A client of Bartletts Solicitors was able to successfully sue a bus company after she was injured on a bus when the driver performed an emergency stop to avoid crashing into a car which had slowed down in front of him ahead of a set of traffic lights. Mrs B was standing in the aisle of the bus and was thrown forward violently when the driver applied the brakes.
We were later able to show that the driver’s late braking was a result of him driving over the speed limit in a 30mph zone, but was mainly due to his inattention in failing to brake early enough. Mrs B was thrown to the floor, landing on her shoulder, sustaining torn muscles in her rotator cuff as well as bruising along the upper right side of her body. She was in a state of shock following the incident, but was luckily travelling with her son, who helped her alight from the bus and called a taxi to take his mother home. She attended an NHS walk-in clinic later the same day where her injuries were treated by medical staff, but did not recover full mobility in her shoulder and arm for nearly three months after the accident.
Our Legal Advice
Mrs B got in touch with Bartletts after researching solicitors advising on emergency stop accidents on buses, and subsequently instructed us to begin a no win no fee claim against the bus operator. In correspondence with the latter, we maintained that the accident was due to the negligence of the bus driver, firstly for exceeding the speed limit in a 30mph zone, and secondly for not paying due care and attention while driving, forcing him to brake sharply to avoid a collision with the car in front that was slowing down to stop at the red traffic lights.
Mrs B’s son had reported the accident to the bus company the day after it had taken place, and this prompt action helped us request and review CCTV footage of the incident, which served to back up our client’s claim. After carrying out a similar review, the bus operator eventually agreed with our assessment and acknowledged liability for Mrs B’s injuries. We were then able to negotiate a compensation settlement with their injurers totalling £2,750.
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