Countless commuters rely on buses as they offer a more convenient and cost-friendly way to travel. While most trips end without any incident, some have a tragic ending. Even though they are not the most common, crashes involving school or commercial buses can result in serious injuries.
Accidents involving buses are often tragic and result in severe injuries or death for those involved. The victims can either be occupants of the bus, other vehicles, and or pedestrians, all of whom may be entitled to compensation for losses resulting from an accident. Unfortunately, the process of recovering compensation after a bus accident can be daunting.
Our attorneys are available to review your claim at a no-cost obligation to you. Call Morelli Law Firm at (212) 751-9800 to speak with an Albany bus accident lawyer.
Our Lawyers Are Here to Help You
As noted above, filing a bus accident lawsuit can be a complex process, especially in instances where multiple entities may be liable for the crash. Regardless of the intrinsic complexity of such accidents, our lawyers are committed to pursuing justice on your behalf. We can help you seek fair compensation through a personal injury lawsuit against the negligent drivers and any other party who may have played a part in the cause of the accident.
For an accident that was caused by a negligent driver, the process may be easy to deal with. However, cases involving a bus owned and operated by the government may not be as straightforward. Our lawyers will first negotiate with the government insurance company for a compensation settlement. If they do not reach a reasonable consensus, our lawyers will not hesitate to escalate the issue to file a claim against the government entity. Our lawyers can offer help in such lawsuits to help you seek fair compensation you may be entitled to under the law.
In New York, you must adhere to some strict rules for you to recover compensation. Failure to which, you may lose your right to recover damages. These rules include the statute of limitations, which dictate that you must file your claim within two years from the date of the accident, according to New York’s Civil Practice Law & Rules (CVP) §214(5). Our personal injury lawyers fully understand the intricacies in these cases and will work with you to ensure that you file a solid case and in a timely manner.
To build a case, our lawyers will:
- Review the accident and police reports
- Collect witness and passenger witness reports
- Document the accident site both in writing and by taking photos of the site
- Analyze your medical reports with the help of medical experts to establish the extent of the injuries you suffered
- Collaborate with experts to recreate scenarios that led up to the accident
- Handle communication with the insurance companies on your behalf
Our Legal Team Can Help Establish Liability
To prevail in a lawsuit involving bus accidents, you must establish the basis of the bus mishap. This can help determine the responsible party for all the damages that have occurred. That is where our legal team comes in. We can uncover information regarding your accident, establish the cause of the accident, and hold the negligent party responsible for your injuries.
Albany Bus Accident Lawyer Near Me 877-751-9800
Negligence by the Bus Companies
Far too often, bus accidents are caused by negligence on the part of bus companies. For instance, bus companies fail to conduct a proper inspection of the vehicle, and as a result, malfunction or failure of equipment causes an accident. In other situations, companies can fail to train their drivers on the kind of maintenance needed on the buses.
Negligence by Bus Drivers
Some instances in which a bus driver’s negligence leads to an accident may include the following:
Fatigue
One seemingly harmless form of driver negligence is drowsy driving. Drivers are supposed to work on certain numbers of hours in a day and enjoy enough rest before they embark on another shift, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Despite the strict regulations, drivers opt to push through their fatigue and drive past the recommended hours. Resultantly, the driver’s capacity to drive safely becomes severely impaired and can cause an accident.
Driving Under the Influence of Drugs and Alcohol
For obvious reasons, driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol is unacceptable. Intoxicated drivers are unable to focus and function properly, and this puts them, passengers on board, and other vehicles on the road at risk of an accident.
Distracted Driving
After driving for a long time, it is common to find drivers finding other things while behind the wheel. When they shift their attention off the road to other things, say texting, making a call, or applying make-up, it becomes almost impossible to act reasonably and promptly in a road situation. If the driver is found to have been negligent in some way, our lawyers can seek to hold them accountable for the crash.
Defective Bus Equipment
A bus whose equipment is faulty or sub-standard has a higher chance of causing an accident than a quality bus. If the accident is caused by defective equipment, our lawyers can help you file a claim against the company and or the manufacturer for their negligence.
Consider the Bus Accident Lawyers at Morelli Law Firm
At Morelli Law Firm, we can provide all the legal assistance to pursue a claim against the negligent parties. To get started, call us at (212) 751-9800 for a free consultation to see how our Albany bus accident lawyer may be able to help you with your case.