Bus accidents can cause catastrophic injuries. While personal injury claims for public transit vehicle crashes can be challenging to pursue alone, a skilled injury attorney is available to fight on your behalf.
If you suffered injuries in one of these incidents, do not wait to retain legal counsel. A Sandy Springs bus accident lawyer could work to pursue the compensation you might be entitled.
Common Causes of Public Transportation Accidents
Unfortunately, bus collisions can often lead to grave injuries, including death. Many buses lack the same safety equipment as regular passenger cars, such as seatbelts and airbags. They are also top-heavy and, if the accident is severe enough, can tip over. Some of the common causes of bus accidents include:
- Colliding with trucks or commuter vehicles
- Hitting other buses, especially near schools
- Bus malfunctions
- Illegal passing
An experienced lawyer in Sandy Springs could help you determine the cause of the public transit accident and help determine who may bear liability for the injuries you sustained.
Common Carrier Law in Sandy Springs
Public transportation drivers must exercise extraordinary diligence to protect the lives of the passengers. If accidents occur while they are fulfilling their state-ordered duty, they are not liable for the injuries that resulted.
However, injured parties can often prove to the court that the carrier was not exercising extraordinary diligence when they sustained their injuries. Regardless of who was at fault, a local lawyer could help investigate and collect the evidence needed to prove liability.
Who Bears Liability in a Public Transportation Crash?
If you suffered injuries in a bus accident, you must determine who caused the accident and your injuries before filing a claim for compensation. A skilled local attorney could investigate the cause of your accident before filing your claim.
Many people could be at fault in a public transit crash. Some of the typical parties held liable include the following:
Another Driver
Often, other drivers fail to exercise adequate care around buses, especially school buses. For instance, drivers might attempt to illegally pass a bus on the road. Other motorists might also fail to stop fast enough when following a bus, resulting in serious injury for the passengers on the bus and in the other vehicle.
Bus Driver
Bus drivers often spend many hours on the road each day, which may increase the risk of distractions and fatigue while behind the wheel. Some transit drivers may also become negligent in their practices, from failing to properly check their blind spots to failing to allow time for children getting off a school bus to get out of the road. Bus driver negligence can cause serious injury to everyone around them. Importantly, when these parties are responsible, the claimants may also hold the driver’s employers financially responsible.
The Bus Company
Sometimes, the bus company may engage in negligent practices, such as failing to properly maintain its buses. These acts of negligence can increase the risk of an accident both on and with the bus. If a bus company’s negligent practices led to the crash, a skilled attorney in Sandy Springs could fight to hold them accountable for their recklessness and your ensuing injuries.
Recovering Compensation After a Bus Wreck
If you suffer severe injuries in an accident because of another party’s actions, you may have the right to file for compensation for any of the following:
- Medical treatment
- Present and future lost wages
- Pain and suffering related to your injuries
It is essential that you contact a local lawyer as soon after your accident as possible to pursue the compensation you may be entitled.
Get in Touch with a Sandy Springs Bus Accident Attorney
After sustaining injuries in a public transit collision, you may be wondering what steps to take next. However, if another party caused the accident, you may deserve compensation and should pursue it promptly.
Do not attempt to handle your claim on your own. Instead, contact a Sandy Springs bus accident lawyer to learn more about your rights and the compensation you may deserve. Call us today to discuss your circumstances.
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