Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Key definition

Accident definition

What does Accident mean? In legal practice, an accident describes a sudden, unintended and unexpected event that causes personal injury, death or property damage. The term is descriptive and used across personal injury (negligence, employers’ liability, public liability), insurance and health and safety law; its precise scope depends on context and any applicable statute or policy wording. In road traffic cases, legislation imposes duties following an accident (for Great Britain, see Road Traffic Act 1988, s.170; Northern Ireland has equivalent provisions; Ireland’s Road Traffic Acts contain similar duties). In workplace health and safety, reporting regimes refer to accidents (for example, RIDDOR in Great Britain and...

Bus Accident Litigation: Duty of Care, Highway Code/DVSA Standards, Foreseeability, Contributory Negligence and Evidence in Pedestrian, Cyclist, Motorcyclist and Passenger Cases

Published by a LexisNexis PI & Clinical Negligence expert

Practice notes

The nature of the duty owed by bus drivers

A bus driver owes the same duty to fellow road users, including passengers, as any other driver: to drive with the reasonable care and skill of a competent motorist. That competence must be evaluated in context, particularly for those operating buses, by reference to:

the Highway Code
the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency's Official DVSA Guide to Driving Buses and Coaches

Only with such a measured assessment of the duty of care can there be a meaningful decision on whether that duty has been breached. The County Court case of Kevin Graham v Go North East Limited (20 November 2017) (not reported by LexisNexis®) illustrates the delicate balance when applying this duty. A defendant bus driver collided with the claimant's vehicle at a crossroads controlled by traffic lights. He proceeded through a changing signal because he believed that not doing so, and braking, would endanger his passengers. The judge recognised the 'split...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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