on a broad array of criteria, including the candidate’s professional experience, litigation experience, significant case results, representative high stakes matters, peer reputation, and community impact in order to rank the candidates throughout the state. HBH is privileged to honor Partners Sean Breen (2017- 2021) and Randy Howry 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021 for selection of this award.
  • Expertise- Best Real Estate Lawyers in Austin 2020
    Expertise - Howry Breen & Herman was recognized and featured in an article by expertisecommunity.com as one of the Best Real Estate Lawyers in Austin. 2020
  • America’s Premier High-Stakes Trial Lawyers®” – 7 Figure Litigators®, 8 Figure Litigators®, is meant to recognize the nation’s most respected and preeminent high-stakes trial lawyers based on their verifiable verdicts and/or settlements. It is a tremendous honor for Sean Breen (2019) and Randy Howry (2020) to be recognized among this elite group.
  • America’s Premier High-Stakes Trial Lawyers®” – 7 Figure Litigators®, 8 Figure Litigators®, is meant to recognize the nation’s most respected and preeminent high-stakes trial lawyers based on their verifiable verdicts and/or settlements. It is a tremendous honor for Sean Breen (2019) and Randy Howry (2020) to be recognized among this elite group.
  • The National Trial Lawyers – Top 100, a highly respected legal organization that limits its members to premier trial attorneys who demonstrate superior qualifications of leadership, reputation, influence, stature and public profile measured by strict qualification requirements. Sean Breen Top 100 Civil Plaintiff, 2009 – 2020.
  • Top 10 Business Tort Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers. Randy Howry 2012-2013; Sean Breen since 2016.
  • Best Lawyers in America
    The Best Lawyers in America® recognizes the top 5% of the most skilled attorneys in the nation. The robust selection process requires attorneys to nominate and review fellow lawyers based on their ethics, skill, knowledge, and ability to obtain results for their clients. The Best Lawyers in America® list is a way for plaintiffs to identify the leading attorneys in their region, known for their ability to get results with honesty, strength, and skill. Tim Herman, Sean Breen & Randy Howry have been featured by The Best Lawyers in America® (2006-2020) running alongside some of the most qualified firms in the nation. More info here.
  • Texas Monthly Top Attorneys - Sean E. Breen
    Top Attorneys As Published In Texas Monthly
  • Top 50 US Verdicts All Practice Areas Texas 2017
    Sean Breen was honored by TopVerdict.com for recovering one of the Top 50 Verdicts in Texas in 2017. This is an honorable distinction, reserved for those attorneys that achieve the highest settlements and verdicts in the state.
  • Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
    Sean Breen is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a renowned legal organization whose membership is restricted to trial attorneys who have achieved seven-figured settlements and/or jury verdicts. 2011.
  • Multi Million Dollar Advocates Forum
    We are proud to have Sean Breen who is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. In order to become a member, an attorney must demonstrate that he or she has successfully achieved at least one six-figure settlement or jury verdict. 2011.
  • AV Preeminent
    Martindale-Hubbell® is widely regarded as one of the most renowned peer-review rating organizations in the legal field. Randy Howry (2018), Sean Breen (2001), Tim Herman (1998), Glen Wilkerson (2014) and Chris Lavorato (2014) at Howry, Breen & Herman have achieved the organization’s highest distinction of AV Preeminent®.
  • Super Lawyers
    Each year, Super Lawyers® magazine publishes its list of peer-nominated/evaluated and independently reviewed attorneys. We are proud to have attorneys who have been selected for inclusion in the prestigious Texas Super Lawyers® List, by Thomas Reuters since 2003, running through 2020.
  • Top American Lawyers
    Membership in Top American Lawyers is limited to only 1% of all attorneys in the United States. Randy Howry is proud to be honored with a Lifetime Charter Membership in this exclusive organization (2017).
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