Buses are incredibly helpful to many people going to and from work or other destinations every day. Unfortunately, bus accidents do happen, and they can be incredibly destructive. Victims of bus accidents can incur huge medical bills, need to recover from serious injuries or find themselves unable to do their job or partake in activities they could before an accident.

If you were in a bus accident around Islip as a passenger, pedestrian, or driver of another vehicle, our lawyers can help. We can collect information about and prepare your case to give you the best chance of getting the compensation in court. Bus drivers, bus companies, and other passengers will likely be getting lawyers to help them even if you are not, so it is always a good idea to try and retain counsel after an accident.

Talk to our bus accident lawyers at The Carrion Law Firm at (631) 910-7493 for a free case review.

Who Should You Sue for a Bus Accident in Islip, NY?

You do not have to sue only one person in a bus accident lawsuit. Multiple parties could be liable for your injuries in a bus accident lawsuit. Bringing multiple parties into your lawsuit could give you a better chance of recovering damages, and our bus accident lawyers can figure out which people or entities are liable for your injuries and which ones are not worth suing.

The Bus Driver

You should almost always file a claim against the bus driver in a bus accident lawsuit. Many bus accidents are caused by a bus driver’s negligence. In law, negligence means that someone acted carelessly, and their carelessness caused your injuries.

Violating traffic laws is a common way that a bus driver could be negligent. If the driver of the bus that caused your accident was speeding, under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or texting while driving, they could be found negligent in a court of law and liable for your injuries.

The Bus Driver’s Employer

In addition to suing the bus driver, it is probably a good idea to also involve their employer in the lawsuit.

The legal doctrine “respondeat superior,” literally “let the master answer,” allows plaintiffs to sue employers for an  employee’s bad conduct. This principle exists because employers are generally in a better position to provide compensation to plaintiffs than their employees. If an employee cannot compensate you, they are referred to as “judgment proof.” That means that, even if you were to win, the defendant could not pay for your damages.

Negligent hiring is a common way for employers to be held liable for the conduct of their employees. For example, if a bus company hired a driver who was known to drink on the job, the employer could be liable if the driver gets in an accident.

Other Drivers

Sometimes, the bus driver is not to blame, but another driver is. If another driver was driving erratically in such a way that the bus driver had to take evasive maneuvers and got in an accident, you might have a claim against that driver.

Bus Manufacturers

If there was a problem with the bus outside of the driver’s or the bus company’s control, you could be able to sue the bus manufacturer for a defect that caused an accident.

Manufacturing defects are problems that arise during the construction or maintenance of the bus. The use of substandard materials, improper airbag installation, and faulty transmissions are all examples of manufacturing defects that could plague a bus. These defects and others like them could generate a claim against bus manufacturers or bus mechanics.

Damages Awarded in an Islip, NY Bus Accident Lawsuit

Courts break damages down into three main types: economic, non-economic, and punitive damages. Each type of damages is awarded for different reasons. You might receive damage for all or some of these reasons if you are successful in your claim.

Economic Damages

Economic damages might make up the bulk of what you receive after a bus accident lawsuit. Economic damages stem from things with discernable monetary value. In a bus accident lawsuit, this generally means hospital bills for medical procedures, property damage, or costs of physical therapy.

Additionally, you can be compensated for lost wages and earning potential as economic damages. If you had to take time off from work because of your injuries and recovery time, you could be compensated for the money you would have earned during that time had you not been injured. Additionally, if you can no longer do the same job because of your injuries, you could be compensated for the money you would have earned during your career had the bus accident not happened.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages cover things that do not have bills or receipts. For example, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and lost enjoyment of life are all things that could fall under non-economic damages in a bus accident lawsuit. Things like “pain” or an inability to do recreational activities do not have bills or receipts, so you will probably need to convince the court of what they are worth.

Punitive Damages

The idea behind awarding damages in personal injury lawsuits of all kinds is to “make the plaintiff whole” again” by means of financial compensation. Conversely, punitive damages are not used to put the plaintiff back where they were before the accident but to punish the defendant for their actions. Courts rarely award punitive damages, as they tend to be reserved for the most egregious defendants.

Call Our Islip, NY Lawyers Right Away

Call (631) 910-7493 to get in touch with our bus accident lawyers at The Carrion Law Firm for a free discussion of your case.