When someone is injured on a bus, the person may file a claim under the Texas Tort Claims Act. However, there are monetary limits to the amount of compensation, per person and per accident. It is important to contact a bus accident lawyer in Bryan, TX or College Station to guide you through the specifics. Here at Brian C. Gutierrez, our bus crash lawyer can help.
Whenever you board a bus, whether it is a shuttle, school bus, tour bus, or city bus, you place your trust in the bus driver and the organization that operates the bus. As a typical bus passenger, concerns about the possibility of being involved in a bus accident may not frequently cross your mind, as you have an expectation that those responsible will ensure your safety throughout your journey.
Unfortunately, the demand for bus accident attorneys in College Station and Bryan, TX remains steady due to the irresponsible behavior exhibited by numerous bus drivers, private companies, and other motorists. When an at-fault party neglects to adhere to road regulations and necessary safety protocols, the consequences can be devastating for the victims involved.
After being involved in a bus accident, many victims are left feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about the necessary actions to safeguard their legal rights and pursue compensation for their severe injuries. It is crucial to promptly reach out to a reputable personal injury law firm that specializes in handling bus accident claims and lawsuits. By doing so, a skilled Bryan bus accident lawyer can effectively communicate with the insurance company on your behalf and prevent any inadvertent statements or actions that could potentially harm your case.
You may feel overwhelmed and emotional in the chaotic moments following a bus accident. Since bus accidents are frequently more devastating than car accidents, due to the size of the bus and the fact that there are numerous passengers on the bus, it’s normal to feel overcome with anxiety following a collision.
Despite the stress of the situation, you’ll want to have the presence of mind to make wise choices in the moments after the bus accident. There are specific steps you should take following a bus accident to streamline the process of seeking compensation in the future, which include the following:
Following a bus accident, it is imperative to seek medical attention, even if you have sustained minor injuries as a result of the crash. After the collision, the bus driver should call 911 immediately. If, for some reason, they cannot or will not, you must call 911 and report the incident. When you call 911, it is not just to seek medical attention for passengers; it’s also to request law enforcement officers to the accident scene so that they can write an accident report.
Even if your injuries do not seem severe, it is essential that you seek care from the emergency medical technicians that come to the scene. If you refuse care and claim you are fine at the collision scene, only to have to pursue care later, you will have a hard time proving to an insurance company that you suffered the injuries in the bus accident. Receiving care at the scene will also work in your favor when the insurance company tries to minimize your injuries in an attempt to prevent you from receiving fair compensation.
If possible, ask the other bus passengers, bus driver, and any witnesses for their contact information. Your accident lawyer may need to reach out to them while filing your claim, and having their contact information will save time and allow your lawyer to work more effectively on your case. Once a police officer has arrived, you will want to ask for their name, card, and accident report number after it has been completed.
If you can, physically document the scene by taking photos of the bus accident with your phone. This evidence will help you if your claim escalates to a lawsuit. However, if you are injured in any way, your priority should be receiving medical care.
A bus accident is much more challenging to navigate than a commuter car accident. Bus companies have different insurance that is more comprehensive than the average driver’s car insurance, which means you’ll want a legal professional filing your claim.
Sometimes the insurance policy the bus company holds will cover every passenger individually. Another insurer may allocate a set amount of funds for the collision, and passengers are left with whatever amount they are awarded from the pool.
In bus accident cases where numerous passengers received severe injuries, this type of pooled insurance policy may negatively impact your ability to recover enough money to cover your losses fully. A College Station bus accident lawyer will understand the complexities of bus accident insurance and work to secure you the compensation you deserve following the collision.
You will need to completely follow your medical care provider’s instructions to have the strongest possible personal injury claim following a bus accident. Following up with your healthcare provider, adhering to their treatment plan, and completing any necessary therapies and procedures to prove the validity of your injury.
Ignoring your healthcare provider’s instructions or only receiving treatment at the crash scene gives the impression that your injury is less severe than you claim. The insurance company will use this to prove that you are not entitled to the maximum compensation for your injuries.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recorded that from 2009 to 2019, transit and school buses made up 39% and 34%, respectively, of all bus accidents that resulted in one or more fatalities. Intercity buses accounted for 12% of deaths from bus accidents during this period. There are numerous types of bus accidents, and the type of collision can sometimes impact your ability to seek compensation if you are injured in a bus accident.
The National Safety Council reported that car accidents involving school buses killed 108 people in the U.S. in 2021. Over 450,000 school buses are used to carry approximately 25 million students every day school is in session. Children involved in school bus accidents are usually between five and 13 years of age.
