Bus And Coach Accident Compensation Claims | No Win No Fee

By Jo Anderson. Last Updated 6th December 2023. Welcome to our guide on bus accident compensation claims. If you’ve suffered an injury in an accident on a bus, you may be looking for free legal 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 would like to speak 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.

bus accident claims

Bus Accident Claims Guide

Select a Section

  1. Bus And Coach Accident Compensation Claims Criteria
  2. What Should You Do If You’ve Been Injured In A Bus Accident?
  3. Time Limits When Making Claims Against Bus Companies
  4. An Emergency Stop On The Bus Caused Whiplash – Can I Claim?
  5. How Much Are Bus And Coach Accident Compensation Claims Worth?
  6. 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 the personal injury eligibility criteria, which is:

  1. You were owed a duty of care by a road user.
  2. This road user breached their duty of care.
  3. You suffered an injury as a result of this breach.

All road users owe each other a duty of care while they are using the roads. Per their duty, they must use the roads in a safe and responsible manner to avoid 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 another road user 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 see whether you may have a valid personal injury claim, contact one of our advisors. They could provide you with information about claims against bus companies and the average settlement for a bus accident in the UK.

What Should You Do If You’ve Been Injured In A Bus Accident?

If you would like to make a claim for a bus accident in London, you will need to submit evidence.

There are ideally three types of evidence to gather when making a personal injury claim. This is

  • Evidence that can help prove fault or liability for your injury
  • Evidence that can show the extent of your injury
  • Evidence that can support the financial losses you could be claiming for

To prove that a bus driver was liable for your injuries, you could collect evidence such as:

  • Contact details of witnesses to the incident, such as the other passengers
  • CCTV, dashcam footage or any other forms of footage of the accident that might exist
  • Details of the vehicle, and if possible, the driver’s details

In order to prove your injury, you could collect evidence such as:

  • Photos of your injuries, taken after the accident
  • A medical report of the injuries you had suffered

To help support your financial losses you could collect:

  • Receipts, or records of your spending towards your injury
  • A medical report that can prove that you will be/or were unable to work because of your injuries to prove loss of earnings
  • Records of prescription costs or travel expenses

Call our advisors about evidence that could be submitted when making London bus accident claims.

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 have three years 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 is suspended indefinitely for someone who does not have the mental capacity to start their own claim. If the person regains their capacity, they will have three years from the date of their recovery to start their own claim. 

The court may appoint a litigation friend to make a claim on behalf of a minor or a claimant who lacks the mental capacity 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 successful, your settlement may consist of two heads of claim. These are called general and special damages.

General damages compensate for the physical pain and mental suffering caused by your injuries. To help assign a value to your claim, legal professionals may refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) for help. The JCG is a document that provides a guideline list of compensation brackets for different types of injuries.

In our table below, we’ve provided a few figures from the 16th edition of 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. These are fixed amounts, and we have included some of the amounts from this tariff in the table below.

Edit
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 £282,010 to £403,990 No meaningful response to environmental stimuli and needing full-time care.
Neck Injuries – Severe (i) In the region of
£148,330
Including injuries causing incomplete paraplegia with limited to no movement in the neck.
Leg Injuries – Severe (i) Most Serious £96,250 to £135,920 The most serious of injuries that stop just short of amputation, such as the degloving of the leg.
Back injuries – Severe (i) £91,090 to £160,980

 

The most serious of injuries involving spinal cord or nerve root damage, causing severe pain.
Hand Injuries – Serious Damage to Both Hands £55,820 to £84,570 These types of injuries will cause a cosmetic disability that is permanent with a serious loss of function in the hands.
Elbow Injuries £39,170 to £54,830 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 might also include special damages. This head of claim compensates you for the financial losses caused by your injury. To claim special damages, you should submit evidence, such as receipts or invoices.

A few examples of the financial losses you could be compensated for as part of a claim for a road traffic accident include:

  • Medical costs, such as medications and physical therapy.
  • Loss of earnings for 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.

Helpful Links Relating To Bus And Coach Accident Compensation Claims

Additional road traffic accident claim guides:

Sites you may find helpful:

Get in touch with our advisors if you have any queries about bus accident claims.