Countless residents and visitors alike take public transportation. These very convenient modes of transportation often include taxis, the subway, and buses. However, no one ever steps onto a bus expecting to be involved in a serious accident. However, bus accidents are common. Drivers of cars, taxis, and other vehicles who are reluctant to yield to buses cause collisions across NYC. Bus drivers can also cause accidents themselves due to inattentive or reckless operation of the vehicle.
Anyone who has suffered serious injuries because of a public bus, school bus, or tour bus accident can file a claim with the help of a personal injury lawyer. Your damages may be severe or even life-threatening. Some bus accident victims are so injured they never fully recover, and their lives are forever altered. There are also specific legal differences between bus accidents with privately owned bus companies and public transport.
If you have been injured in a bus accident, you deserve compensation for your injuries. Our New York City bus accident lawyers can help you get the money you need to pay for your recovery. Call The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083 for a free case review before you get your case started.
What Causes Bus Accidents in New York City?
There are several forms of negligence that can result in harmful bus accidents. First, many crashes happen because of careless behavior exhibited by motorists. For instance, a devastating collision may occur because a bus driver was speeding or driving distracted. Further, a bus may crash into another driver who ran a red light. If you were injured because of a bus accident caused by a negligent motorist, then you may be able to recover financial compensation.
Some bus accidents stem from bus companies’ negligence. For example, a crash may result from a tire blowout that occurred because a bus company did not perform proper maintenance on their vehicle. Additionally, a bus accident may happen because a tired driver’s employer forced them to remain on the road for too long, leading to mistakes made behind the wheel. Our experienced New York City bus accident lawyers can help determine if your collision was caused by a bus company’s negligent actions. If so, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party.
Lastly, some bus accidents happen because of defective parts. For instance, a crash may happen because a vehicle was equipped with a malfunctioning braking system or a faulty drive shaft. Victims of such accidents can file cases against manufacturers of the defective parts. However, pursuing these types of claims can be a complex task. Expert witness testimony is usually necessary to explain how a defective product caused a collision. If you suffered a bus accident caused by a defective part, then you should contact our attorneys for help proving who is at fault.
Common Ways that People Are Injured in Bus Accidents in New York City
Bus accidents are often more severe than accidents between standard-sized vehicles. Buses are incredibly large and very heavy. A collision with a vehicle this large can only spell disaster for the other driver. However, bus accidents are also extremely dangerous for passengers on the bus and nearby pedestrians or bicycle riders.
Cars driving alongside a bus can be easily crushed, and drivers are critically injured if the bus causes an accident. An accident could involve a collision with the bus or even the bus toppling over onto the car. Buses must make very wide turns, and if a bus makes a turn that is too tight and too fast, the bus could fall over and hurt other cars and drivers. A collision with a bus, such as when a bus runs a light or stop sign or fails to brake, can be equally disastrous.
You could also be injured in a bus accident if you are a passenger on the bus. While the bus itself is more capable of withstanding damage during a collision, the people inside might not be so fortunate. Seatbelts are not always present on public buses because passengers tend to hop on and off fairly quickly. If the bus collides with another car, a wall, a tree, or topples over, the people inside might be violently jostled about. Passengers routinely incur serious injuries in bus accidents.
Pedestrians stand little to no chance of coming out okay after a bus accident. Pedestrians, bicycle riders, and other people on the street are likely to be gravely injured or even killed if they are struck by a bus. Buses are moving so quickly there is often very little opportunity to move out of the way. No matter how you were injured, our New York City bus accident lawyers can help you get compensation for your damages.
Common Places Where Bus Accidents Occur in New York City
Bus accidents are typically unavoidable and unexpected. They can happen anywhere and at any time. However, there are certain locations where bus accidents most often happen. Our New York City bus accident lawyers can help investigate the cause of crashes that happen at any of the following locations:
Highways
Many bus accidents occur on highways. When travelling at high speeds, bus drivers will have an especially difficult time controlling their vehicles. Speeding bus drivers are prone to veering outside of their lanes and causing devastating highway collisions. These accidents are also very likely to result in catastrophic injuries. Fortunately, victims can contact our experienced attorneys for support. Our team can help explain the path to compensation.
Intersections
Intersections are also a common location where bus accidents occur. When bus drivers and other motorists act carelessly, severe collisions can occur between buses and other vehicles travelling through intersections. For example, a devastating bus accident may occur because a driver ran a red light or made an improper left turn. In any case, our New York City bus accident lawyers can help investigate who is at fault for a crash that occurs at an intersection.
Furthermore, many pedestrians are injured because of bus accidents that happen at intersections. Such accidents often occur because bus drivers fail to operate their vehicles with reasonable care. If you were struck by a negligent bus driver while attempting to cross an intersection, then you may be entitled to monetary damages. Our attorneys can offer a free assessment of your case.
Parking Lots
Furthermore, many bus accidents happen in parking lots. Busses regularly visit parking lots to drop off and pick up crowds of people. For instance, a school bus may drop off a load of children at their school’s parking lot. Furthermore, a private bus may pick up passengers from a parking lot in front of a concert venue or sporting event. Accordingly, negligent behavior committed by bus drivers and other motorists can lead to serious parking lot accidents.
There are several types of bus accidents that can happen in parking lots. Busses may collide with drivers who are pulling into and out of parking spaces. Furthermore, negligent bus drivers may strike pedestrians who are walking to and from their cars. After such accidents, our New York City bus accident lawyers can help injured parties build their cases.
