Victim of a bus accident?

Ask for legal help if you have been injured in an accident involving a bus. If you don’t, you’ll be responsible for all of your losses from the incident. Speak with a bus accident lawyer, and they can explain your legal options in depth. If warranted, your attorney can help you proceed with a bus collision claim or lawsuit against anyone responsible for your accident and injuries. 

At Sweet James Accident Attorneys, we give you access to real lawyers who are focused on getting you real results. As you deal with the ramifications of your bus crash, trust a personal injury lawyer from our team to assist you with your case against any responsible parties. 

In your bus accident case, our legal team will fight for compensation and justice for you. To find out more, request a free case review. 

Why Now Is the Time to Hire a Lawyer to Help You with Your Bus Accident Case

Your bus accident attorney will serve as your legal representative and advocate. They want you to treat your accident injuries and keep doing so for as long as your doctor advises. Meanwhile, your lawyer can look for ways to bolster your case against any parties liable for your accident and injuries. Reasons to get an attorney on your side for your bus collision case include:

• Knowledge of bus accident laws: Your attorney can teach you about various regulations that apply to your case. They can use their legal know-how to help you prove liability and recover compensatory damages from anyone at fault for your bus accident and injuries. 
• Evidence collection: Your lawyer can gather traffic camera footage of your accident, bus driver logs, vehicle maintenance information, police reports, witness statements, and other evidence. If your attorney has a comprehensive body of proof, it may be tough for a liable party or their insurance company to dispute your compensation request. 
• Insurance claims guidance and support: Your lawyer is likely to be familiar with the tactics that insurance adjusters use to limit payouts to bus accident victims and their families. They can help you address challenges that you encounter during the claims process before they hurt your chances of getting compensation for your accident losses. 
• Settlement negotiations assistance: Our lawyers have recovered millions of dollars for clients, and we want to fight for results that match or surpass your expectations. As part of your lawyer’s efforts to get you the results you want, they can negotiate a settlement for you and provide regular updates as they do.
• Trial representation: If your case reaches trial, your lawyer wants to make sure that you feel confident when you enter the courtroom. They can give you insights into what your trial will entail and stand up for you as your case is presented in court.  
• Peace of mind: Your lawyer can give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have a personal injury attorney at your disposal. If you have legal concerns or questions throughout your case proceedings, your attorney can address them. 

Sweet James Accident Attorneys can put a team of legal professionals in your corner. For those injured in accidents involving school buses, city buses, or other large vehicles, we’re here to help you in any way we can. To learn more, schedule a free case review. 

Compensation Available to You in a Bus Accident Case

Your lawyer for a bus accident can calculate your losses. When your attorney does, they will account for your economic and non-economic damages and whether a court will award them. Some of the damages that you could get in your bus crash case include:

Pain and Suffering

The emotional distress, physical discomfort, and other pain and suffering from your accident with a bus can take its toll on you now and in the future. Discuss any pain and suffering that you experience from your accident with your attorney. 

Then, your lawyer can craft an argument designed to prove to a judge or jury why you should recover pain and suffering damages. 

Medical Bills

Track what you spend on medical treatments for your concussion, broken bones, and other injuries from your bus accident. Your lawyer will consider your costs for medications, physical therapy, surgeries, and ongoing medical care as they determine the value of your case. 

Lost Wages

If you suffer a spinal cord injury (SCI), a traumatic brain injury (TBI), or other catastrophic harm in a bus accident, you may be forced to miss work for an extended period. At this point, it can be a struggle to earn the income that you need to cover your daily expenses. Share your pay stubs with your lawyer so that they can strengthen your case for loss of income damages.

To help you recover these and other bus accident compensatory damages, your lawyer can file your personal injury claim or lawsuit in accordance with the statute of limitations in the state where you’re submitting your compensation request. From here, your attorney can develop an argument for you centered on negligence. 

What Is the Role of Negligence in a Bus Accident Lawsuit?

Your attorney for a bus accident can provide you with insights into negligence and what it can mean in terms of your case outcome. As your lawyer gets your case ready for trial, they can build an argument that focuses on these elements of negligence:

• Duty of Care: A bus company, a bus driver, and other parties have a legal obligation not to commit any acts that can put people at risk. 
• Breach of Duty of Care: A duty of care is violated when someone does something that can harm others. For example, if a bus driver is speeding, they are breaching their duty of care to passengers in their vehicle, motorists, pedestrians, and many others. 
• Causation: Your lawyer wants a judge or jury to see that because a party was careless or reckless and breached their duty of care, they caused your accident and injuries. 
• Damages: Your attorney can argue that since a duty of care was violated and a party caused your accident and injuries, you deserve to be compensated for the harm that you’ve suffered. 

