Minibuses are used to transport groups of people in many different situations, including school trips, community groups, and care services. Where there is a need to move a number of passengers together, it is likely that a minibus will be the vehicle of choice.
For the most part minibuses are safe, for every mile travelled they are statistically safer than cars and are less likely to result in the deaths of passengers of cars. However, minibus accidents can and do occur.
Any minibus service operator has a duty of care under health and safety law. They must ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to keep passengers safe on minibus journeys.
It is an offence under UK law for an operator to allow a minibus to be driven unless they have taken all reasonable steps to make sure it is safe and roadworthy. Regular checks, servicing, and risk assessments must be carried out in order to fulfil these responsibilities.
If you or someone close to you has sustained injury in a minibus accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your pain, injury, lost earnings and medical expenses.
What are minibus risk assessments?
According to The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, minibus health and safety officers should consider all possible risks as part of a risk assessment for minibus use, including the following:
- Potential hazards
- The likelihood of a hazard occurring
- The likely severity of any injury or property damage
- Who might be affected
- Existing safety measures
- New safety measures that might be needed
- How safety measures are implemented
- Emergency procedures
There should be generic risk assessments for certain aspects such as driver fatigue, passenger illness, bad weather, etc. plus individual risk assessments for specific journeys.
What happened in the January 2019 minibus crash in Skye?
On 16 January 2019 three people were taken to hospital following a minibus crash on Skye on the A855 Staffin road. None of the other passengers sustained serious personal injury.
What happened in the January 2019 minibus crash in Perthshire?
Also on 16 January 2019 a minibus driver sustained fatal injuries in a road accident on the A90 in Perthshire. The 60-year-old died after her minibus collided with a lorry on the dual carriageway near St Madoes.
What happened in the December 2018 Scottish Borders minibus accident?
On 29 December 2018 one man suffered fatal injury and 23 people were injured when a minibus overturned in the Scottish Borders on the A6089 between Newtongrange to Kelso.
The driver and 22 passengers were treated at various hospitals including Borders General Hospital in Melrose, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
What happened in the December 2018 minibus accident near Fraserburgh?
On 18 December 2018 one person needed hospital treatment following a crash involving a school minibus and a lorry at Mid Ardlaw, Aberdeenshire. No pupils were on board at the time of the incident.
What happened in the July 2018 minibus crash in Orkney?
On 27July 2018 five people, including a four-year-old boy, were killed in a crash involving a minibus and a 4x4 vehicle on the A96 in Moray.
How do minibus crash claims work in Scotland?
If you have been injured in a minibus crash, the personal injury solicitors at Thompsons can help advise you about liability, time limits, and possible entitlement to compensation for your injuries.
To find out more about making a compensation claim following a road accident, please visit our FAQs page.
Our No Win, No Fee package has been created so that you don't have to worry about the possibility of any financial risk when making a claim.
David Adams
David Adams
"No win no fee is, in a nutshell, a speculative funding arrangement which basically says if we think that your case has got reasonable prospects of success, we are happy to shoulder the liability on the costs with that."
For more information, call us today on 0800 0891 331.
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