Baltimore, Maryland Bus Accident Lawyer

At Miller & Zois, our Baltimore, Maryland, bus accident lawyers advocate for victims of bus crashes. We have regularly and successfully brought claims against bus companies in Baltimore and local Maryland municipalities where the bus company or its driver—and their insurance company—is responsible for our clients’ injuries.

Like trucks, buses are dangerous instrumentalities on our roads. These bus companies and bus drivers are entrusted with the safety of their riders and, of greater concern from a safety standpoint, the rest of us who are sharing the roads with the buses. In relative terms, bus passengers are relatively safe. The greatest risk is to other vehicles and pedestrians sharing our roads with a 30,000-pound bus.

Miller & Zois handles claims on behalf of bus accident victims injured by buses as pedestrians or occupants of other vehicles.

Where Do Bus Accidents Occur in Baltimore?

Bus accidents can occur throughout Baltimore, particularly in areas with heavy traffic and frequent bus routes. Common locations include:

• Downtown Baltimore: Areas around Baltimore Street and Charles Street are busy with both city buses and tour buses, increasing the likelihood of accidents in these high-traffic areas.
• The Inner Harbor: With its influx of tourists, Light Street and surrounding areas see many tour buses, and accidents can happen when buses navigate congested streets.
• Neighborhoods near schools: School buses frequent areas like Park Heights and Northwood, where accidents may occur, especially during morning and afternoon rush hours.

Bus accidents can occur anywhere buses travel.

Types of Buses Involved in Accidents

Different types of buses are involved in accidents, including:

• City Buses: Operated by the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), these buses frequently navigate Baltimore’s streets and may be involved in collisions with other vehicles or pedestrians.
• School Buses: These buses transport children to and from school, often near residential areas and busy intersections.
• Tour Buses: These large buses bring visitors to Baltimore’s many attractions, and accidents can occur in areas with high pedestrian traffic.

If you’ve been involved in a bus accident in Baltimore, our experienced team at Miller & Zois is ready to assist you in pursuing the compensation you deserve.

Types and Causes of Bus Accidents

Most serious bus accident cases fall into one of three categories: (1) “Garden variety negligence” which means the same type of accidents other motor vehicle drivers make, (2) overpass clearance errors, (3) rollover crashes.

Bus accidents are commonly caused by unqualified or poorly trained drivers to handle what can be a complex instrument, bad weather, including failure to use snow tires or chains, lane changes without adequate visibility or attention, and, with increasing frequency in 2020, driver distraction. Another big culprit is left-hand turns.

A recent Federal Transit Administration study of bus crashes found bus drivers do not “re-scan” crosswalks, particularly during wide arcing left-turns. Some bus companies have gone as far as to ban left-hand turns because of the risks, making for a more circuitous path but certainly safer.

Maryland Bus Stop Accidents

Thankfully, there are not many school bus stop pedestrian accident cases. However, they are noteworthy because while few in number, the scope of the bus accident injuries in these cases is high. There are too many wrongful death school cases in Baltimore involving school buses.

It is incumbent upon bus drivers to follow Maryland law and local statutory and administrative law in following fundamental safety instructions, like activating the bus’s stop bar and warning lights before letting students exit the bus, keeping the students within the driver’s view at all times until they have reached safety, and requiring students to cross in front of the bus.

The question in many of these cases is whether there is the civil liability of the bus driver and his employer (usually the school) for the death or injuries to a child who was struck by a car while in the street going to or from the child’s school bus.

Clearly, the school bus driver has to provide children with a reasonably safe place to board and depart the bus. Maryland has clear law on this. Education Article 7-801(b) imposes upon the state and county board of education the obligation to provide safe transportation students, requiring that the county (or Baltimore City) provide for the transportation for public school students. Assuming this burden, the law also recognizes the obligation to do what can reasonably be done to keep these children safe. Maryland regulations say that the prime consideration is the safety of the students on these buses. See COMAR 13(A).06.07.13(A).

One of the big risks for students is crossing the road to get on or off the bus. Busy road and intersections compound this concern. Maryland law requires that on four-lane highways “students shall be picked up and discharged on the side of the roadway where they reside.” See COMAR 13(A).06.07.13(C).

There are also other pick-up and drop off area questions where the bus driver and the school system will be held to a reasonableness standard under Maryland law. Is it reasonable to subject the children to the risk of where they were dropped off given the age of the children, the traffic at the stop, and all of the other safety considerations? That is the key question in determining liability.

