Bus Accident Claims – How Much Compensation Can I Claim?

By Danielle Graves. Last Updated 9th October 2023. If you have been injured in a bus accident that was not your fault, we can help you to claim the compensation you are entitled to. We have many years of experience in bus accident claims UK-wide, and we are dedicated to securing the maximum payout amounts for all of our clients.

Bus Accident Claims

Bus Accident Claims

We can address claims from all over the country, including London bus accident claims. So, don’t feel like we cannot help you simply because of where your accident in the UK took place. A bus crash claim may seem daunting to begin with, but we are here to assist you. Get in touch for free legal advice and information regarding your circumstances.

  • Speak to us over the phone – 0161 696 9685
  • Contact us through our website
  • Use the pop-up chat window in the corner

For more information, read on.

Jump to a Section:

  1. What Is The Average Settlement For A Bus Accident In The UK?
  2. When Could I Claim For A Bus Accident?
  3. Gathering Evidence To Support A Bus Accident Claim
  4. Bus Accident Claim – Time Limits
  5. Bus Accident Claims – What Are The Causes Of Injuries?
  6. No Win No Fee Bus Accident Claims

What Is The Average Settlement For A Bus Accident In The UK?

You may like to know how much compensation for a bus accident you could receive if your personal injury claim is successful.

Your bus accident compensation could be awarded in two parts: general and special damages. This means that every settlement is different. Therefore, knowing the average settlement for a bus accident in the UK might not be beneficial for you.

If your claim is successful, you will receive general damages to compensate for the physical pain and mental suffering that has been caused by your injuries.

When assigning value to bus accident claims, legal professionals may refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) from Judiciary UK to help them. The JCG is a text that lists guideline compensation brackets for different types of injuries.

Our table below provides a few figures from the 16th edition of the JCG. Due to the differences between personal injury claims, it is only provided for guidance.

InjuryCompensation BracketDetails
Severe back injuries (i)This bracket applies to the most severe back injury cases leading to damage to the nerve roots and spinal cord£91,090 to £160,980
Moderate back injuries (i)Compression or crush fracture affecting the lumbar vertebrae or a prolapsed intervertebral disc that may require surgery.£27,760 to £38,780
Minor back injuries (i)This bracket applies to back injuries which the person can make a full recovery (or recovery to nuisance level) from without surgery in about two to five years£7,890 to £12,510
Severe neck injuries (i)This bracket covers severe neck injuries including those associated with incomplete paraplegia or permanent spastic quadriparesisIn the region of £148,330
Moderate neck injuries (i)Moderate neck injuries covered by this bracket include certain chronic conditions or fractures or dislocations that may necessitate spinal fusion£24,990 to £38,490
Arm injuriesOne or both forearms have suffered serious fractures that lead to a permanent residual cosmetic/functional disability.£39,170 to £59,860
Arm injuriesSimple fractures of the forearm.£6,610 to £19,200
Serious leg injuriesSerious comminuted or compound fractures, or ligament/joint damage that will require prolonged treatment.£39,200 to £54,830
Whiplash InjuryInjury lasts between 18 to 24 months.£4,215
Whiplash InjuryInjury lasts between 15 to 18 months and involves one or more minor psychological injury.£3,100

You may also be eligible to claim for special damages. Special damages is the head of your claim that addresses the financial impacts of your injuries. For example, under special damages, you may be able to claim back:

  • Loss of earnings.
  • The cost of childcare.
  • Any paid domestic help.
  • Medical costs.
  • The cost of home adjustments, such as a stairlift.

Speak with an advisor for a free personalised valuation of your claim.

Bus Accident Claims – What Is The Whiplash Reform Programme

The Whiplash Reform Programme may affect how certain bus accident claims are made In England And Wales. Per the reforms, if you were over the age of 18 and were a driver or passenger in a vehicle that was involved in a road traffic accident, and you suffered injuries valued below £5,000, the way you make your claim has changed. This includes claims being made for a whiplash injury.

Additionally, your whiplash injuries will be valued in line with the tariff of injuries set out in the Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021. We have included some of these figures in our list of compensation payouts above. Any additional injuries you have suffered that aren’t covered by this tariff will be valued traditionally.

Contact our advisors today if you are unsure which avenue to take when claiming bus accident compensation.

When Could I Claim For A Bus Accident?

We’ve put together this guide to let you know how you could seek compensation following a road traffic accident on a bus. Whether you’ve had a bus accident in London or elsewhere in the country, as long as the following criteria applies to you, you could have grounds for a valid claim:

  • You were owed a duty of care
  • This duty of care was breached
  • You sustained harm as a result.

Additionally, when making London bus accident claims, or any accident on a bus claim, you must have evidence to support your case. We’ll discuss this in the next few sections.

