How Much Could I Get For A Bus Accident Claim?

By Richie Billing. Last Updated 16th November 2023. In this guide, we will explore the process of making a bus accident claim to help you understand how to seek compensation for the injuries you sustained. 

There are many ways a bus crash or other bus accident could occur resulting in you sustaining harm. However, in order to hold a valid personal injury claim, you must be able to demonstrate negligence. We will explore examples of this further in our guide.

Additionally, this guide will explore what your settlement could consist of following a successful claim. We will also provide information on the evidence you can gather to support your case.

If you would like to learn more, contact our team of advisors for an obligation free consultation. Our advisors are available 24/7 and can answer any questions you may have about your claim. 

Contact us by: 

  • Speaking to an advisor on the live chat function below
  • Filling out the online contact form with your query
  • Calling the phone on the number above.
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Bus accident claim guide

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What Is A Bus Accident Claim?

There are various types of road traffic accidents such as car accidents, pedestrian accidents, cycling accidents and motorcycle accidents. In addition, you could be involved in a bus accident where you have experienced harm. 

In some cases, you may have sustained harm that has impacted your life either permanently or short-term. For instance, you may have experienced a broken rib that prevented you from working while you were recovering from your injury. As a result, you may have lost income.

There may be instances where you could seek compensation for the impact your injuries have had on you. However, you must be able to prove that:

  • You were owed a duty of care
  • Someone failed to uphold the duty of care they owed you
  • You experienced physical or psychological harm as a result

Bus Accident Claims – How Long Do They Take?

How long it takes for bus accident claims to settle can vary depending on a number of factors. If your bus accident claim is straight forward, you might expect for the matter to be settled within weeks.

However, if it remains unclear who is liable for your personal injury, or if the defendant denies responsibility, claims could take longer to settle. If liability is denied by the defendant, your claim may need to go to court – though generally both parties try to avoid this as it can be an expensive and lengthy process. However, it’s worth noting that most personal injury claims are settled before going to court.

The type of injury you sustain could also affect how long your claim takes. For example, a minor whiplash claim is likely to be settled much faster than a claim for a significant head injury. Your recovery time may play a part in the time it takes to settle your claim since your solicitor will need to gather medical evidence of your injuries.

When a settlement figure is agreed to by both parties, claimants can expect to receive their compensation fairly quickly.

For free legal advice on bus accident compensation, call our advisors at any time using the phone number in the banner above.

Bus Accident Statistics

In the year ending June 2021, there were 119,850 casualties of all severities in Great Britain. This was according to a report published by the Department for Transport (DFT). 

Additional road accident statistics from the DFT highlighted that there were 4 fatalities, 156 serious injuries and 1,346 slight injuries affecting bus and coach occupants in 2020. 

How Much Could I Get For A Bus Accident Claim?

The settlement you receive following a successful bus accident claim may consist of up to two heads of claim. These are known as general damages and special damages.

Each seeks to provide compensation for the different effects your injuries have had. However, we have explored them further in the following sections.

General Damages 

The compensation you receive for the pain and suffering you have endured as a result of your injuries. When working out how much you could be owed, solicitors and other legal professionals may assess the medical evidence you provide in support of your claim to consider:

  • The severity of your injuries
  • Any future implications
  • The recovery time

Additionally, they may consult the Judicial College Guidelines which sets out bracket compensation amounts corresponding to different injuries. We have included figures from the latest edition that was released in April 2022. Please be aware that these figures could differ from what you are awarded and they should only be used as a guide.

InjuryDetailsCompensation Brackets
Very severe brain damage (a) The level of award given for cases in this bracket will depend on factors such as psychical limitations, life expectancy and impairment of senses.£282,010 to £403,990
Moderately severe psychiatric damage (b) The person may experience significant problems with their ability to cope with multiple areas of life as well as other issues.£19,070 to £54,830
Injuries affecting sight (b) Where the person has been left totally blind.In the region of £268,720
Deafness or tinnitus(d) Partial Hearing Loss and/or Tinnitus: (iii) Cases of tinnitus that's mild alongside noise-induced hearing loss.£12,590 to £14,900
Digestive system (a) Damage resulting from a traumatic injury: (iii) This includes cases of serious seat-belt pressure.£6,610 to £12,590
Kidney injuries (c) Where one kidney has been lost and the other hasn't been damaged.£30,770 to £44,880
Neck injuries(b) Moderate (i): There are various injuries in this bracket such as fractures or dislocations that cause immediate symptoms that are severe in nature.£24,990 to £38,490
Back injuries(c) Minor: (i) Various injuries are included in this bracket, such as soft tissue injuries that full recover without surgery within 5 years.£7,890 to £12,510
Shoulder injury (a) Severe: Cases in this bracket are often associated with neck injuries that involve brachial plexus damage.£19,200 to £48,000
Wrist injuries (e) A colles' fracture that is uncomplicated.In the region of £7,430

