Two bus accidents in two days!
Following the serious road traffic accident involving a car and a bus on Aberdeen’s Union Street on 23 January 2017 and the collision between a bus and a van on North Deeside Road on 24 January 2017, we thought that many people might be unaware of their rights when they are involved in an accident as a passenger.
Some people may not realise that they may have the right to receive compensation, if they are injured as a passenger in a road traffic accident. Passengers are different from drivers because, in most cases, they are entirely innocent in the circumstances of the accident.
Drivers owe their passengers a duty of care. This applies to any driver on the road who is carrying passengers, including public transport. However, road users also owe a duty of care to passengers in other vehicles. Passengers are therefore protected by the law in the case that they have an accident which is not their fault.
In most cases, then, passengers will be able to claim compensation from someone if they sustain injury in a road traffic accident. Depending on who is to blame, passengers would have a claim against the driver of the vehicle in which they were travelling or, alternatively, against the driver who was to blame for the accident.
These claims are routinely dealt with by the negligent driver’s insurance company. The amount of compensation which could be claimed depends on the severity of the injury sustained and various other factors such as whether or not wages were lost or care and assistance was required as a result of the accident.
In the event that a negligent driver was uninsured, a claim to the Motor Insurers’ Bureau could be investigated.
While it is worthwhile to bear all of this in mind, we recommend seeking advice from specialist road traffic personal injury solicitors to receive tailored legal advice if you are ever faced with this situation.
For further information on personal injury claims in Aberdeen click here or contact Iain Corbett by calling 08000891331.
