Getting into an accident with a bus can lead to extensive damage to your vehicle and serious injury. Because buses are larger and more powerful than most vehicles, accidents with buses tend to be more severe. This leaves you with significant expenses for medical care, property damage, and other related expenses that you will have to deal with. Fortunately, civil law gives you an option for seeking help with those financial burdens.
If you are involved in a bus accident, you may be able to file a lawsuit to claim compensation from the bus driver or transportation company. An Oakland bus accident lawyer might be able to help you coordinate your lawsuit. Call Ben Crump Law, PLLC at 800-959-1444 to discuss your case with our team.
Financial Impacts of Bus Accidents
A bus accident will impact your life in several ways, including having a significant impact on your finances. Some of the financial impacts of a bus accident include:
- Emergency medical costs: Going to the emergency room or taking an ambulance can be expensive. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), $242 billion were spent in 2010 on vehicle accidents. A significant percentage of that was caused by emergency medical costs.
- Property damage: The cost of repairing your car can be expensive. Buses can crush cars, leading to extensive damage that is difficult or impossible to repair. Many cars are totaled by bus accidents. Paying off your car and replacing it will be difficult, and you might be stuck paying out of pocket.
- Continuing medical care: If you need physical therapy or another form of continuing care, it will become a recurring expense and drain in your finances.
- Disability care: Car accidents can cause permanent disabilities. Victims with disabilities may need daily medical care and assistive devices. Plus, visits to medical specialists will create a significant drain on your expenses.
There are other financial impacts that a bus accident can cause that are not covered on this list. Do not let your finances suffer because of an accident that you are not responsible for. You may be able to file a lawsuit and claim compensation to handle your expenses.
For a free legal consultation with a bus accidents lawyer serving Oakland, call 800-921-7227
Determining Liability
A part of your case will be determining liability for the accident. This will show who is responsible and who can be sued. If the bus driver is responsible for the accident, then you might file a lawsuit against the driver. The company that the driver works for may also be liable.
Liability can extend to employers, but that is not always the case. Your Oakland bus accident lawyer from Ben Crump Law, PLLC can investigate this and try to include any entity that can be sued in the lawsuit.
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Statute of Limitations
If you are in a bus accident in Oakland, you have a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit against the bus driver or the transportation company. If the bus is owned and operated by an independent company, then you have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit and three years to file a property damage lawsuit, according to the California Code of Civil Procedure §335.1 and §338, respectively. These limits begin the day of the accident. Filing a combined personal injury and property damage lawsuit could make the process easier.
If you are in an accident with a bus owned by a government agency, the process is significantly different for filing a lawsuit, according to The Judicial Branch of California. The first step is to file an administrative claim with the transportation agency. Each government agency has a separate form for filing administrative claims, and you must use the correct form for that agency. You have six months from the date of the accident to file it.
Once you file your administrative claim, the transportation agency has 45 days to respond. If your claim is denied within those 45 days, you have another six months to file your lawsuit in civil court. If the agency does not respond to you within 45 days, you have an additional 1.5 years (two years total from the date of the accident) to file your lawsuit. Consult a lawyer for assistance in coordinating and administrative claim and lawsuit.
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Bus Accidents Process in Oakland
If you are injured in a bus accident, there are several steps that you should take to make sure that you are okay and able to make a full recovery. These steps include:
- Seeking medical attention: The first thing you should do is seek medical attention for yourself and anyone else involved in the accident. This will help minimize the impact of any injuries that you suffer.
- Calling the police: Notify the police and emergency services about the accident as soon as possible so that help can arrive in a timely manner. The police will investigate the accident to file a report, which you will use later in your lawsuit.
- Consult with a lawyer: If you believe that there is a chance you will file a lawsuit, you might benefit from consulting with a lawyer as soon as possible. This will give your lawyer time to collect evidence and interview witnesses while building your case.
There are other steps not covered on this list that you can take to facilitate recovery. The most important thing is making sure that you get the medical care you need. Everything else can be sorted out by you and your lawyer while you build a case against the person that caused your accident.
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Seeking Compensation
Any expense that you have that is caused by the accident can be claimed in the lawsuit. This includes medical costs, property damage, and any other expenses. Your lawyer must prove that it is connected to your injuries caused by the accident with proper documentation and evidence.
Contact Ben Crump Law, PLLC to Discuss Your Case
If you are involved in a bus accident, you may be able to file a lawsuit to seek compensation from the person that caused your accident. An Oakland bus accident lawyer can help you build a case. Call the office of Ben Crump Law, PLLC at 800-959-1444 for a free consultation about your case.
Call or text 800-921-7227 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
