If you have suffered injuries and/or damages due to a bus accident in Stone Mountain, you may be able to recover compensation for your suffering. However, bus accident insurance and civil claims in Stone Mountain can be more complex than car accident cases. When you are struggling to cope with the impact your injuries have had on your life, emotionally, physically, and financially, you need a powerful legal advocate by your side.
Contact a Stone Mountain personal injury lawyer at John Foy & Associates for a free consultation today.
You Can Sue for Your After a Stone Mountain Bus Accident
Bus accident injuries can be catastrophic. If you have suffered critical injuries in a Stone Mountain bus accident, you may be facing a long road to recovery. With a lawyer’s help, you can sue to secure compensation for your damages
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Causes of Bus Accidents in Stone Mountain that We Typically Represent
To recover maximum compensation for your Stone Mountain bus accident Injuries, your Stone Mountain bus accident lawyer will need to help you determine who is responsible for causing them. Depending on the details of your case, multiple parties could share liability.
For example, if the bus driver was driving negligently, whether it was drunk driving, driving while fatigued, or distracted driving, they could be at fault for your injuries. However, the bus company that employed the bus driver could also share culpability under OCGA §51-2-2. The law says that bus companies can be held accountable for their bus drivers as long as they were acting within the scope of their employment at the time of the accident.
Other parties who could be held accountable for your damages include:
- Freight shippers
- Bus loaders
- Passengers on the bus
- Bus part designers and manufacturers
- Other motorists
- Bus owners who fail to provide sufficient maintenance
- Bus companies who fail to provide adequate equipment
- Safety inspectors who fail to report bus safety violations
Georgia Bus Regulations
Georgia’s state bus regulations could impact your Stone Mountain bus accident claim. First, under OCGA §33-24-51, government entities, including school districts, cities, and towns, can only be sued if they have waived their sovereign immunity by carrying motor vehicle insurance.
If sovereign immunity was not waived, you may not be able to pursue claims against them in civil court. This can be questioned when a school district uses an independent entity to run its buses instead of owning and operating its own busing system.
The type of bus accident you were involved in could also impact your case. For example, if you were involved in a public transit bus accident involving the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) or a collision with a commercial or charter bus, you may be subject to both Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Regulations and Georgia carrier laws. Your bus accident lawyer in Stone Mountain will review which bus accident laws might affect the outcome of your insurance and civil claims so you can be prepared for what is ahead.
Evidence Used to Prove Fault in a Stone Mountain Bus Accident Case
If you hope to recover total compensation for your bus accident damages, your lawyer will need to investigate the details of your case thoroughly. Your Stone Mountain bus accident attorney will be tasked with proving liability based on a preponderance of the evidence.
This means the evidence must show that the defendant is more than likely responsible for the accident and the damages you suffered. That said, evidence used in bus accident claims typically consists of the following:
- Photos of the accident scene, including property damage and skid marks
- Pictures of your injuries and your vehicle damage
- Medical documentation of your injuries
- Dash cam footage
- Video surveillance of the bus accident from nearby businesses and homes
- Police and accident reports
- evidence presented by bus accident reconstructionists
- Any forensic evidence, including DUI test results
- Statements from witnesses
- Physician recommendations
Determining the Value of Your Bus Accident Claim
When someone’s negligence leads to a bus accident causing damages and injuries, you have the right to fight for full compensation. You can be compensated for both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are easier to quantify because you can put a specific dollar amount on them.
For example, prescription medication costs, hospital and auto repair bills, and lost income are examples of economic damages. Non-economic damages do not have a defined financial value, and the amount of the award can vary on a case-by-case basis. Some of the more commonly awarded non-economic damages include:
- Loss of companionship and love
- Disfigurement
- Scarring
- Emotional distress
- Diminished quality of life
- Loss of comfort and support
- Loss of guidance and advice
- Physical pain and suffering
- Reputational damage
- Inconvenience
Contact a Bus Accident Attorney in Stone Mountain for a Free Consultation
Your can take control of your recovery and your future after a bus accident when you contact a dedicated Stone Mountain bus accident lawyer at John Foy & Associates for help. Our experienced attorneys know how to hold the at-fault party accountable and help you fight for compensation.
Schedule your free, no-obligation consultation today by calling our office or filling out our online contact form.
404-400-4000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
