Leading Bus Accident Lawyer in California
If you’ve been injured in a car vs. bus accident, an experienced San Bernardino bus accident Lawyer can help you navigate the complicated laws of California. We can help you recover the maximum amount in damages to get you as much as possible and to get justice in the face of negligent or careless drivers and their insurance companies. Contact us to speak with a San Bernardino bus accident lawyer today at Krasney Law!
Unfortunately, in part because of the negligence of some bus drivers, California roads can be dangerous. Bus drivers are better drivers than many other drivers, but even they can be negligent. Because of their huge size, buses can be dangerous to a driver and passengers in a car. Driving is perilous enough as it is considering all of the distractions such as cell phones, radios and children yelling in the back seat that many drivers have to contend with.
Buses are extremely dangerous for motorcycles, too. But even a car is no match for a cumbersome bus because they weigh several tons and take a long distance to brake to a stop..
If you have been injured in a bus accident, call the team at Krasney Law for a complimentary consultation.
How Can Our Bus Accident Lawyers Help?
We can help if you get injured in an accident with a bus. We can help you with your claim for compensation from the responsible bus driver and his or his employer’s insurance company for the damage or injury caused. If you are injured, call the team at Krasney Law for a free initial meeting with an attorney experienced in the area of bus accidents.
We have attorneys and investigators capable of dealing with insurance companies that try to pay as little as possible, even less than what you have coming. Also, some bus accident victims may need to file a lawsuit to get the insurance company to pay. Keep in mind, getting you back to good health is the No. 1 priority.
Krasney Law’s expert attorneys and staff can investigate the circumstances of an accident and file suit for maximum damages to see that our clients get what they need to cover medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. Or, we can negotiate with the insurance company to get you a fair settlement in exchange for your injuries.
What To Do in Case of a Bus Accident In 3 Easy Steps
- At the scene, first check on your passengers, if you have any. Then check drivers and pedestrians involved. If they need medical help, summon an ambulance immediately. Don’t move anyone who is unconscious or reports neck or back pain.
- Call the police to report any deaths, injuries or significant property damage and request a police report on the accident. Get the names and badge numbers of officers who come to the scene. It usually takes a couple of weeks to get the local police, sheriff or California Highway Patrol (CHP) to complete the report and make it available for pickup. Most law enforcement agencies charge a fee for the report.
- Ask all the drivers for their names, driver’s license numbers, telephone and address. Take down license plates and insurance information from every driver involved. This is a great time to start snapping pictures on your cell phone to help you with documenting all of this information once you are calmed down. If there are witnesses, write down their version of what happened and their information too. Again, you can’t take too many pictures.
What Not To Do In Case of a Bus Accident
Make sure that you:
- Don’t admit to any degree of fault.
- Don’t speak with the other side’s insurance company without first calling our office. Please keep in mind, the insurance company will want to take a recorded statement to protect themselves, not you. They represent the people that injured you, and they are trying to reduce their financial liability.
- Don’t give a recorded statement to anyone, especially insurance companies, they will use your own word against you later on in the case
- Don’t let your car, truck or motorcycle be towed to their tow yard. Instead get it towed home.
What To Do After You Go Home
When you go home or soon after, contact your insurance company and let them know you were in a bus accident. Don’t lie or misrepresent the truthful facts of the accident or they may deny coverage if you’re caught. Obtain a copy of the police report or contact our office and we can help you with that.
Photograph your vehicle and any damage to it. It can help a case to show it before the accident, too.
If you are injured, make sure to record visits to doctors and other medical practitioners, the drugs and treatments they prescribe and what you spent on them. Pain and suffering are harder to quantify and qualify, but take notes on how you feel physically and mentally because of the impact of the crash.
Also write down all time lost at work, note what activities at work or home that you can no longer participate in. In your journal, tell how the aftermath of the wreck has affected your family and marital life.
When Are Bus Drivers Negligent?
The driver of a vehicle who injures another party may be considered negligent when he acts in a careless and thoughtless manner. Negligence comes in two forms: when the driver failed to do something that would have prevented the accident, or when the driver did something he should not have done. A lot of distractions are usually considered negligence. For example, using a cell phone while driving is both restricted by law and considered negligent behavior..
California law requires drivers to be careful, and they may be considered negligent when they fail to act carefully. A person bringing a lawsuit must prove he was injured through the defendant’s actions, and that he suffered injuries or losses
Who is held responsible for the accident?
In the event of a bus accident, there are a few parties who may be held responsible. Depending on the circumstances, the bus company, the bus driver, or even the government may be held liable.
The bus company is typically responsible for maintaining the bus and ensuring that it is in safe working condition. This means that if there is a defect in the bus that leads to an accident, the bus company may be held liable.
The bus driver is responsible for the safety of the passengers. This includes driving the bus in a safe and responsible manner. If the driver is found to be at fault for the accident, then he or she may be held liable.