If you’re wondering what you could receive in compensation, you could use a road traffic accident calculator to give you an idea of what compensation you might receive for injuries such as a broken bone or harm to your mental health. However, they aren’t always accurate. As such, we have explored the different resources a solicitor may be use to accurately calculate the value of your claim and provided guidance on what your settlement could comprise.

After you have finished this guide, you might be interested in speaking to our team about taking the next steps to getting a bus injury payout. Our advisors can offer a free consultation of your claim. Call for more information.

Gathering Evidence To Support A Bus Accident Claim

When making a bus accident claim, you will need to collect evidence that proves a breach in the duty of care caused your injuries. Additionally, you will need to prove who was liable for the accident; this could be the driver of the bus you were on or another road user.

Some examples of evidence that could help support your claim include:

  • Videos of the accident, such as CCTV footage from the bus or dashcam footage from another vehicle.
  • Accident scene photographs.
  • The contact information of any witnesses to the accident, including other bus passengers. They can give a statement at a later date.
  • A copy of your medical records. This will show the type of injury you suffered and any treatment you required.
  • A police report if they attended the scene.

If you have any questions about making a bus passenger accident claim, you can contact our advisors using the details at the top of this page. They could also offer you free advice for your potential claim.

Bus Accident Claim – Time Limits

If you would like to make a bus accident claim, you must start within the personal injury claims time limit. The Limitation Act 1980 sets this as typically three years. It can start either on the day you suffered injuries in an accident on a bus, or the date your bus accident injuries were connected to negligence.

However, there are certain circumstances that suspend this time limit. These can include:

  • If a person suffers injuries in a bus accident prior to their 18th birthday, they cannot represent themselves in a bus accident claim. A litigation friend could start their bus accident claim on their behalf at any point before they turn 18. However, should a bus accident claim not be started, the claimant will have three years after their 18th birthday to start a claim.
  • If a person lacks the mental capacity to start a bus accident claim, then the time limit is suspended indefinitely. Personal injury claims can be started on behalf of someone lacking the mental capacity by a litigation friend. Should they regain their capacity, and no bus accident claim has been started, they will have three years to start a claim.

Call our advisors if you suffered injuries in an accident on a bus for free legal advice.

Bus Accident Claims – What Are The Causes Of Injuries?

To receive bus accident compensation, it’s important that you can establish that the negligent action of a third party, for example, a bus driver or another road user, has caused your injury. There are a variety of injuries you could claim for.

Following an accident on a bus, injuries and causes could include:

  • A whiplash injury due to sudden, emergency braking
  • An arm injury after being hit by the bus doors because the driver shut the doors prematurely
  • A hip injury due to the bus driver not paying attention whilst driving and knocking you over
  • A head injury due to falling off a seat because the driver exceeded the speed limit

This list is not exhaustive. For any further questions on bus accident claims, pop up to an online advisor using our free 24/7 live chat function. Alternatively, continue reading this article.

No Win No Fee Bus Accident Claims

When seeking bus accident compensation, you might benefit from working with a solicitor from our panel. They can offer their services, such as helping you gather evidence to support your claim and ensuring your case is presented in full within the limitation period, through a kind of No Win No Fee arrangement known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).

Under a CFA, you aren’t required to pay any upfront fees or ongoing costs in order for your solicitor to work on your claim. Also, if your claim fails, then you won’t pay anything to your solicitor for their work.

If your claim succeeds, then your solicitor receives a success fee; this is taken from your compensation award as a small, legally-capped percentage.

Our advisors are on hand to help if you have any questions about making a bus passenger accident claim on this basis. They can offer a free consultation, through which they can identify whether you could have a valid claim, answer your questions, and potentially connect you with a solicitor from our panel. Get in touch today by following the information below.

Contact Our Team

If you have been injured in a bus accident that was not your fault, get in touch with us today to start the process of making a compensation claim. You can reach our polite and professional team by dialling 0161 696 9685. We are more than happy to answer any queries you may have, no matter how big or small. Or, if you are ready to get started, we will match you to the best No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel of solicitors based on the ins and outs of your case.

Helpful links

Government information and statistics on buses

This link takes you to the UK Government website where you will find information about the local bus sector in Great Britain. This includes statistics on everything from levels of revenue to vehicle miles.

TFL publishes the latest bus safety statistics

This link takes you to an article on the Transport for London’s (TFL) most recent bus safety statistics.

Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain

This link takes you to the UK Government’s page on Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain. You will be able to apply for an operator licence, check operator licence applications, find out about running a local bus service, and much more.

NHS – Whiplash Injuries

Whiplash is one of the most common injuries experienced after a bus accident. This link takes you to the NHS page for whiplash. You will find information on the symptoms of whiplash, when to get medical help, causes, treatments, and outlooks.

If you would like to speak to an advisor about topics such as bus accident compensation or London bus accident claims, then you are welcome to contact Legal Helpline. You can reach our advisors on the phone or online by using the contact details found within this guide.