Due to their large size, when buses collide with passenger vehicles, the resulting injuries are often catastrophic. If you were injured in a bus crash, whether as a passenger, a pedestrian, or the driver of another vehicle, you should not hesitate to take action. Consider speaking with a Creve Coeur bus accident lawyer to discuss the details of the case and your damages eligibility.
An experienced injury attorney could offer their knowledge of common carrier laws provide helpful guidance throughout the legal process. Obtain a legal representative to fight for your right to compensation during settlement negotiations or in trial.
Accidents involving common carrier vehicles are often caused by negligence. Local attorneys often see bus wrecks caused by human error, including:
Since these crashes involve large public transportation vehicles, they subsequently increase the chances of devastating and fatal injuries. Bus wrecks can result in deep cuts or lacerations, head trauma, neck and back injuries, spinal cord damage and paralysis, broken bones, soft tissue injuries, and chest contusions. Harmed parties might be able to claim damages such as medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental distress, and income losses.
A caring attorney in the area could make sure that someone determines what caused their public transit crash and that they file for all of their injuries.
Establishing liability in a bus crash depends on the specific cause for the accident. For example, if the bus failed to stop because of an insufficient brake inspection and hit a car, the bus company could be liable for maintenance negligence. However, if the driver did not report the maintenance issue, they may be liable as well. A driver could also be found responsible if they were intoxicated at the time of the accident. Additionally, a bus company could be partially negligent due to poor screening processes.
Other parties can also be liable in bus collision cases, such as manufacturers who produced a faulty bus or part. Since there could be multiple defendants in a bus collision case, it is important to seek a well-practiced local attorney for guidance.
Some states use contributory negligence laws to assign blame, while others go by modified comparative negligence. Contributory negligence prevents plaintiffs from receiving damages no matter how small their parts were in assorted accidents, while modified comparative negligence allows plaintiffs to collect damages assuming they were 49 percent or less to blame for collisions. Missouri follows pure comparative negligence laws to dictate liability assignments.
Pure comparative negligence provides plaintiffs with compensation regardless of their percentage of fault for an accident. For example, a pedestrian who sustained injuries in a bus accident but was jaywalking at the time of the collision could be found 85 percent to blame but still receive damages. However, the damages award gets reduced by the plaintiff’s assigned percentage of fault.
If you were injured in a bus crash because of another person’s negligence, seek legal representation right away. Schedule a consultation with a bus accident lawyer today to determine what kind of damages you could seek from the at-fault party.
Contact our law firm today to get started. Our team looks forward to helping you.