If you or your child are in an accident involving a school bus, you will want to contact a lawyer to see if you can file a personal injury or wrongful death claim. Personal injury attorneys can guide you during this difficult time and pursue justice for you and your loved one.
Nearly 25 million individuals use Greyhound buses to travel from one location to another annually. However, just because the bus involved in the accident is commercially run does not mean your motor vehicle accident claim will automatically be successful.
Companies that use buses to transport passengers have professional legal teams, so it is recommended to hire a College Station bus accident attorney to take on the company’s bus accident attorneys on your behalf. Attempting to handle a legal battle against commercial bus accident lawyers on your own could result in inadequate compensation for your severe injuries, lost wages, and emotional distress.
Over 29,000 buses are run by private companies and used for charters, tours, and events. When serious bus accidents occur involving privately run buses, sometimes it is because the bus company did not do their due diligence when hiring a driver or failed to maintain the bus properly. To prove a bus company could not fulfill their responsibility to their passengers – and that due to this negligence, passengers suffered personal injury – you’ll want to consult with seasoned bus accident lawyers in College Station or Bryan, TX with a proven history of successful cases and lawsuits against bus companies.
Not all bus accident victims are on the bus or in another vehicle. Since buses are constantly picking up pedestrians and dropping them off, the opportunity for accidents to occur is prevalent.
A bus accident involving a pedestrian struck by a bus can result in severe injury or wrongful death. Whether a pedestrian is hit by a city or school bus, they will need to work with injury attorneys if they hope to recover significant compensation to cover their medical expenses and pain and suffering.
While bus accidents can happen for the same reasons as any car accident, the result of the collision is often much more devastating. Bus crashes frequently result in catastrophic injuries for victims in the other vehicle due to their size in relation to the average commuter vehicle.
The size of buses is also why fatalities are frequent when a pedestrian is stuck by a bus. Accidents involving pedestrians can also happen terrifyingly easily due to the height of buses. In a school bus accident, this danger is compounded because children are smaller, move quickly, and are more likely to run into the path of a bus without realizing they are in danger.
A bus accident case is also different from many motor vehicle collisions because there are more potential at-fault parties (e.g, the driver, bus company, other driver, the bus manufacturer). Injury lawyers at a reputable law firm will help you determine who is to blame for the collision and gather information to build a solid bus accident case against the at-fault parties.
Bryan bus accident lawyers regularly work with accident victims who have suffered various injuries. Bus accident victims may be individuals who were riding the bus, pedestrians, or individuals in a different vehicle that collided with a school, transit, or city bus.
Some of the most common injuries that prompt a victim to file an injury claim include the following:
Which party is responsible for your injuries in a bus accident in Texas will be decided by several factors, including the bus type, what entity owns it, and who caused the accident. Some parties that could be held liable for a bus passenger’s injuries following a crash include:
Private bus companies operate vehicles such as tour buses and certain transportation buses. They can be held responsible for an accident if they use lackadaisical screening and hiring practices or if their bus driver acted inappropriately within the scope of their employment.
The government usually controls city transit buses, and depending on the circumstances surrounding the crash, you may be able to file a bus accident claim with the government. Public school buses are typically run by the school district, except in the case of private schools and universities, where school buses may be operated by a private company or the school itself.
There are numerous reasons why a bus driver might be held liable for a bus accident. Driver fatigue, driving under the influence, failure to obey road signs or exceeding the speed limit, and distracted driving are all reasons a bus driver could be considered at fault for serious injuries a bus passenger receives. In situations where a driver behaves dangerously or irresponsibly and causes a bus accident, their employer may also hold liability since they are the ones who hired the driver.
When bus drivers are not employees of the entity operating the bus, but independent contractors, trying to recover compensation for your injuries can be more complicated, but it isn’t impossible. Factors such as the entity’s insurance coverage and the driver’s personal insurance policy can impact how you seek repayment for your losses. Skilled injury lawyers know how to navigate bus accidents where multiple parties are at-fault, and how to file a claim against multiple parties successfully.
Many bus accident cases involve multiple at-fault parties, and sometimes one of them will be the company responsible for manufacturing the bus or its key components. When tour, private, and school bus accidents happen due to a faulty bus component, the manufacturer of the defective part could be liable. Proving that a flawed part caused the bus accident will be challenging, and you will want to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Bryan bus accident attorney to ensure you have the strongest case possible.
Sometimes, even the most responsible and cautious bus drivers can find themselves involved in a traffic accident. It is important to recognize that bus accidents can occur due to the reckless behavior, failure to use indicators, or distracted driving of other vehicle drivers, which may have no connection to any fault on the part of the bus or its driver.
