In a Connecticut bus accident lawsuit, many entities may be liable for the accident and required to pay for the injuries and pain and suffering of the injured passenger. If a third party driver hits the bus or causes the accident, a Connecticut bus accident lawyer can help recover compensation against that driver. If the bus driver caused the accident, or was partially at fault for the accident, a Connecticut bus accident attorney can recover money from the bus company in a settlement or personal injury lawsuit.
In Connecticut, although the majority of bus companies are owned by local and state governments, they are not immune from liability. They are called “transit districts,” and they can be sued similar to any other corporation.
The bus driver must make sure all passengers are safely seated on the bus prior to moving the bus. Individuals who fall on the bus when the bus driver moves the bus prematurely are legally entitled to recover from the bus company. In the case of infirm persons, it is the duty of the bus operator to assist them in getting off of the bus, if such assistance is necessary for their safety. This may be true even though no special request for assistance has been made.
The Connecticut Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the duty of a “common carrier” or bus driver is to use the utmost care to guard its passengers against all dangers which might reasonably and naturally be expected to occur. This is a higher standard of care than the typical negligence case. The high standard of care of bus drivers in Connecticut means that a bus accident lawsuit may be significantly simplified as the culpability of the bus driver is often easily established by the attorney handling the case.
If you or someone you know has been injured on a passenger bus in Connecticut, contact the Connecticut bus accident lawyers at Alan Barry & Associates, LLC for a free consultation and case review. Call us at (203) 797 – 9600 to set up your free consultation with an experienced Connecticut bus accident attorney today.
Our firm is located in Danbury, CT and our clients live and work throughout the state of Connecticut. We practice regularly in Fairfield County, Litchfield County, New Haven County and Hartford County (major court facilities are located in Stamford, Bridgeport, Danbury, Milford, New Haven, Waterbury and Hartford). We also routinely handle cases in other areas of Connecticut.