Personal injury lawyers can conduct an investigation of your bus accident to find out who’s liable for the incident. Next, they can prepare an argument that can prove to a court that a liable party chose to be negligent and, due to this, should have to cover your accident losses. 

Who Is Responsible for a Bus Collision?

The party responsible for your bus crash will depend on the circumstances of the accident. Bus collision lawyers can read police reports, interview witnesses, and take other steps to investigate your crash. They may find that any of the following parties are to blame:

Bus Driver or Bus Company

The driver of a school bus or another type of bus ignores a stop sign and slams their car into yours. In this situation, consult with a car accident lawyer within days of your collision. Your lawyer can help you submit a personal injury claim against this driver or the bus company that employs them. 

Vehicle Maintenance Company

Generally, vehicle maintenance companies for buses inspect, service, and repair bus fleets. If a vehicle maintenance company makes a mistake, a bus may not operate properly due to a mechanical failure, which can lead to an accident. Bus maintenance records can help you prove that such a company is at fault for your crash. 

Other Drivers

Multiple drivers can be involved in an accident with a bus. This can make it difficult to determine if one or more motorists are liable for the incident. Bus accident lawyers can assess a multi-vehicle collision. This can help your attorney figure out who is at fault and pursue compensation from them accordingly. 

Outside of these parties, there are times when government entities, bus manufacturers, transit authorities, maintenance contractors, and others can be to blame for accidents involving buses. Regardless of who’s liable for your bus collision, your lawyer can help you get money for your accident losses via a personal injury claim or lawsuit. 

What Can Happen if You File a Bus Accident Claim?

In county and federal bus accident cases and many others, filing a claim is the initial step toward getting compensation from a responsible party. Your bus crash attorney can guide you through the claims process. After your claim is submitted, they can stay in contact with the insurance companies involved and provide you with frequent updates. 

Bus accident cases involving Greyhound and other parties are often resolved through settlement negotiations. For instance, a bus driver crashes their vehicle into you as you are walking from point A to point B. Your pedestrian accident lawyer can help you submit your claim and negotiate a settlement. If you get a fair offer, you can accept it and close your case. 

Unfortunately, insurance settlement negotiations can be contentious. If a liable party’s insurance company disputes your claim or offers a lowball settlement, you maintain the right to file a personal injury lawsuit and bring your case in front of a judge or jury. 

How Lawsuits for Bus Accident Injury Cases Work

Bus accident attorneys may advise you to sue a liable party for compensatory damages. In your lawsuit, your lawyer wants to make it clear to a judge or jury that you’re in no way to blame for your accident. They can put together a legal strategy that could compel a judge or jury to award economic and non-economic damages. 

If you’re debating whether to move forward with a lawsuit, it can be beneficial to meet with a personal injury lawyer with relevant case experience. As an example, you are a bicyclist who is injured after a bus driver takes their eyes off the road and crashes their vehicle into you. Get help from a bicycle accident lawyer, as they can help you tackle any legal issues that arise. 

Many bus collision lawsuits are settled before a trial gets underway. If you get a settlement offer prior to your trial date, you can assess the offer with your lawyer and make an informed decision on it. Of course, you’re under no legal obligation to approve a settlement offer. If you want to take your case to trial, your attorney will support your decision to do so.  

When to Submit a Bus Accident Wrongful Death Claim or Lawsuit 

Sadly, a bus accident can be fatal. If you lose a family member in a bus collision caused by someone else, you may be devastated emotionally by this tragedy. Furthermore, you may have no idea how you and your family will stay afloat financially in the aftermath of your loss.

A wrongful death lawyer may help you take legal action as part of a claim or lawsuit against anyone who caused your family member’s fatal bus crash. Your lawyer can give you information about personal injury law relative to wrongful death claims and lawsuits. If you want to seek compensation from a liable party, your attorney can assist.

Your lawyer knows how emotionally taxing it can be to request compensation through a wrongful death claim or lawsuit. They can help you prove that a bus driver error, bus driver fatigue, or other factors contributed to your loved one’s fatal accident. As your lawyer handles your legal matters, you and your family can continue to focus on caring for and supporting one another. 

Our Bus Collision Lawyers Are Committed to a Lifetime of Service

Leave nothing to chance with a legal claim for a bus collision. Make the call to bus collision attorneys who prioritize the needs of those injured in accidents involving tour buses, shuttle buses, and other large vehicles. Your lawyer will protect your legal rights and interests as you recover from your bus accident and injuries. 

For those who are unsure of who to call following a bus crash caused by someone else, consider what Sweet James Accident Attorneys offers. Our mission is to defend the powerless and level the playing field for real people who’ve been hurt due to no fault of their own. 

Let us help you with your bus accident case. Contact us today for more information. 

Disclaimer: Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.