While taxi cabs are an iconic symbol of New York City, more New Yorkers rely on the city's fleet of buses than its cabs. More than 5,700 city buses each day provide 2 million daily rides, as they crisscross the boroughs with more than 300 routes. With all of those vehicles on the road, accidents are bound to occur, and they do. From 2015 to 2018, there were an average of 23 bus accidents each day. And those are just the numbers behind the city's Metropolitan Transit Authority fleet. Those figures don't include tourist buses or private carriers.

 A city bus weighs around 20,000-30,000 pounds and up to 44,000 pounds when fully loaded. That's as much as ten times the weight of a passenger car, so it's unsurprising to hear that the damage caused by a bus is far greater than that of a standard vehicle. Compared to a standard car accident, the risk of severe injury for a motorcyclist increases 150.8%, while the risk to pedestrian increases 247%.  

 Factors that increase the likelihood of a bus accident fatality include:

 Day of the week and time of day

  • Land use
  • Speed limit
  • Iced, snowy, or wet conditions
  • Bus type and seating
  • Driver's age
  • Number of vehicles involved
  • Driver's risky behaviors

 It's also important to realize that bus accidents can also injure the bus' passengers—even when there is no collision at all.

 In 2019, almost 500 people were injured while riding in a New York City MTA bus. The most common cause of their injuries—representing nearly half of these accidents—was what is called a “throwing movement”—when the bus suddenly swerved. These accidents are sometimes to prevent collision with a vehicle, pedestrian, or bicycle, but the bus passengers can still be injured when the primary accident was avoided.

The next most common way passengers are injured in a non-collision is to slip or fall when they are boarding or disembarking from the bus.

Whether you are a bus passenger or are involved in a bus accident as a pedestrian, cyclist, or motorist, the risk of serious injury is real.

With a 100% success rate from 2014-2020, Ed Lemmo, Esq. is one of New York's top personal injury trial attorneys. Practicing in all five boroughs and upstate New York, with matters ranging from car accidents to medical malpractice, Lemmo has a very high rating from AVVO, the prestigious attorney rating service. A member of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Lemmo serves as trial counsel for many of New York's finest law firms, and his trial verdicts are regularly published in New York Jury Verdict and New York Jury Verdict Reporter.

If you have been injured in a bus accident, call LemmoLaw today for a free consultation.