On the buses with David Harwood

I have dealt with road traffic accident claims for over twenty years. Recently I have noticed an increase in claims involving buses. Clients tend to ask the same questions so I thought I would answer some of them here.

1. I was on a bus in an accident but I don’t have my ticket. Will I be believed? Most buses have CCTV cameras which are generally very clear. Normally they have eight cameras which cover every angle inside and out. If you were on the bus, you will very likely be on camera.
2. There was no collision between vehicles but the bus driver had to brake very sharply and I hurt myself. Can I claim? A single decker bus can weigh ten tonnes. If an object of this size and weight stops suddenly without warning, passengers inside the bus can be badly injured.
3. The driver that hit our bus drove away from the scene of the accident and I have no contact details. What can I do? If you have been hurt on a bus, we will firstly tell the bus company. If another car caused the accident, the bus company will tell us that car’s registration number (sometimes I have to give them a photograph of my client for them to compare with the CCTV). They then give me the registration number and with that, I can find the driver’s insurers details. If the driver of the vehicle cannot be traced then claims can be made against the Motor Insurers’ Bureau.

I recently acted for a client who was on a bus from Wakefield to Batley. A car pulled out and the driver of the bus had to brake sharply to avoid a collision, throwing my client from her seat. She had the bus number but no other details. I contacted the bus company who gave me the registration number of the car and I made a claim against the negligent driver. His insurance company originally said that their driver denied any involvement but the bus company were willing to give me photos of the accident. As a result the insurers admitted liability. I arranged for my client to be medically examined and recovered damages for my client of £6,998.

At Liddys Solicitors we have a team of personal injury experts who will go the extra mile for our clients, even if you only have limited details of the accident circumstances.

We also advise on medical negligence, accidents at work and in many other types of accident. Give us a call on 01226 731314 and we will advise if we can help on a ‘no win no fee’ basis.

This article is too brief to fully explain the law and should not be relied upon as legal advice.