Charter Bus Accident Claims: What You Need to Know
There’s something to be said about charter buses. The idea that you can sit back and relax while someone else drives is a welcome reprieve. For many, the idea of hitting the casinos in Atlantic City for a day trip sounds like fun. That is, until there is an accident.
As the charter bus is traveling south down the Garden State Parkway, you hear the screech of brakes. The next thing you know, the bus is swerving out of control, then collides with a guard rail, then flips over.
While there are no fatalities, you and many passengers sustain injuries. In your case, you are severely hurt with a concussion and a neck fracture. Other passengers suffer cuts from broken glass, bruises, and broken bones.
Why did this happen? Who is to blame?
Causes of Charter Bus Accidents
Charter and tour buses are popular in New Jersey among travelers, commuters, tourists, and students. While bus accidents are infrequent across the state, they can be serious—and frightening— when they do happen.
Last September, a charter bus overturned on Interstate 280 in Roseland, New Jersey, when it crashed into a median. Two people were injured. According to reports, it was the only vehicle involved in the accident. The cause was unknown.
If there is an accident, the companies that operate these buses can be held liable.
A chartered bus crash could be the result of faulty maintenance, old buses, or defective automotive parts. The company can also be held responsible if it did not perform required inspections, installed inadequate seat belts, or did not screen drivers.
Or an accident could be caused by driver negligence, including
- Driver distraction
- Driver fatigue, perhaps from working long hours
- Aggressive driving, speeding, or not operating the vehicle properly
- Driving under the influence of a substance
- Inadequate driver training
- Inexperience driving in bad weather
Meanwhile, there’s a good chance that someone other than the bus company or the bus operator is at fault for the crash. When you consult with an experienced bus accident attorney, the case will be investigated to understand who is at fault.
Since these buses go at high speeds, passengers and their loved ones are always at risk of being injured—or at worst killed—if something goes tragically wrong. Imagine being ejected through a broken bus window as the vehicle careens down a highway.
A catastrophic bus crash may cause serious injuries to passengers, such as head trauma, broken bones, bruises, burns, internal injuries, and spinal cord injuries.
Contact Us
If you or a loved one has been injured from a charter or tour bus crash, you may be entitled to monetary compensation for medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering. Contact the Law Offices of Beninato & Matrafaljo to ensure that your claims are protected. We have decades of experience in representing injury victims.
Dan T. Matrafajlo, Esq. is the Managing Member and Lead Partner at Beninato & Matrafajlo, Attorneys at Law, LLC, a New Jersey-based personal injury law firm with offices in Elizabeth and East Brunswick. With over two decades of experience representing clients in complex matters—including motor vehicle accidents, workers’ compensation, and wrongful death cases—he has recovered over $100 million on behalf of his clients and is known for securing significant results. He has also helped shape New Jersey personal injury law through notable Appellate Division decisions such as Hardison v. King and Frenklakh v. Lojek, with his litigation work featured in the New Jersey Law Journal, underscoring his authority in the field.
Mr. Matrafajlo was recognized as a Super Lawyers® Rising Stars honoree from 2012 to 2017 and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum—an honor reserved for attorneys who have achieved multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements. Combining deep legal expertise with a client-focused approach, he provides strategic, results-driven representation while guiding clients through every stage of the legal process. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law and is admitted to practice in both New Jersey and New York.
