Understanding Your Legal Options After a Florida Bus Accident

Legal Options After a Florida Bus Accident

Every time you board a bus, whether it’s a city bus, a tour bus, a shuttle, a school bus, etc., you’re giving the bus driver and the bus owner responsibility for your safety. Often, riding a bus makes us feel safe and comfortable, and many buses don’t have or aren’t required to have seat belts. However, accidents do occur even on buses. A bus accident attorney is offering legal representation to victims and their families seeking compensation for damages sustained in a bus crash.

The repercussions of being involved in a bus accident can be severe, perhaps even more so than in a conventional automobile accident. Because there are more victims and at-fault parties, injuries may be far more severe due to a lack of safety features like airbags and seat belts. Because of this, you should definitely seek the assistance of a knowledgeable, experienced attorney to aid you with your claim. You’ll need assistance if you want to maximize your recovery after a bus accident because your claim is probably going to be quite complicated. Most personal injury lawyers won’t charge you anything up front; instead, they’ll be paid a portion of whatever settlement they win for you.

Legal Options Are Best Handled By An Experienced Lake Worth Bus Accident Personal Injury Attorney

In order to insure all of the passengers, bus companies typically carry special insurance that is more comprehensive than ordinary auto insurance. Your lawyer is knowledgeable about the unique rules and regulations governing this type of insurance. Depending on your state and the insurance provider, the policy might cover every passenger separately, or it might use a common fund to pay for everyone’s injuries and losses. This will be important if the passengers suffer serious injuries because pooled coverage can limit your reimbursement to an amount that is lower than your actual damages. There may be ways to get around an insurance policy’s limitations, especially if the insurance provider erred or acted dishonestly. In order to ascertain whether these limits exist and whether any loopholes can be utilized to your advantage, you will once again demand the services of a knowledgeable personal injury attorney to assist you with these claims.

How to claim after a Bus Accident?

Steps to Take

1. Call emergency services: Getting prompt medical attention is the most important thing you can do after a bus accident. Usually, the bus staff is in charge of making a help call. However, you should take matters into your own hands and dial 911 if these people are hurt, killed, or if they refuse to call for help. Not only would medical attention be required, but the accident also needs to be reported to the police so that they can compile a report detailing the incident.

2. Seek medical attention: In order for victims to receive compensation for their injuries, many jurisdictions have strict time limits on how soon accident victims must seek medical care. Avoid letting your claim slip away by delaying action. Even if you do not believe your injuries are severe, see a doctor if you have been in a bus accident. Whether you choose to sue the bus company or not, they will often pay for your hospital visit. Get checked out for head, spine, and back injuries. These injuries frequently take days or weeks to show symptoms, by which time it may be too late to protect your rights.

3. Reach out to a Florida Bus Accident Lawyer

This action will bring incredible help. Personal injury law attorneys are experienced in negotiating and handling all aspects of a person’s injury lawsuit. They take the burden off of the injured victim while fighting for the best outcome on their behalf. 

4. Gather documentation: Document as much as you can at the accident scene if you are able. Obtain the names, contact information (including phone and email numbers), and addresses of any additional passengers, the driver, and any other people who were a part of the collision. To look into the accident claim, a Florida bus accident lawyer might need to get in touch with these individuals. Focus on these persons first; the bus company may offer the names of other passengers, but it might not have information about any witnesses who were present. As soon as law enforcement arrives, request the officer’s name and, if applicable, his business card. Additionally, if you can, take pictures of the scene from multiple perspectives.

Remember that getting medical help if necessary is your top concern; do not forego it in favor of taking pictures of the scene. Law enforcement will gather evidence, but having your own resources is usually preferable to depending on others. Call Adolphe Law Group!

Steps to Take if You or Your Child Is Injured in a School Bus Accident

It can be a very difficult moment if you or your child has been in a bus accident, whether as a passenger, a different driver, a pedestrian, or a bike. You can feel overburdened, frustrated, and unclear about what to do to safeguard the well-being and best interests of your child. A Florida bus accident lawyer can help you after a bus accident. You can help a Lake Worth bus accident attorney by following the steps below after a bus accident.

1. Call 911

An ambulance can be sent to the location and an accident report can be made by a law enforcement official. Safety ought to come first after a bus collision. To ensure that emergency professionals can reach you as soon as possible, call 911 to report the accident. This is crucial if there have been major injuries or if the accident is obstructing traffic. Even if you don’t require immediate medical attention, calling the police to report the accident will help ensure that a report is made. Although it is possible that the bus driver will report the collision to the police and their superiors, you shouldn’t assume they will.

2. Help others

Stay at the scene and assist others if you can and it is reasonably safe to do so. If you notice smoke or flames or if the bus is in a dangerous position, you might need to get off. Try to keep your cool and aid anyone who asks for help. The best course of action in these circumstances is to maintain your composure and consider your safety as well as the protection of others.

Hit-and-run laws exist in every state and forbid people from leaving the site of a collision without sharing contact information with the other party or parties and, if possible, providing assistance. But there are situations and exceptions where you might need to depart. If you were seriously hurt and were removed from the scene by emergency services, this might apply to you.

3. Collect contact information

Request the bus driver’s name, phone number, CDL number, employer contact information, etc. Obtain the contact details of other passengers, the bus driver, emergency responders, and other people who arrive at the site. Stay at the site to share information with the bus driver and any other persons involved if you were driving and your car collided with a bus. Inquire about the witnesses’ contact information and whether they would be willing to testify later.

4. Document the scene

Take pictures and videos of the scene, your wounds, and any damage. Start accumulating data and proof as soon as you can. While you’re still on the scene, you can perform this action, which could have a big effect on how your case turns out. Take pictures of the accident site, the involved vehicles, and any obvious injuries you may have incurred.

5. See a doctor

After every significant accident, you should seek medical attention. You might have sustained a soft tissue injury, such as whiplash, as a passenger on a bus or as a driver or passenger in another car, as opposed to a more evident injury, like a fractured bone. Even though symptoms might not appear for several hours or days, getting medical treatment right away can prevent more harm. Make sure to adhere to the doctor’s recommended course of action after your visit.

6. Be organized

Show up for every doctor appointment and every treatment. Documents pertaining to the bus accident should be maintained orderly and secure, including receipts, bills, notes, and other papers. Make sure to gather any documents that could be useful in assisting you and your attorney in calculating the cost of the collision. This covers everything from doctor visits to physical therapy appointments to car repairs and other accident-related expenses. Paper copies of crucial documents should be scanned or photographed using a smartphone if you are worried about losing them.

7. Employ a Personal Injury Lawyer

Claims involving bus accidents are rarely simple. None are easy. Both the bus-operating business and the insurance provider who will be paying out your claim are likely to oppose you. Additionally, you can pass up receiving compensation from accountable parties that you failed to name, such as the bus manufacturer. The appropriate person to defend your interests so that you can begin to mend and move on is an attorney.

If you have a successful trial attorney on your side, you’ll have a supporter who can:

  • Manage all correspondence with the bus company, the police, the insurance company, and other parties.
  • Determine what led to the accident and who should be held legally accountable by conducting an investigation.
  • Establish the full and fair value of your claim in light of past, present, and projected medical costs, lost wages, emotional distress, property damage, and other factors.
  • To obtain the reimbursement you are due, engage in fair settlement negotiations or file a lawsuit in civil court.

Schedule an Appointment with Adolphe Law Group or contact at 561-660-7776