This guide contains information about how to claim personal injury compensation if you are a pedestrian hit by a bus. It will go over some aspects of making a personal injury claim, including who could be liable for the accident, the ways this type of accident could occur, and how much compensation you might receive.
If you have been injured because a bus driver breached their duty of care and caused an accident in which you were involved, you could be eligible to claim. Read on to learn whether you can claim as a pedestrian hit by a bus.
Alternatively, you can get in touch with Advice.co.uk to learn whether you have a valid personal injury claim. Our advisers can answer questions you may have. Contact us by:
- Calling us at 0161 696 9685
- Contacting us via the live chat feature below
- Filling in our online contact form with your query
Pedestrian Hit By Bus Injury Claims Guide
Select A Section
- Can You Claim If You Are A Pedestrian Hit By A Bus?
- How To Claim If You Are A Pedestrian Who Was Hit By A Bus
- I Was Hit By A Bus As A Pedestrian, What Could I Claim?
- Start Your No Win No Fee Claim
Can You Claim If You Are A Pedestrian Hit By A Bus?
When making a personal injury claim for a pedestrian hit by a bus accident, you must be able to show three things:
- A road user owed you duty of care. The Road Traffic Act 1988 establishes the duty of care that is owed on the road. In a similar vein, the Highway Code contains guidance on good road conduct, some of which is backed up by law.
- The road user in question breached this duty of care.
- As a result of this breach, you were injured.
If you’ve been injured in a pedestrian hit by a bus accident, you may be able to claim if you can show the bus driver was negligent. For example, they may have:
- Mounted the kerb and struck a nearby pedestrian
- Sped through a red light, striking someone who was crossing the road
- Did not stop at a zebra crossing when a pedestrian was crossing
- Did not check the way was clear before turning into a junction
If you have further questions about duty of care, or if you’re uncertain about whether the bus driver was negligent during your accident, call us today. Our advisers can listen to your specific circumstances and offer advice about your potential claim.
How To Claim If You Are A Pedestrian Who Was Hit By A Bus
If you are thinking about making a personal injury claim following a bus pedestrian accident, there are a few things you can do that may help your case.
The first thing to ensure is you begin your claim before the personal injury claim time limits are up. These limits are:
- 3 years from the date of the accident
- 3 years from the date you realised the accident was caused by negligence
- 3 years after your 18th birthday, if a litigation friend has not claimed in the meantime.
- 3 years after a person regains the mental capacity to make a personal injury claim
Another useful step you can take is to gather evidence to support your claim, such as:
- If it is safe to do so, taking photos of the accident before any vehicles are moved
- Exchanging information with the involved drivers
- Getting contact details for anyone who witnessed the accident
- Retrieving dashcam or CCTV footage that shows how the accident happened
One of the most important steps is to seek medical attention, as it’s vital you receive care for your injuries. Additionally, a medical report can be an important piece of evidence in a personal injury case because it shows the extent of your injuries.
If you have any more questions about what evidence may help for a pedestrian hit by a bus accident claim, you can call our advisers.
I Was Hit By A Bus As A Pedestrian – What Could I Claim?
The amount of compensation you could receive for a pedestrian who was hit by a bus accident claim is awarded in up to two heads of claim. The first, called general damages, is meant to reimburse you for the pain and suffering your injuries have caused. The second, called special damages, is intended to return you to the financial position you were in before the accident.
A personal injury solicitor will usually refer to the Judicial College Guidelines when assessing how much an injury is worth. Rather than a personal injury calculator, we’ve included a table of injuries; the sums provided are compensation brackets taken directly from the JCG.
| Injury Type | Compensation Bracket | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Serious Injuries and Special Damages | Up to £1,000,000 | Compensation may be awarded for multiple severe injuries plus any incurred expenses such as costs towards nursing care, lost wages and mobility aids. |
| Tetraplegia (a) | £324,600 to £403,990 | The award takes into account the level of awareness, physical pain, and ability to communicate. |
| Paraplegia (b) | £219,070 to £284,260 | Awards take into account future risk increasing paralysis as well as presence of other injuries. |
| Very Severe Brain Injury (a) | £282,010 to £403,990 | Compensation considers ability to return to normal sleep patterns and response to environment. |
| Moderately Severe Brain Injury (b) | £219,070 to £282,010 | Dependence upon others and need for constant care. Phsyical or cognitive disability. |
| Moderate Brain Injury (c) (i) | £150,110 to £219,070 | Moderate to severe intellectual deficit, effect on senses or ability to communicate. |
| Total or Effective Loss of Both Hands (a) | £140,660 to £201,490 | Injury that damages hands so badly they are rendered almost completely useless. |
| Serious Hand Injuries (e) | £29,000 to £61,910 | Injuries that reduce a hand's usefulness to about 50% its former capacity. |
| Severe Knee Injuries (a) (ii) | £52,120 to £69,730 | Fractures that cause permanent mobility issues. Risk of arthroplasty. |
| Severely Disabling Elbow Injuries (a) | £39,170 to £54,830 | Injuries that lead to permanent disability. |
If you suffered a whiplash injury, your claim may be evaluated via the tariff system introduced by the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021. Similarly, you may have to make your claim using the Official Injury Claim online portal, as per the Whiplash Reform Program. Please call our advisors for more information about this.
Special damages reimburse you for financial losses incurred as a direct result of your injury. For example, some of the items that could be claimed are:
- Lost earnings
- Lost future earnings
- Travel expenses made to get to medical appointments
- Mobility aids or house conversions
To learn more about special damages, get in touch with our team of advisers. They can provide information about the financial expenses that could be recouped after your bus pedestrian accident.
Start Your No Win No Fee Claim
If you’re thinking about making a personal injury claim, you may also be considering hiring legal help. Advice.co.uk could be able to help. If your claim is passed onto one of the solicitors from our panel, they may offer you a kind of No Win No Fee agreement known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
Under this kind of agreement, you will not have to pay upfront for a solicitor’s services. Instead, you pay a small percentage of your final compensation amount, and only if your claim is successful. This amount is capped by law.
To learn more, get in touch today. We can be reached by:
- Calling us at 0161 696 9685
- Contacting us via the live chat feature below
- Filling in our online contact form with your query
Related Information
A few more guides on personal injury claims:
- Multi-Car Pile Ups – Information about liability for multi-car pile ups
- Motorcycle Accident Claim – Guide for claiming after a motorcycle accident
- Car Passenger Claim – Information about claiming as the passenger in a road traffic accident
- More resources you may find useful:
- Whiplash Condition – An NHS resource for recognising whiplash symptoms
- Brake – Charity dedicated to helping victims of road traffic accidents
- Statutory Sick Pay – Government information about receiving Statutory Sick Pay after a work absence
We hope this article has contained useful information about claiming personal injury compensation after a pedestrian hit by a bus accident. If you need more information, get in touch by using the details above.