Have You Been Injured in a Bus Accident?
Buses are a common site throughout California. Hundreds of thousands of passengers use buses each year to get from place to place. Some buses provide local transit around a city and service commercial districts, while others use buses as their means to commute to and from work. Still others decide to ride on a bus as they travel out of state to see family or friends. Whatever the reason, California residents are boarding buses in large numbers every year and that is a trend that is expected to continue in the coming decades.
The majority of these individuals travel safely while aboard these buses but unfortunately, many sustain injuries every year in California bus accidents. Commonly these injuries are very significant, in part because commuters do not wear seat belts while riding on most buses. With many bus companies servicing Panorama City and California as a whole, it might not be surprising that these bus crashes account for many injuries annually and unfortunately some may result in death. If you suffer an injury, be sure to speak with a Panorama City bus crash lawyer ASAP.
What are some of the common reasons for bus accidents?
Bus drivers encounter a lot of the same challenges as any motorist, in addition to a few other unique issues. Some common causes of bus crashes include:
What injuries are prevalent in bus crashes?
As with any kind of accident on Panorama City roads, the injuries from a bus accident can partially depend on the speed of travel and the size of the other vehicle or vehicles in the collision.
The most common injuries consist of:
What legal rights are available to a bus accident victim?
As a bus crash victim, the law may offer you several civil claims to pursue. The cases available will rely on the circumstances of a particular crash and who is at fault in the crash.
At Fault Third Parties
If another driver causes an accident with a bus while you are a passenger on that bus, you might have a claim against the other motorist for your injuries. If the other driver does not have enough insurance coverage available for all of the injuries suffered in the collision or if the other driver has no insurance available at all, you might also have a right to bring an uninsured or underinsured claim against your own insurance company or the bus company itself, if there is UM coverage available.
At Fault Bus Driver
Alternatively, if the crash is because of a negligent bus driver and you were either a bus passenger or in another vehicle, you may have a claim against the bus driver and the bus company. This is true even if the bus owner is a municipality, like a city bus used for public transportation.
Safety Defects on a Bus
Lastly, if the accident is caused by some defect in the bus itself and not through actions of any drivers, you may have a claim against the:
Any bus driver that is injured in an accident might also have a claim for worker's compensation for their injuries.
The possibility of so many claims makes a bus accident case complicated and complex. Usually the more vehicles involved in the accident, the more complex the claim( s). This is a reason that when selecting a bus accident attorney in Panorama City, you want to pick one with experience prosecuting personal injury claims.
What do I do after I'm involved in a bus crash?
You may be rattled and in a state of shock after being involved in a bus accident. But there are a few important things that you need to do before leaving the scene.
How much can I recover financially after a bus crash?
The amount of money you might receive following a bus crash will depend a lot on the seriousness of your injuries. In general, you may recover the costs of your:
Families who have lost a loved one in a Panorama City bus crash may also collect for any treatment their loved one received before dying along with compensation for funeral and burial expenses, loss of companionship, and various other damages. Talk to an experienced Panorama City bus crash attorney to learn all of your options.
Have you been injured in a Panorama City Bus Crash?
The Panorama City bus crash lawyers at Drake Law Firm will work to help you get the financial recovery that you deserve. Bus crash damages may consist of: medical expenses, disfigurement, pain and suffering, loss of normal life, loss of income, and much more. We also seek to recover present and future costs when defending a crash victim.