Highly Congested Areas
Lastly, many bus accidents in New York City occur in areas with high traffic congestion. In such areas, impatient drivers are prone to tailgating, disobeying traffic signals, and performing reckless maneuvers. Accordingly, many harmful bus accidents happen because of negligent conduct committed by motorists in highly congested areas. Our attorneys can help victims of these accidents evaluate the strength of their potential claims.
Who Is Liable for a New York City Bus Accident?
There could be several different people or parties responsible for your bus accident. It is important to discuss liability with your attorney so you can determine whom you should sue. Our New York City bus accident attorneys can help you determine who is most likely liable and file a personal injury lawsuit.
Many bus companies are private entities that charge passengers a ticket fee in exchange for a ride. Companies like Greyhound, Megabus, and private charter buses are owned and operated by private businesses. In such cases, you may be able to sue the company that owns the bus and employs the driver. However, the extent of the company’s liability for the driver’s actions will depend on how your accident occurred. It is best to consult with our New York City bus accident lawyers before pursuing any legal action.
In many cities, especially in New York City, buses are important parts of public transportation systems. New York City is filled with MTA buses that anyone may ride. If your accident involved a public bus, your defendant might be the public organization that supports the bus system or even the city itself. However, there might be different requirements when suing a city, town, municipality, or public entity. Our New York City bus accident lawyers can help you file your case through the correct legal channels.
Filing a Lawsuit for a Bus Accident in New York City
When filing a lawsuit, your case will begin with a complaint. The complaint is a formal document that spells out the details of your case as you believe they happened and why you believe you are entitled to relief from the defendant. Complaints can be tricky to write, as they often require a certain degree of specificity regarding both facts and law. A poorly written complaint will be a non-starter for your case.
There are several other conditions that must be satisfied when filing your complaint. For example, plaintiffs must file their cases in the right jurisdictions, pay any necessary filing fees, attach supporting information, serve all named defendants, and refrain from filing a frivolous claim. If any of these conditions are not adhered to, then you may have to re-file your lawsuit. Fortunately, our attorneys can help comply with the multitude of requirements for filing your complaint.
You must also be aware of any filing deadlines or statutes of limitations. A statute of limitations is like a time frame for how long a plaintiff has to file a lawsuit. Different cases might be bound by different statutes. In New York, most personal injury cases, including bus accidents, must adhere to a 3-year statute of limitations.
As stated above, there might be different rules to follow if you are suing a municipality or public entity. If you are suing the city because you were hit by a public bus, you must first file a notice of claim. According to GMU Law § 50-e, you must file this notice within 90 days of the bus accident. Failure to file the notice of claim might prevent you from suing the city. This time limit is not a statute of limitations but could prevent you from suing certain public defendants. Speak to our New York City bus accident lawyers sooner rather than later if you want to sue a public entity.
Regardless of your filing deadline, you should get in touch with our New York City bus accident lawyers as soon as possible after your crash. Pertinent evidence needed to support your claim may become hard to gather or preserve as time goes on. The more quickly you reach out to our experienced attorneys, the more easily we can gather the evidence required to win your case.
Evidence Needed for a New York City Bus Accident Lawsuit
You cannot successfully sue for damages if you have no evidence to support your claims. Plaintiffs often do not know where or how to gather evidence for their case. Bus accidents usually happen very quickly, and it is normal for injured victims to have few memories of the crash. In addition, law enforcement tends to clear accident scenes very fast because they pose a safety risk to other drivers. However, there may be multiple sources of evidence in your case. Our New York City bus accident lawyers can help you track down important evidence for your lawsuit.
You need evidence of your injuries if you want your damages compensated. Medical records and statements from the doctors who treated you can be used to establish your injuries. We also need evidence of the crash itself. If possible, taking photos and recording videos of the crash scene while you await emergency responders can be very helpful to your case.
In New York City, there are surveillance cameras everywhere. It is very possible that your accident was recorded on surveillance. The surveillance cameras could be privately owned or owned by the city, depending on where they are positioned. Even without photos and videos, we can get eyewitnesses to testify about what they saw and support your claims.
Effective Representation for New York City Bus Accidents
Dennis Carrion can help establish clear responsibility of the at-fault parties. He will also investigate accidents in detail to gather the necessary evidence. The more prepared you are before filing an injury claim, the more likely you are to succeed in obtaining the compensation you need. If you have been injured in a bus accident anywhere in New York, you may be entitled to compensation for:
- Medical costs
- Loss of wages
- Loss of earning ability
- Pain and suffering
No matter how difficult or overwhelming the situation may seem, taking action against the responsible party may help ease your financial burdens. Work with attorney Dennis Carrion to secure the compensation you and your loved ones deserve and focus on attaining peace of mind in these difficult times.
Settlement Negotiations in New York City Bus Accident Lawsuits
In most bus accident lawsuits, defendants will attempt to settle cases before going to trial. After reaching a settlement agreement, the plaintiff will receive an agreed-upon sum of damages from the defendant and their lawsuit is voluntarily dismissed. If you settle your case early, you may save on expenses like attorney’s fees, filing fees, and expert witness fees. Also, by reaching a settlement agreement, you may obtain payment sooner.
Unfortunately, defendants and their insurers may try to settle your case as quickly and as cheaply as possible. There are several tactics defense lawyers may employ to entice acceptance of low settlement offers. By taking your case to trial, you will have the opportunity to recover additional compensation.
The guidance of our experienced New York City bus accident lawyers can be helpful when evaluating any settlement offers that were made in your case. Our attorneys can help you decide if going to trial is the best choice for you.
Call Our New York City Bus Accident Attorneys
If you were hurt in a bus accident, you can hold the responsible parties accountable and get compensation to help your recovery. Our New York City bus accident lawyers have the skills and experience to assist your case. Call The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083 for a free case review.