Bus, coach & minibus accident compensation claims

How common are bus, coach and minibus accidents?

Thankfully, due to the skill, care and attention of their drivers, who must be well-trained and conform to strict health and safety regulations, accidents involving buses, coaches and minibuses are rare in the UK.

In fact, according to the most recent data available from the Department for Transport, detailing figures of all road accidents in Great Britain, out of the 189,815 accidents in 2023 only 3,171 involved a bus or coach. For accidents involving minibuses, the number was even lower at 314.

While these figures are relatively low, such accidents are still the most common cause of public transport accident claims.

What injuries are bus, coach and minibus accident claims commonly made for?

As is the case with all road traffic accidents, the injuries suffered will depend on the circumstances of the incident. Therefore, it is difficult to detail every possibility.

Generally, however, the injuries suffered are often similar to those received in other types of road traffic accidents, such as:

• Bone breaks or fractures
• Damage to ligaments, muscles, tendons and other soft tissue
• Head injuries
• Back and/or neck injuries
• Cuts and bruises
• Sprains, strains, tears and pulls

What should I do if I'm injured in a bus or coach accident?

If you're injured in a bus or coach accident, you should ensure you get any medical attention and care you require as soon as possible and inform the emergency services of your injuries.

Once you've received treatment and your recovery has begun, you might start thinking about making a bus or coach accident claim. If so, it is important to retain any evidence or details that may help.

What evidence will I need to make a bus injury claim?

It's good practice to do the following in case you make a claim against a bus company or any other party involved in an accident:

• Keep your bus ticket
• Ensure the bus or coach company knows you were injured on board
• Make note of the driver's name and the bus number
• Take the registration numbers of all vehicles involved, and details of the drivers
• Take pictures if you can, and look for CCTV, making note of camera locations
• If you were hit by a bus when driving a vehicle, exchange details with the bus driver
• Get contact details of any potential witnesses

Additionally, following any medical treatment you receive for your injuries, it's important to obtain evidence of your medical records as these will help support your compensation claim.

When you're ready to talk about making a bus accident claim, National Accident Helpline are here, waiting to get you the compensation you deserve. You can give us a call on , request a call back or see if you can start your claim online.

Do bus drivers have a duty of care to passengers?

In accordance with The Public Service Vehicles (Conduct of Drivers, Inspectors, Conductors and Passengers) Regulations 1990, bus drivers have a duty of care to their passengers.

It is the job of the driver to ensure that all passengers are safe and that their driving, behaviour and everything within their control doesn't put anyone on board at risk of danger.

If a driver fails in their duty of care and you are injured in an incident that could have been avoided, you may be able to make a bus crash or accident claim.

It is worth noting that, as a passenger, you have a duty of care to yourself and your fellow passengers too. Not all incidents can or will be blamed on the bus driver and/or the bus company.

Can I make a bus or coach accident compensation claim?

If you've been injured in an accident that wasn't your fault, whether you were on board a bus or coach or there was another party involved in the accident, you might be able to make a passenger accident or injury compensation claim.

At National Accident Helpline, we're ready to help you make your bus or coach accident compensation claim. Our friendly advisors will hear your story and be able to tell you whether you can claim. Call us on , request a call back or find out if you can start your claim online.

Will I need to attend a medical examination?

Evidence of your injuries and your medical records post-accident are an important part of building and supporting any bus accident compensation claim.

Therefore, we highly recommend that you seek an independent medical opinion. In some cases, when details of an accident and any injuries suffered are difficult to gauge, it is mandatory to have a medical examination.

To make this process easier, your solicitor or legal team might arrange a medical assessment for you with a government-approved agency - usually one that's local to you. The assessment can take around 30 minutes, depending on the nature of your injury, and the medical professional may review your treatment notes.

While it's not a physical examination and is purely to assess the extent of any injuries, they may ask you to make certain movements so they can judge the impact.

How much compensation could I receive for a bus accident claim? 

Every accident involving a bus, coach or minibus is different, so it's difficult to provide an exact amount that you could be awarded for making a successful injury claim without knowing the full details.

Many factors are taken into account when calculating your compensation, including:

• Injury type and severity
• Recovery time
• Any lifestyle changes that you have had to make as a result of your injuries
• Medical expenses and travel costs
• Lost earnings from time off work
• Ongoing care needs and any home adaptations you may need

To get an estimate of your potential bus accident compensation use our compensation calculator or take a look at our UK payout table example. All figures are taken from the latest edition of the Judicial College Guidelines.

You can also call us on or request a call back and our team can give you an idea of how much you could claim.

How could bus accident injury compensation help?

If you've been injured in a bus accident that wasn't your fault, it's likely that - in some way - your life has been changed through no fault of your own.

By making a successful bus passenger accident claim, the compensation you receive can help you get your life back by covering financial losses you've had or any additional costs related to your accident or injury.

Making a claim can also help prevent the same accident from happening again in the future.

How long do I have to start a claim after a bus or coach accident?

Under UK law, you usually have a three-year time limit from when the accident occurred or your injuries were discovered. This means you'll need to settle your claim or start court proceedings within the three years. Additionally, the accident must have been wholly or at least partially the fault of someone else.

Find out more about the time limits for making a claim.

Can I claim on behalf of a child or other family member?

Depending on the circumstances surrounding the accident and the injuries suffered from it, you might be able to make a bus accident claim on behalf of a loved one.

• On behalf of a child: You can claim at any point before the child's 18th birthday. After turning 18, they have three years to start court proceedings or settle their own claim.
• On behalf of someone who lacks mental capacity: There are no time limits for claims made on behalf of someone who cannot claim themselves. This is assessed on a case-by-case basis. But if the claimant regains capacity at any time after the accident, however briefly, the usual three-year time limit begins.

As is the case with any claim, it is important to have as much detail of your loved one's accident and injuries when you speak with one of our advisors. This information will help us investigate your bus or coach accident claim and explain how it will work.

How long could my bus or coach accident compensation claim take to settle?

Similar to how much compensation you may receive, the amount of time your bus or coach accident claim could take will depend on the circumstances of your case, as well as the complexity of the investigation.

While some cases can take months, others last a lot longer and many variables could cause delays. Your bus injury lawyer or legal team will be able to give you some idea of how long they expect the process to take based on your claim circumstances and their experience.

Find out more about how long a personal injury claim can take.

Will I need to go to court? 

It's not likely that you'll need to go to court for your claim. In fact, only about 5% of our claims require a court hearing, and, in most cases, even if your solicitor brings about legal proceedings against the other side, negotiations will often ensure all parties are kept out of court.

There is always a small chance of your case going to court, as not all claims are the same. However, you may not need to be present in court yourself.

Your solicitor or legal team will of course advise you of any court requirements and what you may need to do for them.

Can I make a no win no fee bus accident compensation claim?

If you were hurt in an accident that wasn't your fault, you will likely be able to claim. We work with no win no fee agreements on the vast majority of claims we handle. This means that if we

lose your claim, you'll have nothing to pay us or anyone else as long as you've kept to the terms of your arrangement.

• Low risk: You only pay if your claim succeeds.
• No upfront costs: A no-upfront fees insurance policy covers expenses like court fees and medical reports and pays for itself if your claim does not succeed.
• No win, no fee: If your claim doesn't win and you stick to the agreement's terms, you won't pay a thing.

Your bus accident solicitor or legal team will talk to you about our no win no fee agreements and any other options should this arrangement not be possible.