While traveling on a bus in Los Angeles most riders are probably focused on the destination ahead and the activities in which they will partake upon arrival. Most likely, the last thing you or anyone else would think about when riding on a bus is the possibility of getting into an accident. Yet the reality is that serious injuries that result from bus accidents occur more frequently than you might imagine. Keep in mind that a bus, like any other vehicle is subject to the same risks of the road. Do you know what to do if you, or a loved were to be seriously injured in a bus accident? Obviously, many more questions would arise in this scenario, but the immediate concerns would be to ensure:
- You or your loved one received the proper medical care
- You or your loved one’s legal rights were protected
By: Brad Nakase, Attorney
Free Consultation: 888-600-8654
The first steps to ensure that you or your loved one’s legal rights are protected, and that proper medical care is received is to speak with an experienced Bus Accident Lawyer to discuss the details of your case. An experienced attorney will work to protect your legal rights and fight for the best possible outcome for you or your loved one. You deserve nothing less!
The California bus accident attorneys at Nakase Personal Injury Lawyers can help answer all of the important questions about your case and determine the best strategy to pursue any claims you might have against the bus company. While this may sound relatively simple, bus accidents can involve complex fact patterns, multiple parties, and varying degrees of liability.
At Nakase Personal Injury Lawyers, our California bus accident attorneys are extremely knowledgeable in the laws concerning bus accident claims in California. We have many years of hands-on experience in legal practice, and our attorneys truly have the desire, ability and tools to help you and your family fight to receive the maximum compensation.
Our Bus Accident Lawyers Handle All Types of Bus Accident Claims in California
Since no two bus accidents are alike, there can be many different factors that contribute to these types of accidents and victims can suffer multiple different types of severe personal injuries. These injuries can include the extreme scenario of wrongful death, as well as trauma to the brain, damage to organs, broken bones, injury to soft tissue, as well as various other types of injuries. While we know that each case is unique and no two individuals will sustain the same type of injuries, the bus accident lawyers at Nakase Personal Injury Lawyers are prepared to handle each type of bus accident case regardless of the complexity.
Of course, ensuring that you or your loved one receive the best possible medical care is only one component of the case. The bus accident lawyers at Nakase Personal Injury Lawyers will work to piece together the factors that contributed to the accident that ultimately resulted in your injuries. Further, the type of bus accident is an important factor in determining the best course of action to pursue damages on your behalf. This is because bus accidents can occur on public buses, school buses, airport shuttle buses, tour buses, as well as other types of buses.
Figuring Out What Happened
The next important step for the bus accident lawyers at Nakase Personal Injury Lawyers is to figure out exactly what happened in the first place to cause the accident in which you were injured. Many questions can arise during this process, and each possibility must be explored to determine the actual cause of the bus accident, i.e. was the bus driver drowsy or distracted; did the bus accident result from some mechanical failure; did the bus accident involve a pedestrian; were poor road conditions a factor; and many others.
Who is the Defendant in a Bus Accident Lawsuit in California?
As the bus accident lawyers at Nakase Personal Injury Lawyers continue to investigate your bus accident case, they will conduct a more complex review of the evidence to determine liability or fault. Determining liability in bus accident cases can be far more complex than in typical cases where accidents involve regular vehicles. This is because in a bus accident situation, the driver may not be the only party at fault who is liable for any damages that you suffered. Here, the blame for the cause of your bus accident can be shared proportionally among different parties, each of whom might than bare some percentage of fault.
Determining which parties are potentially at fault requires the knowledge and expertise of an experienced personal lawyer. As part of this process, the California bus accident lawyers at Nakase Personal Injury Lawyers will determine which parties are potentially liable for your damages after a review of the evidence in your case. Depending on the unique factors of your case, many different parties could share some liability for your damages. This happens quite often.
Our experience has shown that often times the bus driver may have violated some type of traffic law or regulation that placed the bus in a position to be involved in an accident. In this scenario, the bus drivers’ actions or “negligence” is assumed by the bus company that employs the driver, as they are ultimately responsible for the driver’s training and supervision. In the same scenario if the driver was operating a tour bus, the tour bus company might be held liable.
However, it is not always clear that the fault for a bus accident rests with the bus driver. The bus driver may have been operating the bus in a safe manner yet was still involved in a bus accident. If the bus company failed to properly maintain the bus and ensure that it was safe to operate, the bus company could be held liable. This could arise from the bus the bus company, or its subcontractor’s failure to perform maintenance such as replacing windshield wipers, headlights, worn tires, or adjusting the brakes, etc., and this caused the bus driver to be involved in an accident where you or a loved one were injured.
Although you might not realize it, buses can be owned by the government in addition to private bus companies and tour operators. In this scenario, if the bus driver was at fault and is an employee of the government, you can bring a claim against a government entity. Even if the bus driver was not at fault, yet the accident involved a government owned bus, you still may be able to bring a claim against the government entity. If after careful investigation, the bus accident lawyers at Nakase Personal Injury Lawyers determine that your bus accident was caused by poor road conditions, you may be able to bring a claim against a government entity as well.
We have also determined that in many cases a contributing factor to a bus accident rests with actions of another driver. This can occur in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, another driver’s violation of a traffic law or regulation, such as an improper lane change, speeding, failing to signal, etc., If it is determined that your injuries resulted from a bus accident caused by another driver, you can bring a claim against the other driver for damages.
Unfortunately, many bus accidents also involve school buses. While we like to think that school buses are inherently safe as they transport “precious cargo”, the reality is that school buses are subject to the same inherent risks as all other vehicles. Once the bus accident lawyers at Nakase Personal Injury Lawyers determine that the cause of your accident involved a school bus, and the school bus driver is employed by the school board, you can bring a claim against the school board.
Figuring out who is liable for the damage and injuries suffered by you or a loved one as the result of a bus accident is vital to properly pursing any claim and obtaining just compensation. The bus accident lawyers at Nakase Personal Injury Lawyers have years of experience in determining liability in bus accidents and will carefully investigate all aspects of your case.
We Will Not Leave You on Your Own to Deal with The Insurance Company
The California bus accident attorneys at Nakase Personal Injury Lawyers are adept in dealing with insurance companies when pursuing claims on behalf of their clients. The sad reality is that many insurance companies operate under less than ethical standards when it comes time to pay on a claim.
Insurance companies operate on a business model designed to collect the maximum amount of premium dollars, while paying out the least amount on claims. As such, insurance companies often resort to different methods designed to reduce their liability or undervalue and deny claims. You are not alone!
The California bus accident attorneys at Nakase Personal Injury Lawyers Our lawyers will guide you in dealing with the insurance company to avoid critical mistakes that could affect your case, including discussing the details of your in a public forum such as on social media.
Therefore, do not speak with an insurance adjuster until you have consulted with an attorney from Nakase Personal Injury Lawyers. Although you may feel compelled to speak with a representative of the insurance company, without our guidance you could erroneously make a recorded statement that can be used against you.