Common Injuries Resulting From a Bus Crash
Because of their unique construction and size, buses often cause debilitating and deadly injuries when they crash.
While these injuries range in type and severity depending on the circumstances of the crash, some of the more common injuries resulting from bus collisions in New Port Richey include:
Responsible Parties for a Bus Accident
Following a bus crash, if you want to file a legal claim, you must determine the cause of your accident and identify who you can hold legally responsible for your injuries. When it comes to bus collisions, proving liability is not as straightforward as many assume.
There can be numerous responsible parties, including those not even present at the crash scene, such as:
- The at-fault bus driver
- The bus company, including companies such as Greyhound, Florida Red Line, Express Arrow, Barons Bus, and New Port Richey Party Buses
- The bus owner
- Maintenance companies in charge of the bus’s condition
- Third parties, such as other motorists, motorcyclists, passengers, and pedestrians
- The manufacturers of faulty bus parts that caused the accident
- A government entity in charge of keeping public roads safe
If a bus injured you, you should reach out to a knowledgeable New Port Richey bus accident attorney as soon as possible. At Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Injury Firm, we perform an independent investigation following a bus accident to figure out which parties were responsible for your harm and make sure to hold them liable for the damages you suffered.
Time Limitations Following a Bus Collision
Before pursuing compensation, you first need to figure out if you have enough time to file your legal case. The time limit is known as the statute of limitations, and it is a law that dictates the amount of time you have to file a lawsuit following an alleged offense.
In Florida, the statute of limitations to file an injury claim following a New Port Richey bus accident is four years from the accident date. Thus, if you do not file your suit within this allotted time, the law prevents you from pursuing compensation for your losses and injuries. However, exceptions may apply to this rule, particularly if a government body runs the bus company.
For these reasons, following a bus wreck in New Port Richey, you should reach out to a lawyer as soon as possible. These attorneys can not only help you determine how much time you have to file a legal case, but they can also ensure they prepare and submit all of your legal motions and documents before time runs out.
Frequently Asked Questions About New Port Richey Bus Accidents
After a bus collision, you may have many questions about your legal options and remedies. Until you can discuss your case with an experienced attorney, we have prepared the following frequently asked questions that our clients often have following a bus accident. With the below answers, we hope to clarify what legal steps to take next, the types of damages you can pursue, and how our law firm can help you fight for the justice you deserve.
How Can You Protect Your Legal Rights Following a Bus Accident?
Even though bus accidents are rare, they can result in tragic outcomes. As a victim of this accident, it is important to understand that the actions you take after these collisions can help protect your safety and your legal rights. For this reason, consider doing the following after a New Port Richey bus accident:
Immediately Call 911
Calling 911 after an accident is the fastest way to alert the police and emergency medical personnel and get the crash on record. After the officers arrive, they can perform a preliminary investigation into the crash and create a police report to document their findings. If you decide to pursue legal action following this accident, this police report can provide you with helpful information regarding the collision.
Gather Evidence
If possible, you should use your phone to try to gather evidence from the accident scene, including pictures and videos of your visible injuries, the vehicles involved in the accident, the placement of these vehicles on the street, the weather conditions at the time of the accident, skid marks on the road, traffic signs near the area, and any other evidence that can help show what happened.
However, if you cannot obtain this evidence, do not worry. Once you retain legal counsel, these attorneys can gather evidence for you.
Talk to Those at the Scene
Try to exchange information with the other drivers involved in the accident, including names, contact details, insurance information, and driver’s license numbers. In addition, if there were people there who saw what happened, try to get their names and personal information. These individuals can often provide your lawyer with valuable details regarding the crash, and their testimony can help back up your claim.
Get Medical Help
Even if you didn’t go to the emergency room following a bus crash, you should still see a doctor as soon as possible. Many serious injuries, such as head trauma, can take time to develop after an accident. The longer you delay getting treatment, the more fatal the condition can become. It is best not to wait for a medical examination after an accident.
Getting treatment can also help your legal claim. After an accident, insurance companies will look for anything to reduce the amount of money you can collect. This means that if you do not see a doctor promptly after your accident, the insurance companies will use this to their advantage to argue that your injuries are not serious or are a result of a subsequent event.
Thankfully, when you seek medical help after your bus crash, the medical professionals can provide you with a medical report. This report details all of your injuries and serves as a direct connection between the harm you sustained and your bus accident.
What Types of Damages Can You Pursue After a Bus Accident?
If you sustained serious injuries or losses in a bus crash, you might be entitled to compensation.
In Florida, this compensation is often broken down into two categories – economic and non-economic damages, which include:
- Medical bills related to doctor visits, hospital stays, emergency services, prescription medications, surgery, and other treatments
- Ongoing medical treatments
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Property damages
- Domestic replacement services
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
- Disfigurement
- Limb loss
Because these damages include both easily verifiable losses and hard-to-quantify losses, reach out to a skilled New Port Richey bus accident attorney, such as those at Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Injury Firm, to assist you with your claim. These attorneys can identify what damages apply to your case and help you pursue the compensation you deserve.
NEW PORT RICHEY
Liberty Professional Building
8606 Government Drive
New Port Richey, FL 34654
Phone: 727.849.5353