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Should you find yourself involved in a bus accident, know that you have legal options available to you. You can contact a bus accident attorney in Lehigh Acres to discuss your right to compensation. The Viles & Beckman team can help you file a claim for compensation within Florida’s statute of limitations.
Public Transport, School Buses, and Private Rentals: How to Address a Bus Accident
No two bus accidents are the same. A bus accident involving a public school driver can see children suffer serious injuries even as you, too, endure separate losses. Public buses throughout Lehigh Acres must also take reasonable steps to protect themselves, you, and the passengers they have on board.
If you get into an accident with a bus that works with a local school system, you need to assess your scene for signs of liability. Should the bus driver be liable for your losses, you may take a legal claim against the school system or the bus company that the school system employs.
Accidents involving public transportation don’t require you to go through a school system to find your liable party. Instead, you can take a legal claim against the company that employs a specific bus driver. This only changes if that parent company considers their bus driver an independent contractor. In these cases, your claim should address that individual driver.
Private Rentals Versus Public Transport: What to Expect from Your Claim
If you get into an accident with a privately-owned bus, you have the right to bring a claim against that bus’s owner. These claims can operate like traditional personal injury claims, with two individuals addressing the victim’s losses.
Get into an accident with a bus owned by a city or state, however, and things change. Certain government bodies benefit from qualified immunity. Florida elaborates on this point in
Florida Statutes §768.28 6(a). You can bring a claim against these institutions if you think they’ve violated your constitutional rights, but not otherwise.
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How to Hold Someone Accountable for a Bus Accident
If you want to hold someone accountable for a bus accident, you need to determine what evidence of liability you have on the scene. Ideally, you need to use that evidence to indicate that a bus driver and their parent company bear the responsibility for your post-accident expenses.
That said, there are other parties that you can hold accountable for your bus accident losses. A bus’s manufacturer or mechanic can both be accused of negligence if the bus appears defective.
To make matters more complicated, bus companies can attempt to shrug off responsibility for your accident by mistreating their employees. A transit company that employs independent contractors may make those contractors take on the financial burden of your accident without offering you any assistance.
What Evidence to Use When Establishing Case Liability
If you’re struggling to determine who to hold liable for your bus accident losses, consider the data you have on hand. You can use all of the following to help establish responsibility for your accident:
- Bystander accounts
- Accident recreations
- Physical evidence, including skid marks and the pattern of debris fallout
- Expert witness testimony
- Photo and video evidence
You don’t have to gather this evidence without professional assistance. Our Lehigh Acres, FL, bus accident lawyers can step in and revisit the scene of an accident as many times as necessary to gather evidence supporting your case.
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Calculating Bus Accident Compensation Prior to Claim Submission
The bus accident complaint you file with a local county clerk also needs to detail the economic value of your losses. Calculating this value can help you better understand what compensation you’d like to receive courtesy of your complaint.
You can calculate the value of your accident by applying a non-economic multiplier to the sum total of your economic losses. More specifically, you can add together your medical bills, damaged property, and lost wages to determine the economic value of your accident. From there, your multiplier can represent losses like pain and suffering.
You’re under no obligation to do this math on your own. In fact, it’s better to bring your losses to the attention of an attorney. We can include losses you may not have thought of in your estimated compensation. This way, you can bring home the bus accident support you need to restore your previous quality of life.
Click To ContactWhen to File a Bus Accident Claim
Florida is generous with the amount of time it gives its residents to file their personal injury claims. If you’ve been injured in a bus accident, Florida Statutes §95.11(3)(a) allows you four years from the day your accident took place to bring your complaint forward.
That said, Florida’s deadlines are firm. If you don’t bring your bus accident complaint forward within this period of time, you waive your right to compensation. A bus company, mechanic, manufacturer, or another party will similarly face no obligation to offer you a settlement after those four years have passed.
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Discuss Your Bus Accident Case’s Needs With Our Team
Bus accident injuries can take you out of commission for a considerable amount of time. While you’re busy recovering, let our team begin building your civil case. We don’t require you to come with us to the scene of your accident to gather evidence. Instead, a bus accident lawyer in Lehigh Acres, FL, can update you as we calculate your possible settlement.
Moreover, our team specializes in making the civil process as straightforward as possible for you. This means intercepting any intimidation attempts and pointing out any unfair negotiating tactics that the defendant might try. When you have us on your side, both negotiations and a traditional trial can feel less intimidating.
Let’s Schedule a Bus Accident Case Consultation Today
Whether you’re contending with the complexities of public transportation or a local school system, recovering from a bus accident takes time. You need an advocate on your side who can make this process more straightforward. That’s why Viles & Beckman offer our services to bus accident victims throughout Florida.
You can reach out to a Lehigh Acres, FL, bus accident lawyer for more information about your post-accident right to compensation. We’re available to discuss your needs over the phone, online, or in person. Contact us today to schedule your case consultation.
Call or text (239) 334-3933 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
