Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. Partner Allan M. Siegel obtained a $455,000 jury verdict against Greyhound Lines, Inc. and its bus driver for a passenger injured in a collision involving a Greyhound bus and another vehicle.
Case Results Summary
| Case Detail | Information |
| Result | $455,000 jury verdict |
| Case Type | Bus accident/passenger injury |
| Defendants | Greyhound Lines, Inc. and its bus driver |
| Client | 47-year-old Greyhound bus passenger |
| Collision | Greyhound bus collided with a car during a lane change |
| Liability | Disputed; Greyhound’s driver denied responsibility for the collision |
| Injuries | Thoracic disc herniation, abdominal wall muscle weakness, and aggravation of pre-existing neck and lower back injuries |
| Treatment | Approximately three years of physical therapy, trigger-point injections, and two epidural blocks |
| Medical Expenses | Approximately $47,000 |
| Lost Wages | Approximately $6,000 |
| Pain and Suffering Award | $402,000 |
| Attorney | Allan M. Siegel |
| Outcome | Jury found Greyhound Lines and its driver liable |
Greyhound Bus Collision and Disputed Liability
The client was a passenger aboard a Greyhound bus when the bus collided with a car during a lane change.
The Greyhound driver denied responsibility for the collision. He maintained that he had already completed the lane change and that the other vehicle struck the rear of the bus.
Greyhound also disputed the client’s injury claim, pointing to the absence of property damage to the bus and only moderate damage to the other vehicle.
The case therefore presented two contested issues: who was responsible for the collision and whether the crash caused or worsened the passenger’s injuries.
Injuries and Medical Treatment
The client suffered a herniated disc in her thoracic spine and weakening of the muscles in her abdominal wall. The collision also aggravated pre-existing injuries to her neck and lower back.
Her treatment following the crash included approximately three years of physical therapy, multiple trigger-point injections, and two epidural blocks.
She incurred approximately $47,000 in medical expenses and $6,000 in lost wages.
How the Injuries Affected the Client’s Work and Daily Life
The client was 47 years old and working as a campus security guard when the collision occurred.
Her injuries affected her ability to perform her regular job duties. She could no longer patrol the campus, and her employer accommodated her with a position that allowed her to remain seated. Accepting the light-duty position, however, required her to work the graveyard shift.
The effects also extended beyond her employment. Before the collision, the client regularly traveled by Greyhound from New York to the Washington, D.C. area to visit family. Afterward, traveling aggravated her symptoms, preventing her from making some of those trips and causing her to miss holidays and birthdays with her family.
Greyhound Disputed the Connection Between the Crash and Her Injuries
An important issue in the case was the client’s pre-existing medical history.
Before the Greyhound collision, she had two herniated discs in her neck and a herniated disc in her lower back resulting from prior bus collisions. Greyhound challenged whether the accident at issue was responsible for her condition.
The case therefore required distinguishing the client’s existing medical problems from the aggravation of those conditions following the Greyhound collision, as well as establishing the new injuries she sustained.
The jury ultimately rejected the defense position and awarded damages that included compensation for her medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Jury Finds Greyhound and Its Driver Liable
The case proceeded to a jury verdict.
The jury found Greyhound Lines, Inc. and its bus driver liable and awarded the client:
- Approximately $47,000 in medical expenses
- Approximately $6,000 in lost wages
- $402,000 for pain and suffering
The total verdict was $455,000.
Why This Bus Accident Case Matters
This case demonstrates that limited vehicle damage does not necessarily establish that a passenger was not seriously injured in a collision. It also illustrates an important issue that can arise when an injured person has a prior medical history: determining whether an accident caused a new injury or aggravated an existing condition.
Despite Greyhound disputing both responsibility for the collision and the relationship between the accident and the passenger’s injuries, the jury found Greyhound and its driver liable and returned a $455,000 verdict.
Allan Siegel’s Bus Accident Litigation Experience
Allan M. Siegel represented the injured passenger and obtained the $455,000 verdict against Greyhound Lines and its driver.
Allan’s experience with bus accident litigation extends beyond representing individual clients. He is a Past President of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) Bus Litigation Group and has been invited to educate other attorneys about issues specific to bus accident litigation.
His bus-related presentations have addressed litigation against major bus companies, differences between bus and truck litigation, strategies for handling bus cases, and issues arising from bus-pedestrian crashes in urban environments.
Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C. represents people injured in commercial bus and public transit accidents in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
