Columbus Metra Transit System Accident Lawyer
The medical costs alone from bus accidents might quickly overwhelm victims in Columbus. If you need compensation for your injuries, our lawyers can help you bring a claim.
You might have a case against the Columbus Metra Transit System if you were injured as a bus passenger or a car driver. Passenger injuries vary dramatically, ranging from fractures to traumatic brain injuries. Although car drivers are protected by seat belts and airbags, unlike bus passengers, they might also sustain life-altering injuries when hit by a much larger vehicle like a bus. Regardless, victims should call 911 to report accidents to law enforcement. After you do this, you can get treated at the nearest hospital. While compensation for Columbus Metra Transit System bus accident victims is often capped, making a large recovery is possible, provided you have sufficient evidence to prove negligence and liability.
Call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (470) 287-3070 to get a free and confidential case analysis from our Columbus Metra Transit System accident lawyers today.
Reasons for Claims Against the Columbus Metra Transit System
Victims may be able to pursue claims for accidents involving Columbus Metra Transit System buses for various reasons. For example, you could sue if you got injured as a passenger or driver of another car.
You Were Injured as a Passenger
Buses have few safety protections for riders. They notably lack seat belts or airbags. Often, there are not enough seats for passengers, meaning some have to stand, with handrails as their only means of steadying themselves.
No matter how minor an accident seems from the outside, the force of impact might push a standing passenger to the floor of the bus. During such falls, passengers could sustain head injuries and other serious injuries. Passengers might collide with one another during accidents or with various objects inside a bus. Bus passenger injuries are often severe, entitling victims to compensatory damages in Columbus.
You Were Injured as a Driver
Buses are much larger than passenger cars. If a bus collides with your vehicle, you could sustain traumatic injuries, like back, neck, or head injuries. While rear-end accidents might be relatively minor compared to others, the damage could be considerable if a bus rear-ends a passenger car. In addition to physical injuries to the person, victims might incur property damage to their vehicles during accidents with Columbus Metra Transit System buses.
What to Do After an Accident with a Columbus Metra Transit System Bus
As soon as an accident happens, victims should prioritize documenting it. You can do this by calling local law enforcement and going to the emergency room for medical assessment.
Bus accidents often leave many victims. Because of that, victims might assume that someone else will call 911 to report accidents. While that might be the case, you should call the police yourself, provided you can physically do so. If the police do not come and document the crash, we could have trouble gathering certain information about your accident.
While you wait for the police to arrive, talk to anyone who witnessed the accident. Their statements may corroborate yours, helping us prove negligence.
Because pursuing a case against the Columbus Metra Transit System will differ from filing a lawsuit against an individual driver, calling the police is even more important. Regardless of whether or not we can use the report as evidence, the fact that you documented the accident can benefit you.
You should also focus on obtaining the proper medical care. Victims should not go home from accident scenes, even if they feel fine. Bus accidents can be traumatic, and victims’ adrenaline or stress might make them ignore certain underlying injuries. Let emergency medical services take you to the nearest hospital for assessment. After your injuries are diagnosed and you get the necessary emergency care, you can shift your focus to your long-term treatment for bus accident injuries. That might include future surgeries or physical therapy, depending on your unique injuries.
Getting Damages for a Columbus Metra Transit System Bus Accident
The Columbus Metra Transit System through the Columbus Consolidated Government, meaning your lawsuit would be against a government entity. This means that compensation caps might apply to your claim.
Local government entities in Georgia waive sovereign immunity for accidents involving covered vehicles but only up to a limit. Under O.C.G.A. § 36-92-2(a)(3), recoverable damages in claims against the Columbus Metra Transit System are capped at $500,000 for death or bodily injury of one person, an aggregate amount of $700,000 for death or bodily injury of two or more people, and $500,000 for property damage per occurrence.
You must file on time to get all the compensation available in your lawsuit. Victims typically have less time to initiate claims against government agencies and municipalities in Georgia. To confirm the filing deadline for your case, our Columbus Metra Transit System accident lawyers will identify who exactly is liable for your injuries.
While, upon initial review of the crash scene, officers might think that the bus driver caused the accident, our lawyers might determine that someone else, like another driver, is to blame. If that is true in your case, you could stand to recover greater damages, as your lawsuit might not involve the Columbus Metra Transit System.
Regardless of who your claim is against, you will need evidence to meet the standard of proof. Commonly used evidence in bus accident claims includes eyewitness statements, surveillance footage, and photos from the scene. We can also have an expert reconstruct the accident to determine its root cause if necessary. In addition to evidence from the scene, your medical records can be invaluable in proving the extent of your injuries and various damages from the bus accident.
Call Our Bus Accident Attorneys in Columbus Today
For a free case assessment from our Columbus Metra Transit System accident lawyers, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras now at (470) 287-3070.