In some cases, the government, city or state agencies may also be held responsible for a bus accident if:
- the roadways have a faulty design
- the roadways are not well maintained.
- there are unclear turns or lanes
- there is leftover debris on highways or roads
- there are no warning signs
- Incorrect signage are used in construction zones
The victim of a bus accident can also be held liable partially or fully for a bus accident depending on the circumstances surrounding the accident. Multiple defendants can also be held responsible for the bus accident in some cases.
The bus accident lawyer you hire should be well-versed with federal and state regulations including maintenance, bus operations, safety protocols, and relevant codes.
Apart from the bus driver, personal injury lawsuits have involved these defendants:
- Bus owner
- Bus driver supervisor
- School bus operator
- Public transit authority
- Bus maintenance company
- Owner of bus stop
- Bus or bus part manufacturer
- Charter bus operator
- State, county, or city agency
- Tour bus operator
When determining who was ‘at fault’ for a bus accident, courts will also apply the ‘comparative fault’ law.
What is the ‘comparative fault’ law?
In California, the law of comparative negligence is used to apportion fault in accidents. This means that if you are found to be even partially at fault for an accident, you may still be able to recover damages from the other party.
For example, if you are involved in a bus accident and the bus driver is found to be 85 percent at fault, you can recover 15 percent of your damages from the driver.
How much can you recover in damages?
The maximum amount you can recover in damages following a bus accident will depend on many factors.
Before understanding the amount you can potentially recover, it’s important to know the types of damages that you can claim compensation for.
Car accidents can be costly, in terms of repairs, medical bills, pain, and suffering.
Economic damages are those that have a monetary value, such as lost wages, property damage, and medical bills. Here are some examples of economic damages you can claim:
- Hospital bills
- Emergency room treatment
- Medications
- Medical supplies
- In-home care
- Vehicle repair
- Past and future lost earnings
Non-economic damages, on the other hand, are more difficult to quantify. They include things such as:
- pain and suffering
- emotional distress
- loss of enjoyment
- anxiety and depression
- PTSD
- insomnia
In some cases, serious injuries such as herniated disc, spinal cord injury, delayed pain, or T-Bone injury may not become immediately apparent following an accident. It is recommended that you talk to a bus accident lawyer specializing in all injury types to know what steps you should take if you are involved in a collision with a bus.
Victims may also be able to claim punitive damages, which are designed to punish the at-fault party for their negligence.
Your chances of obtaining the maximum compensation are higher if you can prove that you were not at fault and followed all the traffic rules at the time of the accident.
The best way to understand how much you can claim in damages is to talk to Krasney Law, the expert bus accident lawyer in San Bernardino, California.
How your bus accident lawyer helps maximize the value of compensation
As the leading bus accident lawyer in San Bernardino, we at Krasney Law work with you right from the start to ensure you get the compensation you deserve. Our skilled bus accident lawyer will investigate the circumstances of an accident to gather evidence that shows that the other driver was negligent.
This means, in case of a personal injury lawsuit, we leave no stone unturned to prove that:
- the bus driver owed you (the plaintiff) a duty of care
- the duty of care was breached by the driver, and
- the breach caused the injuries that you suffered in the accident
Our investigations may also reveal that the bus driver violated Vehicle Code 21702. According to this code, bus drivers cannot drive the vehicle for more than 10 hours in a day.
If it is found that the driver was driving for more than the specified hours, it constitutes a misdemeanor, and the driver is liable for negligence.
Typically, the bus driver can come up with defenses that the rules were violated by mistake, or that there was an emergency.
As a law firm with extensive experience in bus accident cases, we know how to tackle these false claims and are committed to recovering damages from the negligent driver.
Knowing when to file a personal injury lawsuit
The statute of limitations for filing a car accident personal injury lawsuit in California is generally two years from the date of the accident.
If filing a claim against a government agency, you need to do so within six months from the date of the accident.
You can rely on us to file a personal injury lawsuit for maximum damages to help you cover the expenses related to medical bills, lost wages, vehicle repair, pain, and suffering.
We also negotiate on your behalf with the at-fault driver’s insurance company to ensure you get the amount you deserve.
Krasney Law’s highly skilled bus accident lawyer takes the necessary steps to establish negligence and liability of the other driver.
This is typically a labor-intensive and complex task that involves taking the testimony of witnesses, forensic experts, crash re constructionists, and medical professionals.
Hire Krasney Law—California Bus Accident Attorneys Today!
To get a free evaluation of your case, speak with an attorney who understands the complexities of bus accident claims. We have been winning big awards for our clients for years. We have experienced attorneys and expert staff who will go all out to represent you for maximum damages. Call the team at Krasney Law for a free initial consultation. Our bus accident lawyers will charge you nothing for an initial consultation, and we may arrange payment on a contingency basis. That is, we don’t get paid unless you get paid by either accepting a settlement or we go to trial and win your case.