Accidents with buses can easily cause catastrophic injuries, property damage, and even fatalities. Bus accidents result in much more serious and severe injuries as compared to those between passenger vehicles, simply due to the greater impact and sheer mass of a large bus. If you suffered injuries as a result of an accident involving a bus, you may have the legal right to pursue a claim for compensation for your injuries and losses. Learn now a Joliet bus accident lawyer at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 794-0444 can help you understand your legal rights.
Determining Liability in a Bus Accident
One of the most critical aspects of developing a personal injury case following a bus accident relates to the determination of liability. This crucial step will help a victim make a positive determination regarding which party or parties have a legal responsibility to compensate them for their injuries and losses relating to the bus accident. As a victim of someone else’s negligence, you have the legal right to pursue compensation from the party that behaved in a negligent manner which resulted in your accident and injuries. Some of the persons or entities that may have a responsibility with respect to your bus accident may include the following:
Bus Driver
The actual driver of the bus may have personal liability with respect to your accident. Their employer may have liability as well if the bus driver behaved in a way that was outside of the scope of their employment, such as operating the bus for personal reasons, operating the bus outside of the normal bus route, or outside of the normal bus schedule. You may have the legal right to file a claim directly against the bus driver if their negligence directly caused the accident in which you suffered injuries, property damage, and losses.
Employer of Bus Driver
If the bus driver was actually operating the bus during the normal course of business, and somehow behaved or operated the bus in a negligent manner, the employer of the bus driver may have legal liability under a legal construct known as respondeat superior. This legal theory allows a victim to file a claim against the employer of an employee whose negligent behavior caused an accident resulting in injuries or damages. An employer has a legal responsibility to ensure that their employees operate large buses in a safe manner.
School Buses
Accidents with school buses happen, and other motorists can suffer severe injuries when they have collisions with large school buses. In other cases, children on school buses can also suffer severe injuries or even death.
Governmental Agencies
Some buses operate under the direction of governmental agencies. If a city or town has a public transportation system that includes buses for public transport, then accidents involving these buses can result in a lawsuit against a governmental agency. If you suffered injuries as a motorist hit by a government-owned bus, or if you were a passenger on a government-owned and operated bus that crashed, you may have the right to file a claim directly against the governmental agency that owns that bus.
It is important to note that filing a claim against a governmental agency is always drastically different than that of filing a claim against a private entity. The paperwork and documentation are very different, as are the statute of limitations (deadlines by which a victim has to submit a claim or lose their ability to receive compensation for their injuries and losses.)
Manufacturers and Retailers
Under product liability law, every manufacturer and retailer has a direct responsibility never to place a defective or faulty product in the stream of commerce. If an investigation into your bus accident reveals that the cause of the accident was a direct result of a product or part on the bus that was either defective or faulty in some way, you may have the legal right to file a claim against the manufacturer of the part or the retailer that sold the part.
Product liability cases are also different to develop and present than personal injury cases. If you suffered injuries as a result of an accident involving a bus, learn how a Joliet bus accident lawyer at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can help you understand which entities you may have a legal right to file a claim against to receive compensation for your injuries and losses. Call today for your free consultation.
Injuries Suffered as a Result of Bus Accidents
Every bus accident will have its own set of facts and circumstances. If you suffered any injuries at all related to a bus accident that was the direct result of someone else’s negligence, you have the legal right to pursue a claim against that negligent party. Some of the types of injuries suffered as a result of bus accidents include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
- Aortic dissection
- Head and neck injuries
- Spinal cord injuries (leading to possible paralysis)
- Nerve damage
- Broken and fractured bones (leading to possible amputation)
- Internal organ damage or internal bleeding
- Death
Additionally, many victims of serious bus accidents develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is a mental health condition that occurs after a seriously traumatic event, according to the Mayo Clinic, and victims suffering from PTSD need treatment as well.
For a free legal consultation with a Bus Accidents Lawyer serving Joliet, call (800) 794-0444
Learn How a Joliet Bus Accident Lawyer Can Help You
If you suffered injuries, damages, or losses as a result of a bus accident in the state of Illinois, learn how a Joliet bus accident lawyer at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 794-0444 can help you with your case. Our legal team can help you understand what your legal options are and how you may have the legal right to pursue compensation under personal injury or product liability law. You may have the legal right to pursue a claim against a governmental agency or entity. Let us handle your case from start to finish while you only focus on healing from your accident.
Call or text (800) 794-0444 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
