While bus accidents don’t occur as often as car or truck accidents do, they can still cause a lot of damage and injury to other people. These could include the bus driver and passengers, other motorists and their passengers, and pedestrians.
Suppose you’ve been in a bus accident around Spartanburg. In that case, you can get help from a Spartanburg bus accident lawyer at Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC to navigate the complex process of holding negligent parties accountable and seeking much-needed compensation. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with our skilled bus accident lawyers.
Our Personal Injury Firm Helps Bus Accident Victims in Spartanburg
At Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC, our Spartanburg personal injury lawyers understand how painful it can be to recover from a bus accident, no matter your role. That’s why we are dedicated to providing comprehensive legal guidance every step of the way. According to S.C. Ann § 15-3-530, you may only have three years from the date of your bus accident to file a lawsuit and gain fair compensation.
Here are just some of the ways we can serve you and your family:
- Gather evidence to prove negligence
- Calculate the true value of your economic and non-economic damages
- File insurance claims and handle negotiations
- Demonstrate the impact of the accident and your subsequent injuries on your life
- File a personal injury lawsuit to hold negligent parties accountable
Your Spartanburg lawyer will work on contingency fees, so you won’t owe anything until your claim is settled. Don’t let the perceived cost of an attorney prevent you from seeking justice after a bus accident.
Can You Get Compensation for a Bus Crash in Spartanburg?
Yes, you can seek compensation through a variety of sources. However, how you do so depends on your role in the accident. For example, an injured bus driver may have different potential sources of compensation than an injured passenger or another injured motorist.
Some of the most common ways we can help victims seek compensation include:
- Personal auto insurance policy
- The bussing company/agency and their insurance company
- The auto insurance policy of another driver
- The municipality that manages the transit system or roadway maintenance
- Workers’ compensation (for bus drivers injured in bus accidents)
Your bus accident attorney can evaluate the facts of your bus accident and determine all the possible ways to seek much-needed compensation for you and your family. There are also many types of economic and non-economic damages you can get compensation for, depending on your role in the accident.
- Future and current medical costs for accident-related injuries
- Lost income during recovery
- Lost earning potential due to short- or long-term disability
- Lost spousal/parental support and funeral costs via a wrongful death claim (if you lost a loved one in a bus accident)
- Physical pain
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional trauma
Common Causes for Bus Accidents Our Firm Serving Spartanburg Sees
A bus accident can happen with any combination of a bus driver, bus passengers, drivers and motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists. That means there are so many ways a bus accident can occur and change the lives of the parties involved.
Some causes related to accidents caused by bus drivers and bussing companies include:
- Fatigued driving
- Distracted driving
- Improper maneuvers and turns
- Blind spots
- Negligent hiring practices
- Inadequate training
- Lack of proper bus maintenance
Other drivers and motorists may cause bus crashes in the following ways:
- Fatigued driving
- Distracted driving
- Driving under the influence
- Failure to yield to a bus
- Driving in the bus lane
- Lack of proper vehicle maintenance
- Failure to appropriately respond to severe weather and hazardous road conditions
Other causes include:
- Road hazards due to lack of road maintenance
- Road hazards from another vehicle
- Bus or vehicle part malfunction
Common Bus Accident Injuries That Could Qualify You for Damages
Bus accidents can result in minor injuries, serious injuries, and even death in the worst cases. Here are some bus accident injuries that could result in compensation:
- Bruises and lacerations
- Burns
- Concussions and traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones
- Neck and back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal organ and tissue damage
- Scarring
- Post-traumatic stress disorder and emotional distress
Who Is Responsible for My Spartanburg Bus Accident?
Since there are many causes for bus accidents, there are many different combinations of parties that we can hold responsible for your pain and suffering. In many cases, we could seek compensation by filing an insurance claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company. For instance, if another driver caused your bus accident, we would file a claim through their auto insurance policy provider.
We must prove that the at-fault party owed you a duty of care and failed to uphold this duty of care. We must also show that this failure caused the accident that resulted in your injuries.
Are Bus Drivers Liable for Accidents?
Like all other drivers on the road, bus drivers owe everyone on the road a duty of care to drive safely and obey traffic laws. A bus driver may be at fault for an accident if they fail to uphold their duty of care by acting negligently.
In many cases, we seek compensation through the bus company’s insurance policy. But we may have to file a personal injury lawsuit against the bus company or government agency that manages the public transit system to secure a fair settlement.
Other Potentially Liable Parties You Could Pursue for Damages
We may also file claims or personal injury suits against:
- Bus maintenance vendors: If a bussing company or public transit system outsources their maintenance work, we could hold that third-party company accountable and seek compensation through the company’s insurance policy.
- Bus or vehicle parts manufacturers: If your bus accident was caused by a malfunctioning part as opposed to negligent maintenance, we could file a claim with the bus part manufacturer’s insurance company or file a suit against them.
- Municipal agencies that handle road maintenance: A bus accident may occur due to a bus hitting a road hazard like a pothole or a bus or vehicle swerving to avoid a road hazard and hitting another vehicle. We can file a suit against the municipality that’s in charge of maintaining that road.
Choose Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC To Handle Your Bus Accident Case
A bus accident can cause a lot of physical damage and emotional pain for victims and their families. That’s why the lawyers at Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC work so hard to represent Spartanburg bus accident victims and help them recover as much compensation as possible.
We can provide you and your family with the compassionate and professional legal consultation you deserve. Contact our office today for your free case evaluation.