If you were injured in a bus accident in Newark and the damages that followed impacted your life, you may be eligible to receive compensation for your losses. A bus accident lawyer from our law firm can help you build your case and fight for compensation on your behalf.
Our team at Morelli Law Firm helps bus accident victims in New Jersey fight for their financial recovery. If you’d like to learn more about our legal services, we offer free initial consultations.
Seeking Compensation after You Get Into a Bus Accident in Newark
As you build your personal injury case, you will need to create a list of your damages and estimate their collective value. Our team can help you calculate this value, then send a notice to the liable party to demand compensation from them.
In your notice, you may describe the losses you suffered as a result of the bus accident. The following are some main examples of compensable damages you may claim when pursuing compensation.
Medical Care Expenses
Bus accidents often lead to serious injuries. Bus passengers may be thrown around the interior of the bus during a collision. Drivers or passengers in other vehicles could be severely injured as they are struck by a much larger bus.
In these situations, you could require:
- Emergency medical care
- Hospitalization and surgeries
- Medical testing and assessments
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation
Our team can help you fight to have your medical care expenses compensated, including other costs for prescription medicines, medical equipment, and at-home care services.
Loss of Income and Benefits
If your injuries or other damages were severe enough to put you out of work temporarily or permanently, you may be able to recover compensation for wages and benefits you lost.
Other income-related damages include:
- Reduced earning potential, which considers the loss of income due to your working abilities being limited
- Future loss of income if your injuries require long-term treatment or you are not expected to make a full recovery
- Loss of job promotions or better job opportunities that you would have gotten had you not been injured
Property Damage
If your vehicle or some other property was hit by a bus, our team can help you pursue compensation for repairs. If the damages have completely destroyed your property beyond repair, we may demand compensation equivalent to the cash value of your property instead.
Pain and Suffering and Other Non-Economic Damages
Certain compensable damages do not have a financial value and must be assigned one, which we can explain further in a consultation. These are referred to as “non-economic damages,” and typically include:
- Pain and suffering, which can be both physical and emotional
- Permanent disability or loss of bodily function
- Diminished quality of life
- Physical disfigurement, including burn marks or scarring
- Loss of enjoyment in previous hobbies and activities
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish
Wrongful Death
Unfortunately, some bus accidents can lead to fatalities, causing damages to the surviving families of the victims. If you lost a loved one in a bus collision, you may be entitled to collect compensation for damages related to their death, such as:
- Funeral service costs
- Pain and suffering of your loved one
- Loss of financial contribution from your loved one
- Loss of parental guidance, love and affection, and companionship
- Medical debts inherited from your loved one
- Loss of consortium
You can begin working on a claim to secure compensation for your losses immediately after the collision by reaching out to our law firm. One of our team members can explain further how a bus accident lawyer from our team can help you in Newark.
Legal Services Our Law Firm Provides to Our Clients
Our accident lawyers at Morelli Law Firm are passionate about the cases they represent. At our firm, we get paid on a contingent basis, so our incentive to win compensation for our clients remains high. If you don’t get paid, neither do we.
Our attorney’s fees come out of your compensation award, so we want to work hard to prepare a comprehensive case for you. Together, our team performs multiple legal services to help shape your case for litigation. These services include:
- Identifying who may be held liable for the bus accident, such as the bus driver, the bus company, a manufacturer, or a third-party driver
- Retrieving evidence that can support your claims about how the accident took place, how it caused your injuries, and who caused the accident
- Subpoenaing for records from the bus company that might be pertinent to your case, such as black box data, driving records of the bus driver, alcohol and drug test results of the driver, and the driver’s background check information
- Handling communications with parties involved in your case, such as the bus driver’s or bus company’s legal team or insurance provider
- Preparing your case for litigation, which includes filing paperwork within their deadlines
One of our attorneys will also serve as your legal representative during court hearings or negotiation meetings and can advise you on legal decisions when the time arises. Should you want additional guidance, our team will be available for contact.
Newark Bus Accident Lawyer Near Me 877-751-9800
Options for Resolving Your Claim in Newark
New Jersey is a no-fault insurance state. This means that you may be expected to rely on your own insurance to get compensation in many situations. However, there are cases where you are permitted to seek compensation from the individual responsible for your accident.
Filing an Insurance Claim
In cases involving bus accidents, you may have several options available to seek compensation. You may be able to file a claim with the bus driver or bus company’s insurance company.
Negotiating with the insurance company may lead to a settlement that covers your losses. Note that insurance companies may offer you a settlement right away. Initial settlements are often too low to cover all of your losses, so you may not want to accept them immediately.
Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit
You could also file a lawsuit against the bus driver, the bus company, or another liable party in some situations. You may even be able to file a product liability lawsuit against the company that manufactured the bus.
Legal Deadlines Related to Bus Accident Cases in Newark
If you intend to file a civil action lawsuit regarding your bus accident-related injuries, then you must adhere to your case’s filing deadline, which is set by New Jersey’s statute of limitations. Depending on whether you are filing a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit, the filing window start date may differ.
The following legal deadlines may apply:
- For personal injury cases: NJ Rev Stat §2A:14-2 generally gives you two years from the date of the accident to file your case.
- For wrongful death cases: NJ Rev Stat §2A:31-3 generally gives you two years from the date of your loved one’s death to file your case.
If you do not file your case within its appropriate timeframe, a judge may dismiss it, eliminating your opportunity to pursue compensation. To avoid this outcome, our legal team will follow your case’s deadline schedule and take appropriate steps to file your case on time.
Proving Negligence for a Bus Accident in Newark
In some situations, bus drivers are responsible for the accidents on our roads. Bus drivers may cause an accident if they disobey traffic laws by speeding or driving aggressively. They may also be at fault for a collision if:
- They were driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- They were distracted by bus passengers or a mobile device.
- They were confused by their route and trying to look up directions.
- They were fatigued or tired behind the wheel.
When Other Parties Might Be Liable for a Bus Accident
In some cases, accidents occur through no fault of the driver’s. In this situation, the bus company may be responsible for the collision.
Bus companies have a responsibility to hire drivers who are properly trained and prepared to drive a bus. They must also ensure buses are given regular maintenance so that they are safe to operate on the road. Failure to follow these steps could lead to an accident.
Finally, sometimes the manufacturer of the bus may be liable if defective parts were used during its construction or repairs.
Steps to Take after Getting Into a Bus Accident in Newark to Help Protect Your Case
If you were struck by a bus in Newark—or if you were riding in a bus when it struck another vehicle—there are a number of steps you should take as soon as possible.
Depending on your level of injury following an accident, the following can help your lawyer build a case:
- The police accident report from the scene
- Contact information from all witnesses and the bus driver
- Pictures of the scene of the accident and your injuries
- Documentation of medical treatment you sought after the crash
Make sure that you contact our law firm so that you can begin working with a bus accident lawyer after your accident in Newark.
You might want to speak with a team representative from our firm before talking to insurance agents representing either you or the bus company. Insurance agents may try to downplay the severity of the accident. They may even try to blame you for the collision.
Get Help from a Bus Accident Attorney Serving Newark Immediately
If you were hurt in a bus accident in Newark, you could seek compensation by working with a personal injury lawyer from our team. Find out more by contacting Morelli Law Firm to discuss your legal options. Get help with a free consultation.