What to do after an express bus accident
You were involved in an accident with an express bus and are unsure who is responsible.
Get medical attention first. This applies whether you were on the bus or in another vehicle. A bus operator carries the same kind of compulsory insurance as any other vehicle on the road, so who you claim against depends on fault, not on vehicle size.
If you were a passenger on the bus
Keep your ticket or booking confirmation. It helps establish that you were travelling on that specific service at that time.
Photograph any visible injury and note your seat position if it is relevant to how you were hurt. Get contact details from nearby passengers who witnessed what happened, since a full bus often means several potential witnesses.
Your claim generally proceeds against whichever party’s insurer covers the at-fault vehicle.[1] That may be the bus itself, or another vehicle involved in the accident, depending on how it happened.
If you were in another vehicle hit by the bus
The same core steps apply as any other accident. Check for injuries, photograph the scene, exchange details with the bus driver, and lodge a police report the same day.
Note the bus company’s name and the service number if it is visible. Record the vehicle’s registration as well.
Evidence worth chasing that is specific to buses
Many express buses carry onboard cameras. This footage can be genuinely useful evidence if it is requested from the operator soon after the accident, since retention periods are not indefinite.
Passenger accounts also carry particular weight here. A full bus often means several people saw the same moment from different angles.
Why more people are often involved
A bus accident often means more injured parties than a typical two-vehicle collision. This can make the process feel more complicated than it actually is.
The underlying claim principles do not change. Each affected person’s claim is assessed on their own injuries and their own evidence.
Next steps
What to do after a road accident covers the fuller sequence for the days that follow. Making a road accident claim explains how the claim itself works once liability and your injuries are documented.
Common questions
As a bus passenger, who do I claim against?
You generally claim against the at-fault party's insurer, which may be the bus operator's own policy if the bus driver was at fault, or another vehicle's insurer if that driver caused the accident.
Should I keep my bus ticket after an accident?
Yes. Your ticket helps confirm you were a passenger on that specific service at that time, which can matter later even though it may feel like a small detail in the moment.
Does the bus have its own cameras that could help?
Many express buses are fitted with onboard cameras, and this footage can be a valuable piece of evidence if it is requested from the operator reasonably promptly after the accident.
I was in another vehicle and a bus hit me. Is a bus company harder to claim against than an individual driver?
Not in principle. A bus operator is required to carry the same kind of compulsory motor insurance as any other vehicle owner, and the claim proceeds through that insurer in the usual way.
Sources
- Road Transport Act 1987, s.90 and s.96 (Ministry of Transport) (accessed 2026-09-22)