Your Rights After a Bus Accident

If you, or a loved one, has been injured in an accident involving a bus or public transportation, you need to speak with an attorney who specializes in bus accidents. At The Higgins Firm, we know that there are certain nuances that must be taken into consideration when dealing with a bus accident case. The first, and possibly the most important things to remember, is that a bus is a large vehicle which typically carries anywhere from 10 to 56 passengers so the size, scope, and type of injuries that can be caused in a bus accident are very different from what you would expect in an accident involving a personal vehicle.

Duty of Care

Bus operators, and the companies that run them, have a very specific duty of care that they owe towards their passengers, pedestrians, and other drivers on the road.

By virtue of the fact that a bus carries so many passengers, often without seatbelts, there is an inherent risk of passengers being injured in an accident as they are thrown out of their seats, bashing their body into a part of the bus, or having a free flying object do bodily damage as it flies across the open space of the bus.

To prevent this scenario, bus drivers are highly trained, the equipment is well-maintained, and both the drivers and bus companies do the best they can to avoid accidents. However, as a bus accident law firm, we know that despite all these precautions, bus accidents happen anyway.

Bus Accident Statistics

According to statistics gathered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration there were over 11,000 bus accidents between 1988 and 2008. Of these, the most common type of bus involved were school buses. School buses account for 40% of all fatal bus crashes in that time period, while 35% of fatal bus crashes involved transit buses. In addition to fatalities, bus accidents have caused roughly 43,000 injuries each year.

Filing a Lawsuit

If you have been in an accident involving a bus, you are going to need a bus accident lawyer to represent you. We need to prove negligence in order to show that you should receive financial damages.

As a victim of a bus accident, you may be eligible to receive compensation from one or more parties. Our job is to –

• Determine who the negligent parties are.
• Properly assess what damages you have suffered.
• Calculate what your current and future medical costs will be.
• Conduct the necessary investigations to set up a successful case.
• Represent you in negotiations and ultimately in court if necessary.

The first thing we need to do is determine which parties could be responsible, so that we can name them in your lawsuit. Parties can include the bus operator, the company that operates the bus service, anybody who was responsible for maintenance, the bus manufacturer, and even state and local governments.

Compensation

Once we have identified the negligent party, we can begin to value your claim and prepare a demand letter. This starts the negotiations process and your case may settle outside of court. If not, we are prepared to represent you during a trial.

Schedule a Consultation

To speak with a bus accident attorney, call The Higgins Firm at 1.800.705.2121.