If a bus hits your car, the same thing happens that would occur following any other motor vehicle accident. You should seek the compensation you deserve for your damages, and this could mean filing a claim with liable parties’ insurers or filing a lawsuit.
The process of seeking compensation may vary depending on whether the bus was privately or publicly owned. An attorney can explain the steps to take after a bus hits your car.
What to Do Following a Bus Accident
When you consider a typical traffic accident, you may not envision a bus hitting your car. Therefore, you may have several questions about how to proceed after your collision.
Below are the steps that every bus accident victim should take:
- Get a complete medical exam: If you have yet to receive a comprehensive, full-body medical examination, do so as soon as possible. This is necessary to both protect your health and document the full scope of your accident-related damages.
- Consider hiring an attorney: An attorney from our team can negotiate with insurers, municipalities, private bus companies, and any other parties who are liable for your accident. We can seek the compensation you deserve while you rest and recover.
Our attorneys will advise you further once you’ve retained our services. Generally, we encourage our clients to focus on their recovery while we handle the bus accident case.
Who Is Liable When a Bus Hits a Car?
Our team will need to review your case to determine liability. Those who can be liable for a bus-on-car accident include:
- A bus driver: If a bus driver’s negligence causes a bus accident, the driver may be personally liable for your damages.
- A bus owner: The party that owns the bus, whether it’s an individual or institution, may be financially responsible for your accident. A bus owner may be responsible for their employee’s actions. Even if the bus owner did nothing to contribute to your accident, they may have financial responsibility for damages.
- A bus manufacturer or seller: If the bus involved in your accident was defective, the manufacturer, seller, or both may be responsible for the collision.
- A municipality: If dangerous road conditions cause the bus accident, the municipality responsible for those conditions may be liable for resulting damages.
Our lawyers use a reliable, consistent approach to determine liability. Generally, any negligent party is liable for a motor vehicle accident.
Considerations When a City Bus or Other Publicly Owned Bus Hits Your Car
When it comes to our legal approach, there are two general categories of bus accidents:
- Those involving a publicly-owned bus
- Those involving a privately-owned bus
Most commonly, a publicly-owned bus will be a form of public transportation. However, we assess each case individually and trace the ownership of the bus to a specific party.
Both public and private bus owners generally have insurance, and each could be a defendant in any lawsuit we file. However, we may face a shorter deadline for filing a lawsuit against a public institution, such as a city government that owned the bus that hit your car.
This shorter deadline for filing a lawsuit against a municipality is vitally important. If we do not file your case in time, it could compromise your financial recovery. Therefore, do not delay in getting legal help after a bus accident in Texas.
What Damages Should I Seek Compensation for After a Bus Accident?
The National Safety Council (NSC) explains that when a bus strikes a car, the car occupant is most likely to suffer injuries. The greater size and weight of a bus explain this statistic.
Our team will identify each of your accident-related damages, which may include:
Medical Bills
Bus accidents are often serious accidents, and your injuries may require:
- Ambulance transport
- Hospitalization
- Surgery
- Medical imaging
- Medications
- Multiple doctors visits
- Rehabilitation
- Medical devices
- In-home medical services
You may still be accruing medical bills from your accident. Our team will work with medical professionals to identify any future medical expenses you deserve money for.
Pain and Suffering
We’ve found that bus accident victims may suffer:
- Severe physical pain (both acute and chronic)
- Emotional anguish
- Psychological distress
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Sleep problems
- Lost quality of life
Keep a record of these non-economic damages. You may receive compensation to cover your pain and suffering, and having a diary of your symptoms could be helpful.
Professional Damages
Professional damages from a bus accident may include:
- Lost income
- Diminished earning power
- Lost changes to earn promotions and bonuses
- Loss of employer-provided benefits
- Loss of your career
- Total loss of your earning power
- Loss of the fulfillment you get from your work
Economists can help us calculate the total cost of your accident-related professional damages.
Vehicle Repairs and Other Property Expenses
If you suffered damage to your vehicle, phone, clothing, or other property during your bus accident, we’ll include these damages in our case.
How Will a Bus Accident Lawyer Assist Me After My Bus Accident?
Our entire legal team will seek the justice you deserve by:
- Securing evidence as quickly as possible, including witness accounts and video footage of the accident
- Preventing the owner of the bus from destroying evidence, which we’ll do by filing a letter of spoliation
- Calculating your damages, including both economic and non-economic damages
- Fighting for a settlement, reviewing all offers with you
- Completing a trial, if necessary
While most civil cases do not require a trial, bus accidents can be unusually complicated. When you hire our firm, you retain a firm that is willing to take your case to court.
Call Loncar Lyon Jenkins Today for a Free Consultation About Your Bus Accident
We may face a deadline for filing your bus accident case, and the clock may be ticking already. Our firm will waste no time in filing your case, and we’ll work to get fair compensation as quickly as possible.
Call in the Strong Arm to fight for you. Call Loncar Lyon Jenkins today for your free consultation.
