Bus accidents can leave victims with catastrophic injuries, many of which can require long-term care and create an immense financial burden. Your next steps after a bus accident can go a long way toward determining whether you can recover compensation for those injuries. Step one? Contact a Douglasville personal injury lawyer to help guide you through your claim.
Types of Bus Accidents in Douglasville You Can Sue For
Bus accidents can occur in several ways – and how the bus accident occurs may impact who bears liability for the accident, which can determine who you will need to file a claim against in order to pursue compensation for your injuries.
Fall Accidents on the Bus
Steep stairs, slick walkways, and poor maintenance: when Douglasville bus companies fail to properly maintain their buses, they can pose substantial accident potential. If you suffer a fall while on the bus or getting on or off the bus due to that poor maintenance, you may have the right to pursue compensation from the bus company.
Bus/Vehicle Accidents
You might assume that the average driver can clearly see a bus, making it less likely that the driver will cause an accident due to the inability to navigate safely around the bus. However, drivers may commit several errors that can cause a bus accident, including pulling over in front of a bus, tailgating, or simply turning into a space occupied by a bus. If a driver commits an error that results in an accident, that driver will bear liability for the bus accident.
On the other hand, if the bus driver commits an error that leads to a bus accident, the bus driver will bear liability.
Bus/Pedestrian Accidents
Bus stops and bus routes often have a great deal of pedestrian traffic. Buses must navigate carefully in order to reduce the risk of pedestrian injuries and increase overall safety. Often, bus drivers bear liability for dangerous or negligent behaviors that result in pedestrian accidents.
However, sometimes, pedestrians may engage in dangerous behaviors, including stepping out in front of the bus or getting too close to the road as a bus goes by, which could result in injury.
Get the strong arm
Recovering Compensation Following a Douglasville Bus Accident
When you suffer injuries in a Douglasville bus accident, work with a lawyer to help you break down the losses you have faced due to the accident and your injuries and the compensation for those injuries. Frequently, accident victims try to deal with the insurance company on their own, rather than seeking assistance.
Unfortunately, dealing with the bus driver’s insurance company or the bus company’s insurance may leave you facing low settlement offers, disputed liability, and even disputes over the extent of your injuries or the medical treatments you may have needed following those injuries.
A lawyer can help you break down the compensation you really deserve, including who may actually bear liability for your accident and what compensation you may have the right to recover as a result.
Compensation for Your Medical Costs
Dealing with medical bills after a bus accident can be a serious burden. Even the immediate trip to the emergency room after your accident can leave you with serious bills hanging over your head. Add in the cost of long-term treatment for serious injuries, including surgeries and procedures, follow-up visits, physical and occupational therapy, and the durable medical equipment you may need to get around, and you may find yourself buckling under the financial strain.
As part of your Douglasville bus accident claim, you can include compensation for medical costs related to the accident.
Replacement for Lost Wages
As if dealing with your medical bills after a bus accident isn’t enough, you may find yourself unable to work because of the extent of your injuries. While some employers will work with you to get you back to work as soon as possible, others may require you to stay home until you can fully complete your job duties again.
Unfortunately, you may have a long road ahead before you can get back to work. As part of your Douglasville bus accident claim, you can include compensation for the income you lost after the accident.
Pain and Suffering Damages
Many personal injury claims, in addition to your financial losses, will include compensation for your pain and suffering after the accident. Pain and suffering is a more nebulous category since it does not have a direct financial correlation that you can prove. Your pain and suffering, however, can have a considerable impact after the accident.
Physical pain can drag you down, while emotional anguish may leave you struggling immensely after your accident. Talk to an attorney to learn more about your right to compensation for pain and suffering following your accident.
How Can a Douglasville Bus Accident Lawyer Help Your Claim?
A bus accident lawyer in Douglasville can offer a great deal of assistance as you move forward with your bus accident claim.
Fighting for Compensation
Insurance companies often minimize the compensation they offer to accident victims as much as possible as they fight to decrease their financial liability after an accident. The average victim does not realize how much compensation they really deserve and may even accept a low settlement offer in an effort to get compensation fast.
Fight for Your Rights
Dealing with the insurance company after a Douglasville bus accident can be an ongoing struggle. An attorney can help fight to protect your rights, including your right to compensation, and give you more information about your next steps when the insurance company tries to fight against you.
Getting the Evidence You Need
If you are struggling with disputed liability following a Douglasville bus accident, an attorney can help collect the evidence you may need to establish your right to compensation.
Do You Need a Douglasville Bus Accident Attorney?
If you suffered serious injuries in any type of bus accident, a bus accident attorney in Douglasville can help. Contact John Foy today to schedule a free consultation.
404-400-4000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form