Bus Accidents in Las Vegas Are Different
More than 40 million visitors flow through Las Vegas every year. Concert shuttles, casino limos, Gray Line tour coaches, and RTC double-decker Deuces all crowd the same corridors—Las Vegas Boulevard, Tropicana, the Spaghetti Bowl interchange on I-15, and U.S. 93 toward the Grand Canyon. Add scorching desert heat that shreds tires, monsoon downpours that slicken roadways, and 24/7 pedestrian traffic, and you get a recipe for catastrophic collisions. When a 20-ton motorcoach barrels into stop-and-go traffic at Sahara Avenue or tips on a canyon curve, dozens of passengers may suffer catastrophic injuries at once—often without seat belts.
The following are just a few recent bus accidents in Las Vegas:
These accidents don’t always happen in Las Vegas. One of the worst in the region took place in Mohave County, Arizona, as a Vegas-based charter bus headed to the Grand Canyon. On a Friday afternoon in January 2021, as the bus approached milepost 5 at Diamond Bar Road, it rolled, killing 1 passenger and injuring 40 others.
Common Causes of Bus Accidents in Las Vegas
Every accident has a cause. Some have multiple causes, or contributing factors, creating the sequence of events that ended with a crash. In the Las Vegas area, some causes are more common than others due to tourism, weather, and other local factors.
Some of the typical causes of Las Vegas bus accidents include:
- Driver Fatigue & Distraction: Double shifts during busy convention weekends or Super Bowl week can push drivers past federal hours-of-service limits. Cell phone use or the glare of casino marquees can compound the danger.
- Poor Vehicle Maintenance: Heat-cracked tires, worn brake pads, and malfunctioning cooling systems are rampant when fleet owners rush maintenance or skip inspections to keep buses on the route.
- Overcrowding & Standing Passengers: If the RTC’s Strip & Downtown Express (SDX) or tourist shuttles exceed the recommended capacity, sudden stops or turns can seriously injure passengers.
- Inadequate Training: Charter companies that hire seasonal drivers for major events must ensure they are qualified for the job at hand. Inexperienced bus drivers put everyone on the road at risk.
- Hazardous Road Conditions: Strong desert winds, sudden thunderstorms, and nighttime construction detours can all present hazards if bus drivers and their vehicles are ill-prepared to face them.
- Other Motorists’ Negligence: From California drivers who make sudden U-turns on Las Vegas Boulevard to intoxicated tourists who jaywalk between casinos, bus drivers must respond quickly to emergencies.
Determining cause is one of the most important steps our Las Vegas personal injury attorneys must take when seeking answers and accountability for a client. We work quickly to obtain event data records, dashcam footage, and maintenance logs before evidence disappears, involving investigators and accident reconstruction specialists to paint a clear picture of what occurred.
Types of Buses Involved in Las Vegas Crashes
One can find many types of buses in the Las Vegas area, including:
- Tour buses headed to the Grand Canyon and other tourist spots.
- City transit buses, operated by the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC).
- Private shuttle buses operated by hotels and casinos, often traveling to and from Harry Reid International Airport.
- Party buses and limousines rolling up and down the Las Vegas Strip.
- Clark County School District buses, transporting nearly 125,000 students daily.
Catastrophic Injuries We See After Nevada Bus Collisions
The size discrepancy between a bus and a car, and the sheer number of unrestrained bus passengers, means bus accident injuries are rarely minor. Survivors often suffer traumatic brain injuries, spinal fractures leading to paralysis, crush injuries, and severe burns from diesel fires. Some lose their lives, leaving families facing decades of lost income and care costs. Our Las Vegas bus accident attorneys partner with neurosurgeons, life-care planners, and economists to document the full scope of future needs so insurers cannot minimize your claim.
Who Can Be Held Liable?
Depending on a crash’s underlying cause, one or more parties could be liable. As a survivor or someone who has lost a family member in a Vegas bus accident, you may be able to seek financial compensation from the at-fault party (or parties) to cover medical expenses, ongoing care, emotional trauma, and more—offering a path forward.
While every case is different, the following parties could be held accountable:
- Bus companies
- Tour operators
- Casino and hotel shuttle providers
- Manufacturers of bus parts
- Third-party motorists
Government entities such as the Regional Transportation Commission could also be liable for a bus accident, but this process is governed by Nevada Annotated Code (NAC) Chapter 41 and may involve filing a formal Notice of Claim and meeting other requirements before filing suit.
Compensation Available Under Nevada Law
Nothing can make up for the loss of a loved one or truly compensate a person for experiencing the physical pain and suffering associated with a serious accident, but a successful case can pave the way for a stable future.
Las Vegas bus accident victims may recover:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages and diminished earning capacity
- Life-care costs and home modifications
- Pain, suffering, and emotional distress
- Disfigurement and loss of enjoyment of life
- Wrongful death damages for spouses, children, and parents
- Punitive damages when companies show reckless disregard for safety
With more than $20 billion won nationwide, our results prove we know how to turn devastation into the resources families need to rebuild.
Contact a Bus Accident Lawyer in Las Vegas
Las Vegas relies on buses. When those buses crash, lives change forever. Arnold & Itkin’s Las Vegas bus accident lawyers level the playing field against national charter fleets, local shuttles, and other operators—forcing them to cover every cent our clients need to move forward. If the unthinkable has happened, we’re ready to fight for you.
Call (888) 493-1629 now or contact us online for a free consultation with our bus accident attorneys in Las Vegas.
