By Stephen Burke. Last Updated 8th August 2024. If you’ve suffered an injury in an accident on a bus, you may be looking for advice on claiming compensation for London bus accident claims. Our bus passenger accident claim guide should answer many of the frequent questions surrounding such claims against bus companies.
Below, we explain how an accident on a bus claim works. We offer tips on making claims against bus companies for accidents that happen on the bus due to the negligence of others. Further to this, we give guidance on bus accident compensation amounts.
If you are interested in speaking with an adviser at any point about filing a successful claim while reading this guide, why not give us a call on 0800 073 8801. Initial consultations are free of charge and come with no obligation to use our services.
Select a Section
- Bus And Coach Accident Compensation Claims Criteria
- What Evidence Can Support Bus Accident Claims?
- Time Limits When Making Claims Against Bus Companies
- An Emergency Stop On The Bus Caused Whiplash – Can I Claim?
- How Much Are Bus And Coach Accident Compensation Claims Worth?
- Claiming For A Bus Accident With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
Bus And Coach Accident Compensation Claims Criteria
All bus accident claims will need to meet certain eligibility criteria, which is:
- You were owed a duty of care by a road user.
- This road user took an action or decision that breached their duty of care.
- You suffered injuries in a bus accident due to this breach.
All road users owe each other a duty of care while they are using the roads. Per their duty, when they are out using the roads, they should use them in a safe and responsible manner to prevent causing harm to each other. Part of their duty of care also involves adhering to the Road Traffic Act 1998 and following the rules and guidance found within the Highway Code.
If you were injured as a passenger on a bus, who you would make your claim against depends on who breached their duty of care. If it was another road user who did, you would make your personal injury claim against them. If the driver of the bus you were on breached their duty of care, you would claim against the bus driver through their insurance.
To help determine whether you have a personal injury claim that is valid, please contact one of the advisors in our team. They could provide you with information about claims against bus companies and the average settlement for a bus accident in the UK.
What Evidence Can Support Bus Accident Claims?
A bus accident compensation claim requires evidence which confirms the injuries you’re claiming for and how they were caused by another party breaching a duty of care they owed you.
Examples of evidence that could support a bus passenger accident claim include:
- Medical records that show what injuries you have been treated for following a bus accident.
- Contact details of any witnesses who can provide a statement about the bus accident that hurt you.
- Photographs of the bus accident scene and any visible injuries you’ve experienced.
- Any available video footage you can gather that’s shows the bus accident that injured you, such as bus CCTV footage, which you may be able to request from the bus service provider.
When solicitors are supporting bus accident claims, they can assist with the process of gathering evidence. Contact our team for free today for more advice on the key steps to claiming bus accident compensation.
Time Limits When Making Claims Against Bus Companies
There are time limits that apply to bus accident claims. As set out in the Limitation Act 1980, you usually are given a time limit of three years, starting from the date of your accident, to claim personal injury compensation. However, it is in your best interest to act sooner rather than later to ensure you give yourself sufficient time to prepare any evidence for your claim.
In certain circumstances, the limitation period may be suspended. For example:
- The three-year time limit for a child injured in a bus accident is suspended until their 18th birthday.
- The time limit can be suspended indefinitely for an injured person who does not have the required mental capacity to make a start on their own claim. If the person regains their capacity, they will have three years beginning from the date of their recovery to start their own claim.
The court may appoint a litigation friend to make a bus accident claim on behalf of a minor or a claimant who lacks the mental capacity that is required to begin their own claim while the time limit is paused. However, they must act in the interest of the claimant during the bus accident claims process.
If you have any questions regarding how long you have to claim bus accident compensation, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our advisors can be contacted for free and at any time using our online chat service. They can also discuss claims against bus companies in more detail as well.
An Emergency Stop On The Bus Caused Whiplash – Can I Claim?
Drivers are taught to perform an emergency stop in the event of a threatening situation. It is an evasive action and one that no driver takes unless they have no alternative option. If the duty has been breached, then you could have grounds to make a claim.
You could be eligible to claim whiplash compensation if you suffered a whiplash injury in an accident on a bus. However, injuries suffered in a road traffic accident valued at £5,000 or less are now claimed for through the Whiplash Reform Programme government portal. This is due to the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021, which applies to soft tissue injuries that occurred on or after the 31st of May 2021.
