Bus accidents can cause serious injuries to bus accident passengers, but often bus accidents cause even more serious injuries to Pedestrians, Bicyclists, and occupants of other vehicles involved in the accident.
Bus accidents are similar to regular passenger vehicle accidents in which causation and fault have to be determined in order for the injured parties to be compensated by the at fault party. Unlike regular passenger vehicle accidents, buses are often subject to federal and New Jersey state commercial vehicle rules and regulations.
Determining Fault in a Bus Accident
When our Bus Accident Lawyers conduct an accident investigation to help strengthen our client’s case, we focus not only on the facts of the accident, but also on bus violations and compliance issues.
Even if you were partially at fault in a bus accident, you may still recover for your injuries and damages so long as you can show that you were not more at fault than the defendant. Proving the defendant’s regulation violations and non-compliance may help to allocate more fault to the defendant.
Compensation In A Bus Accident
Bus accident injuries are often severe and sometimes fatal. Buses are massive which adds to the potential for severe injuries in accidents including Brain Injuries, broken bones, severed limbs, spinal injuries, and dislocations. If you have been injured in a bus accident caused by someone else, depending on the facts of your case, recovery may include:
- Medical bills
- Pain and suffering
- Lost earnings and loss of future earning capacity due to long term injury and impairment
- Disability
- Property damage
- Aggravation of a prior injury
Insurance Companies
Responsible parties in a bus accident may include the bus driver, the bus owner, the school district, a bus contractor, a municipality, and anyone else responsible for the operation and maintenance of the bus.
In bus accident cases, there are often many insurance companies involved. They may try to get out ahead and eliminate their liability by offering a quick settlement to the plaintiff in exchange for a waiver of liability. You should approach any contact from insurance companies with extreme caution because insurance companies are not on your side.
There is no requirement that you speak with an insurance company who contacts you after a bus accident, and our Atlantic City Bus Accident Attorneys at The Law Offices of Greg Prosmushkin, P.C. recommend that you do not speak with them until you have consulted an attorney.
Not only will insurance companies try to get you to sign off on a quick (and often unfair) settlement so they can escape liability, they may also ask questions about your injuries and your recollection of the accident.
Your conversation will most likely be recorded and insurance companies will use anything that you said to try to prove that you did not sustain the injuries you claimed or that you were at fault for the accident. You have already sustained injuries and damages in the accident, but you can protect yourself from further harm by securing a legal representative who will advocate for you and your recovery.