Buses are commonly used for both public and private transportation throughout Georgia. These buses, much like any other vehicle, often get into accidents. In the wake of these accidents, there are usually victims who suffer injuries and incur property damage. A bus accident lawyer in Johns Creek can help.
If you’ve suffered injuries in a bus accident, don’t bear the burden alone. John Foy & Associates can provide you with a skilled Johns Creek personal injury lawyer who will fight for your rights and help you claim the compensation you deserve. We have recovered over $1 billion for clients in verdicts and settlements. Call today for a free consultation.
Bus Accident Lawsuits
To operate a bus on public roads, drivers must be committed to providing their passengers and other roadway users with an adequate standard duty of care. This implies that they should not drive negligently and that they should also do their best to keep others reasonably safe. The driver is not the only party that is obligated to act with this standard duty of care.
The company or organization operating the bus, as well as several other stakeholders, must also act within reason to keep the general public safe. When someone can prove that the negligence of a bus driver, bus operator, or other stakeholder caused an accident, one or more of those parties may be liable for damages that were caused in the accident. To recover compensation for those damages, victims must file a bus accident claim against the negligent parties.
It is possible to do this independently, but results are normally better when plaintiffs get a bus accident lawyer in Johns Creek involved.
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The Effects of Bus Crashes
Buses carry a large number of passengers. If a bus is involved in an accident, the safety of these passengers can be threatened immensely. Bus passengers rarely wear seatbelts to keep them anchored to their seats, so a collision can cause the occupants to be thrown from their seats.
Standing passengers may lose their balance and fall as well. The resulting physical injuries can be devastating if they impact a fixed structure or another person when the crash occurs.
Bus crashes have impacts that go beyond the bus’s passengers. If a collision happens with another vehicle, the occupants of that vehicle may be severely injured in the crash. Buses are incredibly large and often move at high speeds, so when they crash into other vehicles, those vehicles may not be able to withstand the impact. Smaller vehicles can easily be crushed by a fast-moving bus. Even with seatbelts, passengers of vehicles that get hit by buses are very likely to suffer tremendous injuries.
Whether you were the passenger of a bus that crashed or an occupant of a vehicle that was hit by a bus, you deserve to be compensated for the damages you incurred. These damages may be physical, emotional, or financial. Regardless of the extent of your damages, a Johns Creek bus accident attorney should be able to guide you through the process of recovering full compensation.
Bus Accidents Can Be Caused by Several Situations
Bus accidents can happen due to a variety of different reasons. Usually, either the bus driver or another driver is at fault. Though, in some cases, bus accidents are caused by the negligence of the bus operator, bus manufacturer, or the last bus maintenance company to work on the bus. In rare instances, some combination of these factors results in bus accidents.
Poorly Trained Drivers Cause Many Accidents
Operating a bus requires immense professional knowledge of how to safely drive large vehicles. Driving a bus is almost nothing like driving a car, so someone who has not been trained to drive large commercial vehicles will struggle to avoid accidents. Anyone who does not hold a commercial driver’s license should not be hired to drive buses to begin with.
On average, acquiring a commercial driver’s license in Georgia requires upwards of 150 hours of training. Although, this license is not necessary to drive some buses. Small vehicles that only carry a few people may still qualify as a “bus,” yet a commercial driver’s license will not be necessary to operate them.
Conversely, sensitive bus driver jobs, like school bus driving, requires applicants to earn an additional school bus driver endorsement before they are allowed to taxi students to and from school facilities. Unfortunately, some bus companies will hire people who do not have proper training and licensure. They do this to keep costs low and fill employment gaps that keep them from operating at full capacity.
If you believe that the driver of the bus you were injured by was not properly trained, a bus accident attorney in Johns Creek will be able to find out the truth through a legal claim.
Mechanical Issues Can Lead to Accidents
A typical bus has hundreds of moving parts. If any number of these parts fail, the integrity of the vehicle can easily be compromised. When certain components do not function properly, drivers may be unable to maintain complete control of the vehicle. This can lead to accidents that injure people and damage property.
Bus operators are obligated to ensure that their vehicles are safe for use before they are dispatched. If the bus operator had maintenance performed on the bus and an inspection was performed, liability may fall onto the bus maintenance company rather than the bus operator. Neither party wants to take responsibility, so you will need a Johns Creek bus accident lawyer to get the facts in order.
Compensation for Bus Accident Claims
Any damages that you incurred due to a bus accident can be recovered if the bus driver or another party is found to be at fault. Potential damages include punitive damages, economic damages, and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are associated with physical losses, while non-economic damages are intangible losses. Punitive damages are not associated with either. Instead, they are included in judgments as a means of penalizing grossly negligent defendants.
Hire a Johns Creek Bus Accident Lawyer
John Foy & Associates has been litigating bus accident claims for more than a decade. We specialize in personal injury cases, so you can trust us to go above and beyond to ensure a fair and reasonable outcome for your claim. Even if that involves going to court on your behalf, we will work hard to fight for your rights.
To schedule a free case evaluation with one of our lawyers, please fill out the contact form on this page.
404-400-4000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