Once your bus accident claim is settled, it cannot be reopened. If you hire a No Win No Fee solicitor, they can help ensure that you are claiming for the correct amount.
Call our advisors for a free valuation of your bus accident claim.
How Much Are Bus And Coach Accident Compensation Claims Worth?
If your bus accident claim is a successful case, your settlement may consist of up to two heads of claim. These are called general and special damages.
General damages cover whatever physical pain and mental suffering has been caused by your injuries. To help assign a value to your claim, legal professionals may refer to a certain document called the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) for help. The JCG is a document that delivers a guideline list of various compensation brackets for many types of injuries.
In our table below, we’ve provided a few figures from the JCG. These figures are only to be used as guidance.
If you suffered a whiplash injury in the bus accident, this will be valued in line with the tariff set out in the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021. Within these regulations are fixed amounts, and we have included some of the amounts from this tariff in the table below.
| Injury | Compensation Award Scale | Further Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple serious injuries including financial losses/costs | Up to £1,000,000+ | A multitude of serious injuries combined which cause financial losses such as loss of income and pain and suffering too. |
| Brain Damage - Very Severe | £344,150 to £493,000 | No meaningful response to environmental stimuli and needing full-time care. |
| Neck Injuries - Severe (i) | In the region of £181,020 | Including injuries causing incomplete paraplegia with limited to no movement in the neck. |
| Leg Injuries - Severe (i) Most Serious | £117,460 to £165,860 | The most serious of injuries that stop just short of amputation, such as the degloving of the leg. |
| Back injuries - Severe (i) | £111,150 to £196,450 | The most serious of injuries involving spinal cord or nerve root damage, causing severe pain. |
| Hand Injuries - Serious Damage to Both Hands | £68,070 to £103,200 | These types of injuries will cause a cosmetic disability that is permanent with a serious loss of function in the hands. |
| Elbow Injuries - Severely Disabling | £47,810 to £66,920 | Seriously disabling injuries. |
| Whiplash Tariff | £4,345 | Whiplash with a psychological injury lasting longer than 18 months, but not longer than 24 months. |
| Whiplash Tariff | £4,215 | Whiplash lasting longer than 18 months but not longer than 24 months. |
Special Damages In Bus Accident Claims
Additionally, your settlement could possibly also include what is called special damages. This particular head of claim provides compensation to you for the financial losses caused by your injury. If you intend to claim special damages, you will be required to submit evidence, such as receipts or invoices.
A few examples of the financial losses that could possibly be covered as part of a claim for a road traffic accident include:
- Medical costs, such as medications and physical therapy.
- Loss of earnings for a certain period of time spent off work, including pension contributions.
- Travel expenses, such as the cost of taxi fares to work or medical appointments.
You can contact one of our advisors to discuss what could be included in your claim. They can also provide a valuation of your potential settlement.
Claiming For A Bus Accident With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
If you suffered injuries in a bus crash and would like to claim compensation, a No Win No Fee solicitor could provide you with legal support. Their services may be provided under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This is a type of No Win No Fee agreement.
When your bus passenger accident claim is supported by a No Win No Fee solicitor, they typically won’t ask you to pay upfront for their services. They don’t usually ask you to pay for any ongoing costs either. If your solicitor successfully helps you recover compensation, they take a success fee from your award. This amount is limited by the law. Your solicitor usually won’t ask for payment for their services if they don’t succeed.
Bus crashes in the UK can cause a variety of different injuries. If you have any questions about your eligibility to claim, contact our advisors. They’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to discuss your potential case. If it seems like it might be successful, they could pass you on to one of our solicitors. Our solicitors typically offer their services under a No Win No Fee arrangement.
Contact us today to discuss London bus accident claims on the details that follow.
- Start a claim by filling in our call back form.
- Call 0800 073 8801
- Use our live webchat at the bottom of the screen.
Helpful Links Relating To Bus And Coach Accident Compensation Claims
Additional road traffic accident claim guides:
- Cycling Accident Guide
- Pedestrian Accident Guide
- Road Traffic Accident Guide
- Car Park Accident Claims
Sites you may find helpful:
Get in touch with our advisors if you have any queries about bus accident claims.
