Although buses are a convenient way of transporting groups of people, they can also cause serious damage in traffic accidents. Collisions with buses often cause catastrophic injuries to occupants of other vehicles, and bus passengers can also suffer harm due to a lack of seatbelts and safety devices.
If you or a family member was hurt in this type of crash, call a Winder bus accident lawyer at Smith Hulsey. Our experienced attorneys could help hold the negligent party accountable and recover the compensation you need to move forward with your life.
Identifying potentially responsible parties is one of the most important tasks for a seasoned bus crash lawyer. Any person or company whose negligence contributed to an accident could be liable to pay monetary damages to an injured victim.
Bus drivers could be responsible if they disregarded rules about hours of work, engaged in distracted driving, drove while under the influence, or failed to exercise reasonable care to protect their passengers and the occupants of other vehicles. When a bus driver has liability in an accident, their employer is usually legally responsible as well.
Bus companies might be responsible for an accident if lack of vehicle maintenance contributed to the collision. Manufacturers could be liable if the bus had a defective part. If roadway maintenance or markings were a factor in the incident, or the bus was operated by the government or a public agency, a Winder attorney could help hold that entity responsible for the accident.
An injured person (the plaintiff) has the burden of proving that someone else (the defendant) was negligent in causing the accident. To be successful, plaintiffs must demonstrate the four elements of negligence:
Proving a duty of care is usually straightforward in a bus accident case. The driver has a duty to drive safely and obey all applicable laws, rules, and regulations. Their employer has a duty to hire qualified applicants, train them well, and supervise them properly. A bus owner must keep their vehicles in good repair, and a manufacturer must not allow defective products into the marketplace.
The challenge is often in proving causation—that the accident would not have happened if the defendant had not failed to uphold their duty. An experienced bus wreck attorney in the area could collect evidence of the defendant’s negligence and work to establish causation for the plaintiff’s injuries.
Damages refer to losses the plaintiff suffered because of their injury. To recover compensation for damages, the plaintiff must prove that their losses stemmed from the accident. This proof will vary depending on the type of damages included in the claim.
Economic damages are losses with a monetary value that can be proven with receipts, tax returns, or projections from experts. Examples include:
On the other hand, non-economic damages are payments to compensate an injured person for the emotional consequences of an injury. Plaintiffs could seek non-economic damages for various intangible losses, such as:
A persistent bus accident lawyer in Winder could work tirelessly to determine all of a person’s losses and pursue comprehensive compensation on their behalf.
If you have been in a serious accident, you need time to rest, recover, and restart your life. Dealing with aggressive insurance companies or pursuing litigation may seem overwhelming and impossible to do alone.
Let a knowledgeable Winder bus accident attorney to handle negotiations on your behalf. At Smith Hulsey, our compassionate legal team has significant experience helping victims obtain the compensation they need to recover. Call us to schedule a consultation about your circumstances.
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