Dolores is a middle-aged woman who wears men's clothing and has driven the children of Sam Dent to school for over twenty years. She takes immense pride in her cautious driving, her understanding of local weather conditions, and her familiarity with the children she transports. She is a dedicated caretaker to her disabled husband, Abbott.

Billy is a Vietnam veteran and a widower who owns a gas station and car repair shop in Sam Dent. He is respected in the community as an honorable man who hires other young veterans to help them gain stability. Struggling with the grief of losing his wife to cancer, he centers his life entirely around his twin children and his business.

Mitchell is a wealthy, cynical negligence attorney from a New York City law firm. He drives a Mercedes and travels to disaster sites to recruit plaintiffs, operating under the belief that accidents do not exist and someone is always to blame. He channels his personal frustrations into his legal work, seeking to punish entities that cut corners on safety.

Nichole is a fourteen-year-old eighth-grader who is known as a popular cheerleader and a school dance queen. Before the accident, she was a highly sought-after babysitter with a maternal streak. Following the crash, she faces a drastically altered physical reality, requiring a wheelchair and a heavily modified home environment.

Abbott is Dolores's husband, a former carpenter who relies on a wheelchair following a severe stroke. The stroke left him partially paralyzed and makes his speech incomprehensible to everyone except Dolores. Despite his physical limitations, he maintains a sharp, logical mind and offers slow, thoughtful wisdom.

Risa owns and manages the struggling Bide-a-Wile Motel alongside her husband. She is a private, intense woman who favors practical, plain clothing and works hard to maintain her business. Her life centers entirely around her fragile son, who serves as the primary bond holding her strained marriage together.

Wendell is Risa's husband and the co-operator of the Bide-a-Wile Motel. He lacks the drive of his wife and generally avoids hard work, appearing disconnected from his daily responsibilities. He harbors numerous resentments toward other town residents and focuses his limited energy on his son.

Sam is Nichole’s father, a man who projects the image of an ideal, dedicated parent to the outside world. He takes great pride in his daughter's beauty and social standing, living vicariously through her achievements. Following the accident, he immediately joins the negligence lawsuit, citing financial necessity.

Mary is Nichole's mother, a woman who habitually avoids conflict and relies heavily on food for comfort. She depends on her daughter's popularity to bolster her own social standing in the community and struggles to face difficult realities directly.

Wanda is a college-educated potter and environmentalist who lives in a yurt with her family. She favors 1960s beatnik clothing and maintains an active, engaged presence in Sam Dent's civic life. At the time of the school bus accident, she is pregnant with her second child.

Hartley is a furniture maker who embraces a hippie lifestyle with his wife, Wanda. Despite his unconventional living situation, he participates regularly in town affairs and provides a stable, loving home for his adopted son.

Bear is the eleven-year-old adopted son of Wanda and Hartley Otto. Large for his age, he is a gentle boy who naturally acts as a peacemaker among his peers. He admires Billy Ansel and talks about wanting to join the Marines.

Zoe is Mitchell Stephens's adult daughter. She battles a severe, long-term drug addiction that heavily strains her relationship with her father. She frequently contacts Mitchell to request money, lying about her circumstances and leaving him in a constant state of anxiety and grief.

Sean is the ten-year-old son of Risa and Wendell Walker. He is small for his age, physically fragile, and has a learning disability, though he demonstrates a strong aptitude for video games. His presence is the main factor keeping his parents' troubled marriage intact.

Lydia is Billy Ansel's late wife, who died of cancer several years prior. Her illness and death forced Billy to confront his inability to protect his family, deeply altering his perspective on life and leaving him as a single father to their twins.

Jessica is one of Billy Ansel's nine-year-old twins. She and her brother form the center of their widowed father's universe. A frightening incident in Jamaica during her early childhood cemented Billy's fierce protectiveness over her.

Mason is Billy Ansel's nine-year-old son and Jessica's twin brother. Following his mother's death, he and his sister rely entirely on their father, providing Billy with his main source of purpose and routine.

Reginald is the adult son of Dolores and Abbott Driscoll. He lives away from Sam Dent in Plattsburgh and struggles with his own marital difficulties, leaving his mother feeling somewhat disconnected from his daily life.

William is Dolores and Abbott Driscoll's adult son. He serves in the army and has recently returned from a deployment abroad, representing another way the Driscoll household has emptied over the years.