What happens if a bus hits your car depends on many factors, including:
- Where and when the accident took place
- The angle from which you were hit
- How fast you were both traveling
- Whether you were wearing your seatbelt
Your car might get totaled, but you and your passengers might also still be able to walk away without a scratch. Unfortunately, in far too many cases, accident victims are left with serious injuries, emotional scars, and mounting debts.
What Should I Do If A Bus Hits My Car?
Your immediate concern might be coping with the aftermath of a bus accident. However, there are certain steps bus accident victims can take to increase their chances of recovering from their injuries and collecting fair compensation. If you were not able to perform these tasks, a bus accident lawyer from Morelli Law Firm may still be able to help you sue for damages.
Medical Attention
Buses are larger than cars. If a bus and a car collide, the car and its occupants are more likely to suffer greater damage than the bus. For this reason, it is always a good idea to take stock of any injuries you have after a bus accident and get medical help. This can:
- Save your life
- Prevent all types of injuries, from mild to severe, from getting worse
- Create a medical record that proves a connection between the accident and your injuries
At the Accident Scene
Unless you are severely injured or incapacitated, it is advisable for bus accident victims to exchange insurance and contact information with the bus driver before leaving the scene. Not only will this make it easier for you to recover compensation, but it is also the law.
Per VAT § 600, any driver who leaves the scene of an injury crash without providing their contact and insurance information may be fined or jailed. This does not apply to individuals who are severely injured and must go to the hospital.
Finally, taking photos or video of the accident scene and/or your injuries is a good way to preserve evidence of what happened and how.
Legal Assistance
Once your immediate needs have been attended to, you can consider your legal options. This could involve seeking a free case review from our law firm so that you:
- Know for certain if you have a viable case
- Can learn more about your legal options without placing yourself under any obligation to move forward if you do not want to
- Can receive more information and even schedule an appointment quickly and over the phone
You May Be Entitled to Seek Compensation for Damages
If you were injured in a bus crash, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit. If you lost a loved one in the crash, you may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit. In both types of lawsuits, you can sue for economic damages and non-economic damages.
Economic damages include any and all monetary losses you suffered because of the crash. For example, you might qualify for economic damages if you had:
- Medical expenses: This includes going to the emergency room, having medical tests done, hiring a home nurse, and even paying for medical prescriptions.
- Repair expenses: This includes costs to fix your car or rent a car until yours gets repaired.
- Lost wages or benefits: This includes income you would have earned from your job had you not been injured.
- Lost employment opportunities: For example, you were fired from or can no longer perform duties associated with your old job.
Non-economic damages include any and all physical and/or emotional injuries you suffered because of the crash. For example, you might qualify for non-economic damages if you had:
- Pain and suffering: This includes physical symptoms, emotional anguish, and psychological trauma.
- Reduced quality of life: This type of damage applies if you are unable to perform daily living tasks (e.g., dressing yourself or going to the store) like you used to before the accident.
- Loss of consortium: This includes being unable to continue having a positive marital or familial relationship with loved ones.
- Disability: This includes the loss of use of any body part or even the complete loss of an organ or limb (e.g., via amputation).
A lawyer Can Manage Your Case for You
If you are considering a lawsuit, we want to help. Our firm works on a contingency-fee basis, so you would not owe any attorney’s fees until (and unless) we are able to get money for you. You deserve the chance to hire the legal representation you want without having to think about adding to your financial burden.
Here are some other things a lawyer from our office may handle for you:
- Identifying all liable parties: We can investigate and gather evidence about your crash to determine who might be liable for your accident. If there is more than one liable party – for example, if both the driver and the bus company share responsibility – you might be able to sue them both.
- Working out damages: Quantifying your damages, especially non-economic damages, can be tricky. A lawyer from our firm can help you sort out everything and ensure you ask for an appropriate, recoverable amount.
- Filing all paperwork: If you fill out a form incorrectly or submit it late, that could spell the end of your lawsuit. Let us handle the paperwork for you.
- Facing the insurance company: Our team can negotiate on your behalf for a pretrial settlement. Unfortunately, negotiation is not always successful. If the insurance company refuses to compensate you fairly, we can represent you in court.
- Answering your questions: We are familiar with personal injury law that applies to your situation and can explain how it might affect your case. We can also keep in touch with you about how your case is going and help you make important decisions.
Call for a Free Consultation Today
If a bus hits your car, the consequences can be life-altering. You might still have the chance to sue for compensation after a bus accident, but only for a limited time, as stated at CPLR § 214. Act now, and contact Morelli Law Firm to learn more about what happens next. Our number is (212) 751-9800, and we can take your call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.