Fresno Area Express Accidents

The city of Fresno California operates the Fresno Area Express (FAX), a public bus system operating more than 120 buses with almost 20 routes, two major transit centers, and over 1,600 bus stops. While the vast majority of bus rides end without incident, the statistics are no comfort to an injury victim who’s injured and traumatized in a Fresno Area Express bus accident. Nearly 10% of Fresno residents, do not have cars and must rely on the city bus system. So, what happens when passengers on a bus experience an accident?

How Common are FAX Bus Accidents in Fresno?

Overall, the United States sees about 15,000 bus accidents each year, with injuries resulting in about 47% of crashes. Fresno Area Express has seen a number of bus accidents, including the following:

• A crash involving a bus and an Uber vehicle in which the Uber driver suffered a serious back injury
• A 2023 bus accident near Manchester Center that resulted in serious injuries to four bus passengers
• A fiery bus crash involving an SUV at the intersection of Cedar and Shields in February of 2024
• A sedan had a rear-end collision with a FAX bus near Shaw and Brawley Avenues in December of 2021

This represents only a small handful of the total number of accidents involving the Fresno Area Express busing system run by California’s Department of Transportation.

What Makes Bus Accident Claims Complex?

Often, the distress of a bus accident extends far beyond the initial injuries, trauma, and medical treatments. Seeking compensation for bus accident damages like medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering quickly becomes complicated in bus accidents. Under California’s fault-based insurance laws, injured passengers must prove liability against the correct party to recover compensation from their insurance or through a lawsuit. It often takes an investigation into all aspects of the accident to identify the liable party, which could be any of the following:

• The bus driver
• The Fresno Area Express
• A bus maintenance company
• The manufacturer of a defective bus part
• Another driver who had a collision with the bus
• A city road maintenance or road-planning agency

A passenger is never at fault for a bus accident and does not share liability under the state’s pure comparison negligence insurance laws, but recovering compensation in a bus accident claim requires making a compelling case for damages against the liable party.

What Can I Do After a Fresno Area Express Bus Accident to Help My Case?

It can be difficult to keep a cool head in the chaos of a bus accident. Often, there are multiple injuries. Many passengers try to exit the bus at the same time, causing further injury risk. But if you’re able to move safely and access your phone, use it from your spot while you await emergency services, or hand it to an uninjured person to use for you, it’s a critical tool for preserving critical evidence. Use your phone to do the following:

• Take photos of the accident scene
• Photograph the damaged bus and any other involved vehicles
• Take photos of anything that contributed to the accident, like an intersection or traffic signal
• Photograph your visible injuries
• Add the contact information of any eyewitnesses, the bus driver, and any other involved drivers

Always go directly to the hospital and undergo a complete medical examination. Ask for a detailed medical report and request a copy of the accident report from the police.