A shuttle bus crashed last week near the Texas Medical Center when the driver may have suffered a “medical episode.” Several bus passengers were transported to the hospital, and a pedestrian who was hit while standing on the corner later died.

According to Click2Houston.com, the bus driver, Henry James Foots, 54, may have passed out before the accident. Witnesses reported seeing him slump over and a passenger tried to steer the bus to safety. But before the bus could stop, it hit 43-year-old Carlet Michelle Blake, who was standing on the corner of Holcombe and South Braeswood.

The shuttle bus hit an SUV before hitting Blake, but the driver of that vehicle reported no injuries. Eleven passengers of the shuttle bus were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The bus was owned and operated by SLL Transportation, working with Harris Health System for transporting people in the Texas Medical Center area. News reports indicate the company has no records of complaints with the Texas DMV and reported no accidents within the past two years.

Bus accidents, whether large city buses or smaller shuttles like this one, can prove deadly. Whether you are outside of the bus in another vehicle or a passenger on the bus, these accidents can result in serious injuries to many.

When you use a transportation system like this, you rarely think that you’ll be involved in a serious accident—we take it for granted that we will arrive safely at our destinations. But sometimes tragedies occur.

Accident injuries don’t only affect you at that very moment or when you are transported to the hospital—they can affect you for years to come. They can hinder your ability to work and to enjoy the things you once did. In the seconds that it takes for an accident to happen, your entire life can change.

Fortunately, you have rights. When you are hurt in an accident like this—an accident that wasn’t your fault—you could be entitled to compensation. Whether you were a passenger on a bus or driving a car that was hit by a bus, the person who caused the accident can be held accountable. If you’ve been injured in a serious bus accident in the Houston area, a bus accident lawyer may be able to help.