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Injured in a shuttle bus in Las Vegas? How to bring a lawsuit

If you are injured in a shuttle accident in Las Vegas, you can bring negligence lawsuits against the driver, the shuttle company, and other responsible third parties. You may be entitled to get compensatory damages to cover your:

It does not matter if you were partly to blame for the shuttle accident. As long as you were less than 51% at fault, Nevada’s comparative negligence laws may still permit you to recover damages. Or if the accident was caused on purpose, you may even be eligible for hefty punitive damages as well.

Following a shuttle accident in Nevada, you are advised to retain an attorney. Insurance companies may try to sell you a quick settlement. However, a lawyer can often achieve a more favorable financial resolution, especially if the defendant is a casino with deep pockets.

In this article, our Nevada personal injury attorneys discuss the following issues re. shuttle bus accident lawsuits:

Also see our related article on Las Vegas bus accidents.

1. Proving negligence

Filing a negligence lawsuit is the typical course of action if you are a shuttle accident victim in Nevada. In order to win a negligence lawsuit, you have to prove four things:

  1. The defendant(s) owed you a duty of care;
  2. The defendant(s) breached this duty;
  3. This breach caused your injury; and
  4. This injury resulted in damages.1

Just some negligence scenarios that may cause Nevada shuttle accidents include the following:

  • The shuttle driver was drunk or high (DUI);
  • The driver was speeding;
  • The shuttle was holding too many passengers;
  • The shuttle company failed to maintain the vehicle (not fixing broken seat belts, for example); and/or
  • The shuttle company hired a driver who was not qualified to drive a shuttle

Shuttle coaches are especially common in Las Vegas and Reno. They are efficient and cost-effective ways for tourists to travel between high-traffic areas, such as airports, casinos, hotels, stadiums, and other hotspot attractions.

Whether the shuttle is a van with a dozen seats or a bus with dozens of seats, shuttles can cause massive damage in a collision. Passengers, fellow drivers and pedestrians could sustain broken bones, brain injuries, spinal injuries, and possibly death.

aftermath of bus-car collision
Shuttle bus accidents can cause severe injuries or death.

2. Damages

If you sustained injuries in a shuttle accident, you may file a claim for compensatory damages. These types of damages comprise:

  • the costs of doctors and medicine;
  • lost past earnings;
  • lost future earnings;
  • pain and suffering, and/or
  • grief and loss of support in wrongful death lawsuits (brought by the deceased’s estate)

Note that shuttle drivers who are government employees acting in the course of their job are liable for only $100,000.2

Most shuttle accidents are caused by the driver’s negligence. Though if the driver maliciously caused the shuttle crash, you can seek punitive damages in addition to compensatory damages.

With some exceptions, Nevada’s punitive damages cap is three times (3) the compensatory damages, except if the compensatory damages are less than $100,000: Then the cap would be $300,000.3

Note that people who intentionally cause a road accident in Nevada face serious criminal charges as well.

3. Who can I sue?

As a victim of a shuttle accident in Nevada, you may be able to sue:

  • The shuttle driver;
  • The shuttle company or owner;
  • The shuttle manufacturer, if the shuttle had a mechanical defect; and/or
  • Any third-party that may have been responsible for the shuttle’s safety or caused it to malfunction

You may also be able to sue the local government if the accident was partly caused by faulty signage or roads that have not been maintained.

Shuttle companies in Nevada

Shuttle bus and van companies that currently operate in Nevada are the following:

4. Multiple victims

Skilled personal injury attorneys are experienced in how to win the “race for the money” for you when there are multiple victims.

Depending on the case, the surest course of action may be to take an early settlement. Though sometimes it may be worth it to hold out for a trial. The best strategy depends on the unique facts of the shuttle accident.

Shuttle bus passenger looking alarmed
Victims of shuttle bus accidents can sue the company that owns the shuttle bus.

5. Partial fault

As long as you were no more than 50% to blame for the shuttle bus accident, you can still recover damages. Your damages award would just be reduced in proportion to your degree of fault.4

People riding on a shuttle or driving on the road near a shuttle should be especially careful because one moment of carelessness can cause a catastrophic accident. Some ways passengers or drivers may contribute to a shuttle van or bus accident include:

  • Being an unruly passenger and distracting the driver;
  • Passing a shuttle bus when there is insufficient space;
  • Driving in the blind spot of a shuttle;
  • Driving too closely behind a shuttle;
  • Breaking without warning in front of a shuttle; and/or
  • Underestimating a shuttle’s speed while merging or making a left against traffic

Various evidence may be admissible in Nevada shuttle accident cases that can help determine degrees of fault. Examples of relevant evidence include surveillance video, photographs of the damage and road conditions, the vehicles’ GPS records, medical records, weather reports, and eye-witnesses.

6. Statute of limitations

After a shuttle bus accident occurs in Nevada, you have a two (2) year statute of limitations window to sue.5

See our related article, Does Nevada have a bus accident statute?

Additional reading

For more in-depth information, refer to these scholarly articles:

Legal References:

  1. See Scialabba v. Brandise Const. Co. (1996) 112 Nev. 965, 921 P.2d 928.
  2. NRS 41.035.
  3. NRS 42.005.
  4. NRS 41.141.
  5. NRS 11.190.

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