Personal Injury Lawsuits Pending Against Philadelphia Bus Company

In the aftermath of car accidents in Pennsylvania, there are generally two ways that responsible parties may face consequences. They can be held civilly liable or criminally accountable or both. It is generally up to police and prosecutors to decide whether a driver or another party will face criminal charges after a motor vehicle accident, while it is up to victims and their families to choose whether a civil claim will be filed. While the pursuit of criminal charges may embolden a victim’s civil lawsuit, these processes are completely separate and victims can file personal injury lawsuits even if criminal charges are not filed.

Police are currently deciding whether to criminally charge the driver of a Philadelphia charter bus that crashed in Boston in February, resulting in injuries to 35 people. The bus was carrying 33 students and nine adults affiliated with a Philadelphia area non-profit at the time of the accident.

The driver, a 66-year-old man, reportedly became distracted by his GPS device before he struck an overpass. As of last week, one student remained in the hospital due to his severe injuries.

While the people involved in this bus accident wait to hear whether criminal charges will be filed, several victims have reportedly prepared civil lawsuits against both the driver and the bus company.

Personal injury lawsuits are sometimes filed after bus accidents in order to hold drivers and bus companies accountable for injuries. These lawsuits may result in compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering and other related costs. However, bus accident and mass transit accident cases can be much more complicated than other motor vehicle accident cases. These cases require a different approach because the lawsuits generally target not an individual driver and an insurance company, but rather a big business or government entity. Nonetheless, bus companies can and should be held accountable in many cases, and it is important for victims of accidents to seek legal counsel to learn about their rights and options.

Source: NBC10 Philadelphia, “Will the Driver in the Boston Bus Crash Be Charged?” David Chang, March 20, 2013

• For more information about this area of the law, please visit our Philadelphia law firm’s Bus Accident page.