While many people have cars or get rides from friends to get around town, others choose to take the bus. Whether you are riding public transportation or bought a ticket for a private bus, accidents can happen, and people can get hurt. You and many others injured in the accident deserve financial compensation for your injuries, and a lawyer can help you.
After a bus accident, you should get immediate medical attention. You or someone at the accident scene should call 911 right away and have the police and an ambulance sent to your location. Once you get to a hospital and are in stable condition, consider contacting a lawyer to talk about filing an injury case. You may be able to recover damages for extensive medical costs, property damage, pain, trauma, and more. If you want to sue a public transportation agency or entity, we may need to jump some additional legal hurdles, as these agencies may be considered governmental entities.
Call Rice Law at (470) 287-3070 and ask our bus accident lawyers for a free initial case assessment to begin your claim.
What You Should Do After a Bus Accident
The aftermath of a bus accident can be overwhelming and confusing. You and others might be badly hurt, and it can be easy to panic. Whatever happens, try to stay calm and get help.
First, you or someone else at the scene should call 911 and get help immediately. Bus accident injuries are known to be severe, and waiting to get medical attention could be fatal. Many bus accidents require multiple ambulances to transport all injured victims to the hospital.
If you can, document the scene and exchange information with others. Get the name of the bus driver and the name of their employer, if possible. Take photos and record videos of the accident scene if possible. However, if your injuries are severe, just stay where you are and wait for help to arrive.
After you have received medical care and are feeling better, contact a lawyer about the accident. You may be entitled to significant financial compensation for medical bills, injuries, pain, suffering, and more.
Recoverable Damages in Bus Accident Cases
Our bus accident lawyers will review the accident, your injuries, and the losses you experienced and determine the extent of your damages. It is crucial that nothing is left out or overlooked so that you get all the financial compensation you rightfully deserve.
Your injuries might be quite serious after a bus accident, and you might have steep medical bills. Not only can you claim medical costs you have already incurred, but we can also estimate the costs of future medical care for your injuries and add them to the case.
You might be so badly hurt that you cannot return to your job for some time. As a result, you might lose valuable income at a time you need it the most. In such a case, we can estimate how much income you have lost and may continue to lose, and claim it as part of your damages.
We should also include damages for injuries that do not have a price tag. Your physical pain, psychological trauma, and distress from the accident might be intense, and you deserve compensation for these painful experiences.
Common Causes of Chamblee Bus Accidents
Determining what caused a bus accident is not always easy. These accidents are often large and complicated, and we might have to wait for the authorities to investigate before we know what went wrong. In the meantime, we can consider several common causes of bus accidents as we start building your case.
One of the most common causes of bus accidents is bus driver negligence. The bus driver in your case might have been distracted by their phone, or perhaps they were chatting with a passenger. In some cases, drivers are intoxicated and cannot drive safely, no matter how hard they try. Still, some bus drivers are poorly trained and lack the necessary experience and skills to operate a bus safely.
Another common cause of bus accidents is speeding. Speeding is somewhat common, and most people drive over the speed limits at least sometimes. When a bus driver is speeding, they might be unable to stop in time to avoid a crash. Buses are very large and heavy and might not be able to stop on a dime.
Suing a Private Bus Company or a Public Transportation Agency
How we approach your case may depend on whether you were injured in a bus accident with a private bus company or public transportation. Since public transportation entities are often governmental entities, we must be mindful of additional legal requirements.
Private Bus Companies
If you were injured in an accident with a private bus company, we can help you file a case against the company just like any other private entity. For example, you might have been on a private tour bus or a charter bus for a private event when the accident happened. We may file insurance claims with the company’s liability insurance or file a lawsuit against them in court.
Public Transportation
Suing a public transportation agency or entity is arguably more challenging because they may be governmental entities with certain legal protections.
Much of Chamblee and the surrounding area is serviced by MARTA. Since MARTA is legally an arm of the state government, we must follow certain laws when filing a lawsuit against it.
We may need to file a notice of your claim before we can initiate legal action, according to O.C.G.A. § 50-21-26(a). The notice must be submitted within 12 months of the accident, which is a shorter deadline than the ordinary statute of limitations. If we do not notify MARTA of the claim on time, we cannot proceed with a lawsuit.
Receive Legal Help Now From Our Chamblee Bus Accident Attorneys
Call Rice Law at (470) 287-3070 and ask our bus accident lawyers for a free initial case assessment to begin your claim.