For a free valuation of what your bus accident claim could be worth, please get in touch with our team on the number above.

Bus Accident Claims – What Else Can You Include?

Some bus accident claims payouts can include a second head of compensation. This is called special damages and is claimed to recover costs incurred because of the injuries. To claim under special damages, however, you will need to supply proof.

For example, bus accidents may cause damage to property. If you experienced a broken bone in the accident, paramedics may have needed to cut your clothing for access. If you would like for your clothing to be replaced or repaired, you would need to save the receipts.

You could also recover:

  • Additional medical expenses, such as for therapy or cosmetic surgery.
  • Any loss of earnings and loss of future earnings. Payslips could support recovering your lost wages.
  • Travel costs. This could include transport to appointments related to the injury or taxi fares if, for example, you usually drive to work and can’t while your injury heals.

Our team of advisors can advise you on what costs you could recover under special damages.

Examples Of Bus Accidents 

The Highway Code sets out rules and guidelines for all road users. Each road user has a duty of care to uphold as a way to keep others safe when navigating the roads. 

However, there are circumstances where someone might breach the duty of care they’re owed causing you to sustain harm. For example:

  • A bus driver may have failed to indicate before changing lanes. As a result, they may have collided with another car.
  • The driver of a bus may have failed to pay due care and attention when driving. As a result, they may have hit another vehicle from behind at a set of traffic lights.

If you have evidence that you sustained harm as a result of another road user’s negligence, you may be eligible to claim. To find out what evidence you could gather, please continue reading as we have explored this further in the next section.

Steps I Could Take To Prove Negligence In A Bus Accident Claim

There are several steps you could take before launching your bus accident claim.

For example, you may wish to seek medical attention for your injuries. This can ensure you receive the correct treatment and prevent any complications from developing. In addition, as part of the claims process, you may be invited to attend an independent medical assessment to produce a report on the full extent of your injuries.

The report can then be used as evidence to help when calculating how much your claim could be worth. In addition, you could:

  • Note down the contact details of anyone who witnessed your accident. This means your solicitor can contact them at a later date for a witness statement. 
  • Request CCTV footage. 
  • Keep hold of any documentation that shows the financial losses you have incurred. This could include payslips, receipts or invoices.
  • Seek legal advice. Our team of advisors are available 24/7 for an obligation free consultation. If you have a strong claim that is valid they could assign a solicitor from our panel to begin working on your case.

For more information on evidence for a personal injury claim, get in touch.

Where Are The Best No Win No Fee Solicitors?

You may be wondering whether you need to use personal injury solicitors near you. Generally, it may not always be beneficial to choose a local solicitor as they may not have the relevant experience needed to represent your case.

Additionally, they may not offer No Win No Fee services such as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) meaning you may have to pay upfront costs and ongoing fees for their services.

Instead, you could hire a solicitor from our panel to represent your claim under a CFA. This means you can avoid paying upfront and ongoing costs to access the services they offer.

Also, if the claim succeeds, a success fee will be required. This is taken from your compensation and is subject to a legal cap. However, if your claim is unsuccessful then no success fee will be paid to your solicitor.

If you would like to learn more about the services our panel of solicitors could offer, please don’t hesitate to contact an advisor. They can also provide further clarification on the process of making a bus accident claim.

Contact us by: 

  • Speaking to an advisor on the live chat function below
  • Filling out the online contact form with your query
  • Calling the phone on the number above.

More Resources On Bus Accident Claims 

In this section, we have provided some additional resources that you may find beneficial.

You can also read other road traffic accident claim guides on our website:

We hope our guide on making a bus accident claim has helped. However, if you require any additional information, please get in touch using the details above.

Edited by Meg McDonald

Written by Ryan Ward