Once the police arrive at the scene of the collision, they will gather evidence to assist in determining the responsible party for the bus accident. If it is determined that the other driver is fully or partially at fault, injury attorneys can assist you in filing a claim against them.
If you have been hurt in a bus accident in Texas, you will want to reach out to College Station bus accident lawyers as soon as possible. The statute of limitations for a personal injury claim or negligence lawsuit in Texas requires victims to file their claim within two years of when the accident occurred. You will want to work with a trustworthy law firm to maximize your chances of having a positive outcome for your claim.
Victims injured in bus accidents caused by others’ negligence or malice can typically seek two types of damages for their losses. Damages refers to an amount of money a person is owed after a person or entity causes them harm and breaches their duty of care to them.
Economic damages are losses you suffer that are easy to put a value on, such as medical bills, lost income, and property damage. These damages can be proven with pay stubs, medical invoices, and repair receipts. As long as you maintain a solid paper trail, it is challenging for insurance companies to dispute your economic losses.
Non-economic damages are losses you suffered that are difficult to quantify. Pain and suffering and other forms of emotional distress are considered non-economic damages.
Insurance companies will try to minimize these losses to reduce the amount they provide you in compensation. Bus accident attorneys in College Station are essential to proving the value of non-economic losses to the insurance company, as they know how to present your claim in a way that gives validity to losses that are hard to put a number on.
Bus accidents can leave victims with serious injuries, extensive medical expenses, and even lost wages and diminished earning potential. While the thought of pursuing fair financial compensation may sound daunting, it is essential that you reach out to a bus crash lawyer for legal representation. Your lawyer will help prove which party was at fault, demonstrate the severity of your injuries, and pursue maximum compensation for your losses.
Trying to take on bus companies and the at-fault party’s insurance company while you are trying to heal is not a recipe for a successful outcome. Ensure your bus accident case is handled with the care and attention it deserves.
If you or someone you love has been hurt in a bus accident, you will need to work with a bus accident attorney to increase your chances of receiving fair compensation for your losses. Whether the accident was caused due to a negligent bus driver or other vehicles on the road, injury victims should not be left financially responsible for the catastrophic injuries they received in the bus crash.
Our skilled legal team is prepared to face off with the at-fault party on your behalf, regardless of if they are a private bus company or a transportation giant like Greyhound Bus.
Call 979-823-5555 to schedule a free consultation with Brian C. Gutierrez to discuss the details of your bus accident case today.
The city may not be the only source of compensation for injuries sustained in bus accidents. Depending on the situation, compensation may be possible through bus manufacturers, uninsured motorist policies, outside contractors responsible for bus maintenance, and other sources. Our bus crash lawyer in Bryan and College Station, TX can investigate your claim to uncover all possible sources of compensation.
Choosing the right bus crash lawyer in Bryan, TX is essential to recovering the compensation you may be entitled to. With so many personal injury law firms competing for your business, it can be hard to decide who to trust. The bus crash lawyer you choose should have extensive experience navigating bus accident cases and possess knowledge of local and federal bus laws. Moreover, they should have the necessary resources to ensure you get the maximum compensation available for your bus accident injuries. Experience matters when choosing a bus crash lawyer because only an experienced attorney can provide the level of advocacy required to secure a fair settlement or verdict on your behalf.
If your child has been involved in a school bus accident, it is important to seek legal counsel as soon as possible. The bus accident lawyers in Bryan, TX at Brian C. Gutierrez are here to help you understand your rights and the options that are available to you. After an in-depth consultation with one of our bus accident attorneys, they can further explain how the evidence at hand may play a role in developing a successful litigation plan. We will work hard to ensure that your child’s rights are protected and that appropriate damages are sought after.
If you have been involved in an accident with a commercial bus in Bryan, TX, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the operator of the commercial bus. You should seek the advice of an experienced commercial bus accident lawyer who can assess your legal rights and advise you on how to proceed. The commercial bus crash lawyer will consider factors such as whether the commercial bus was being operated safely or negligently and if liability lies with another entity responsible for maintaining the commercial bus. They will also help determine what damages are recoverable as a result of the incident. Additionally, they can act as your advocate helping you secure a fair monetary award. Take time to research commercial bus accident attorneys in Bryan, TX, to ensure you have someone experienced on your side fighting for your legal rights.
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In Texas, the statute of limitations for injury claims is two years. However, the Texas Tort Claims Act also has a notice requirement and each city has its own deadline for notification of your intention to file a lawsuit. For this reason, our bus crash lawyer encourages you to contact us to make sure you meet all requirements and deadlines. During your free initial consultation, bus crash Attorney Brian Gutierrez will evaluate your claim and explain the legal process.
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