Injuries sustained in bus accidents can have a significant effect on victims and their families. As buses are much larger than many other vehicles on the road – and carry multiple passengers – when they are involved in a collision, the damages can be catastrophic.
If you have been injured in a collision involving a bus, you may be eligible for compensation. At Phillips Law Group, our team of Mesa bus accident lawyers have many years of experience handling damages claims, and our law firm has a proven track record of successfully handling cases that involve motor vehicle collisions – including a $4,000,000 recovery for a client that suffered a spinal injury, $3,100,000 for a client that suffered brain trauma in a collision and $1,255,000 for the family of a motorist that was fatally injured.
Our legal team have represented more than 155,000 consumer clients over the past 27 years, and we welcome the opportunity to review the merits of your claim.
For your free consultation, call us today or complete the “Free Case Evaluation” form on this page. There are no upfront fees if we take on your case, and we only get paid when we obtain a recovery.
Free Case Review – Ph: 602-222-222 .
Do I Have a Bus Accident Case?
There can be many different factors that are involved in bus accidents, including the types of buses that may be involved:
- School buses – crashes with these types of vehicles can be serious due to many school buses not having seat belts, and often carrying multiple children on board.
- Tour buses – collisions involving tour buses can be catastrophic as the seats in many of these vehicles are facing perpendicular to the bus.
- Charter bus accidents – collisions involving tour buses are similar to school bus accidents, as many of these vehicles are carry dozens of passengers, along with any luggage that they may require. The lack of seat belts and the additional weight of the luggage can play a role in the collision.
- City bus accidents – many city/public bus accidents occur within city limits. While speed may not play a significant role in some of these collisions, property damage can be significant and injury to vehicle occupants is still a considerable risk.
- 15-passenger van crashes – sports teams and smaller groups often rent these types of vehicles and use them as an alternative to a charter bus. These vehicles are often driven on interstates and highways when getting to a destination and due to the large size of these vehicles, damage from collisions can be significant.
As these vehicles can be owned by rental companies, leasing companies, haulage companies and even privately owned, there are often different levels of insurance that the owners must carry – with the insurance coverage often being more comprehensive when compared to smaller, passenger-vehicle policies. It’s from these insurance policies that we initially determine what compensation may be available.
To help determine if you have a bus accident case, we welcome you to call us today and speak to a lawyer at our firm for free. During your initial, free consultation, we can review the details of your claim and help determine if you may have grounds to file a claim.
Who May Be Held Liable?
When building a bus accident case, an important component is to establish that someone was negligent and that negligence caused or contributed to the collision that resulted in the injury &/or property damages that are being claimed in the lawsuit. There can be a number of parties that may be responsible in a bus crash, including:
- The driver – in the event that a bus driver has acted negligently and that negligence caused a crash, he/she may be held liable. An example of this may be if a bus driver was texting while driving and caused a collision during that time.
- The company that owns the bus – bus companies are obligated to ensure that their drivers are trained to operate the vehicle they are driving. In Arizona, bus drivers are limited to 10-hour driving per day after having 8 consecutive hours off duty. If the bus company is found to have forced a driver into driving more than that period of time, they may be held liable.
- The manufacturer – if it is determined that a design defect caused or contributed to a collision, the manufacturer may be held liable.
- School Districts – if a school employs a driver for their bus service, and that driver was involved in an accident, the school may be liable. An example of this may be where the driver is not provided adequate training by the school to operate the vehicle he/she is driving.
- The service company – many bus owners outsource the servicing of their vehicles. These companies often perform maintenance and repairs, which if found to be faulty, may be held liable.
Due to the complex nature of bus accidents, we recommend you contact a bus accident attorney from Phillips Law Group to learn more about your legal options.
Contact Us Today. Ph: 602-222-222 .
What Is My Case Worth?
If you are injured in a collision with a bus and it is determined that you were not at-fault, you may be eligible to file a claim for financial compensation. Commonly, there are two types of damages available:
- Economic Damages – these pertain to financial costs that are related to your injury including:
- Medical costs
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning potential
- Property damage
- Non-Economic Damages – these pertain to losses that may not be for material goods:
- Loss of companionship
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
As there can be many variables in a bus accident, it can be difficult to estimate the value of your case without reviewing the specifics of your incident in great detail. However, we understand that as an accident victim, you may have questions about your case.
At Phillips Law Group, we have the answers.
To learn more about your legal options, we welcome you to contact us today and let a lawyer from our firm review the merits of your claim for free. We can help to determine if you have a case and if so, you have the choice of pursuing the case with our team.
Insurance Companies and Your Bus Accident Claim
Following an accident, many victims are contacted by the insurance company that has insured the bus/owner. It is very important to understand that the main goal of the insurance company is to settle the claim for the lowest amount possible.
Insurance company representatives will often try to coerce victims into making statements and possibly signing documents that may be used against the victim to discredit their claim.
To ensure that your best interests are protected, we recommend that you contact us today, so that we can help to protect your rights.
Contact A Mesa Bus Accident Lawyer Today
Most accident victims that have legal representation recover more financial compensation compared to those that do not have a lawyer on their side.
Having served more than 155,000 consumer clients over the past 27 years, at Phillips Law Group, we have the experience and support to handle your bus accident case.
Our team of lawyers have recovered more than $1 billion in compensation on behalf of our clients and we charge no upfront fees if we take on your bus accident case. We also offer a no-obligation, free initial consultation to help review the merits of your claim.
For more information and your free consultation with a lawyer at our firm, contact us today. We are available 24/7.
Free Consultation. Ph: 602-222-222 .
Available 24/7