To determine whether there is liability, our lawyers look at the entire picture. Sometimes, what does not seem like negligence at first glance is the result of the bus driver’s error after you dig through all of the facts of the case. Is the bus stop in the correct location? Did the driver stop at the wrong bus stop, thus creating circumstances leading to the accident? These are all the questions that have to be asked.

One Thing You MUST Remember in City Bus Accident Cases

If the negligent party is a governmental actor, there may be a short time frame to file a notice of the claim in Maryland (and in many other states), including claims against the City of Baltimore exactly as required by Maryland law. If you take nothing else from this article, please contact a Baltimore bus accident attorney to ensure you meet all procedural obligations in your case to protect your bus accident claim.

Baltimore, MD Bus Accident FAQs

Bus Accident Settlements and Verdicts

Below are bus accident stories that went to trial. Most of these stories are from Baltimore City but we threw in one from the D.C. suburbs as well. These verdicts help you better understand how bus accident cases are valued. But you cannot assume that because any case turned out one way, it means there will be a similar outcome in your bus accident claim. Why? Because no two cases are the same.

• 2023, Baltimore City: $20,000 Settlement. The plaintiff was driving a bus at or near an intersection, when the defendant, who was also driving a vehicle, apparently attempted to make a left turn onto the same street as the plaintiff and collided with another vehicle. The plaintiff said the defendant then attempted to leave the scene of the accident and backed into the bus driven by the plaintiff, striking the front of the bus.
• 2022, Baltimore County: $3,000  Verdict. The plaintiff claimed she was a passenger in an MTA bus when the defendant crossed over the center line of traffic and struck the bus. The plaintiff claimed that she suffered minor soft tissue injuries and emotional distress. The jury obviously didn’t but it as they only awarded $3,000.
• 2022, Baltimore City: $49,247 Verdict. The plaintiff was operating an MTA bus north during the course and scope of his employment when a vehicle operated by defendant rear-ended the bus. According to the plaintiff, the defendant fled the scene of the collision.
  The plaintiff reported injuries including headaches and musculo-ligamentous sprain of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar levels of his spine. The plaintiff was assessed with a 15 percent permanent partial impairment of the head, 20 percent permanent partial impairment of the neck and 20 percent permanent partial impairment of the back.
• 2021, Baltimore City: $32,146 Verdict. The plaintiff was driving a commercial passenger shuttle bus when she was involved in a motor vehicle accident with defendant, who was driving a Dodge Caravan. The defendant allegedly attempted to make a left turn on a red light, causing a non-party vehicle to strike the defendant’s vehicle, thereby causing the defendant’s vehicle to flip over and strike the front of the plaintiff’s vehicle.
• 2019, Baltimore City: $1,200,000 Verdict. A Maryland Transit Administration bus struck a female pedestrian. She suffered leg and ankle fractures. The woman underwent hardware placements. She alleged that the bus driver’s failure to look before turning right on a red light caused her injuries. The woman also made vicarious liability and respondeat superior claims against the MTA. A Baltimore City jury awarded her $1,200,000.
• 2018, Baltimore City: $616,000 Verdict. An MTA bus struck a man. He suffered a left knee fracture. The man was left with limited knee mobility. He could no longer work and required daily knee brace use. The man claimed the bus driver failed to yield the right-of-way before turning left and failed to control the bus’s speed. A Baltimore City jury awarded the man $616,000.
• 2018, Baltimore City: $102,400 Verdict. An MTA bus struck a light pole. As a result, a male passenger suffered permanent left foot and throat injuries. He claimed the bus driver failed to properly control the vehicle and failed to avoid a collision. The MTA admitted fault for the accident but disputed the injury claims. A jury awarded a $102,400 verdict.
• 2017, Montgomery County: $10,879 Verdict. A Montgomery County bus T-boned a 24-year-old man in a Germantown intersection. The man suffered neck and back injuries. He alleged that the bus driver’s failure to yield the right-of-way and maintain a proper lookout caused his injuries. Montgomery County disputed liability. It argued that the man was speeding right before the collision. The jury ruled in the man’s favor and awarded $10,879. This is the rare bus accident case outside of Baltimore. Almost all of the bus accident cases our attorneys see come from Baltimore but we do see cases in Prince George’s County and Montgomery County on occasion.

Contact a Trusted Maryland Bus Accident Lawyer from Miller & Zois Today

If you or a loved one has been injured in a bus crash, you need the experience of a Baltimore bus accident attorney who knows how to handle these cases. Our Baltimore bus accident attorneys know the procedural roadblocks as well as the know-how and resources to fight on your behalf to get you what you deserve. Contact us at 800.553.8082 or get a free case evaluation online.