Can I sue if I was a passenger in a bus accident? Yes, if there is proof that someone was negligent in causing your injuries, you can sue if you were a passenger in a bus accident.
When you decide to go through with it, make sure to contact an Arlington bus accident lawyer to handle things for you.
Who Can Sue in a Bus Accident?
Bus accidents have a high likelihood of involving a lot more people than the number of vehicles. When a bus jostles around, the people inside can be sent flying into anything or anyone, causing all kinds of injuries and damage. This means a lot of people could pursue a bus accident claim.
- Bus passengers – If another driver or the bus driver caused an accident that injured you as a bus passenger, you can pursue a bus passenger accident claim for your injuries
- Other drivers – the bus driver may have hit you while you were driving your own vehicle, including things like bikes, meaning you can sue for a bus accident claim
- Pedestrians – contact an Arlington pedestrian accident lawyer if the bus hits you as a pedestrian
Suppose you were hurt in any way by a bus hitting you, or directly causing injuries or damage to your personal property. In that case, you may have grounds to sue for recoverable damages after a bus accident. You are likely better off assuming that you may be able to file a claim and calling for a free consultation rather than missing out on compensation completely.
How Bus Accident Claims Differ from Other Injury Claims
If a bus driver injures you as a bus passenger and you want to sue, there are some details to figure out so that we know how much we can negotiate for and who exactly to sue. If it were a government-owned bus, like some municipal buses, we could sue thanks to Texas Civil Practices and Remedies Code § 101.021. Commercial, privately-owned buses are functionally similar to other commercial vehicle claims.
Limited Payouts
According to Texas Civil Practices and Remedies Code § 101.023, governments have maximum amounts that they pay per case, no matter if a different case with the same damages would see higher amounts.
With a commercially owned bus, like a tour bus, we can hold the driver, the bus company, or even the bus manufacturer liable, depending on who we can prove to be negligent.
Extra Notice for Governments
If the bus you were injured on is owned by a government, Texas Civil Practices and Remedies Code § 101.101 says you must notify them within six months of the accident if you intend to file a claim. However, this is not required if the government already knows of your injury, death, or property damage related to the accident.
Multiple Potential Liable Parties
In addition to the bus driver who we would work to prove acted negligibly, we would also look to see if we can hold the bus company or municipality liable for not maintaining the buses well, overworking the drivers, or breaking other regulations. There is even potential for keeping the bus manufacturer liable in bus accidents if they had faulty designs or poor construction.
When You Should Sue for a Bus Passenger Accident Claim
It is a good idea to consider that it is never too late to file a bus accident claim. According to Texas Civil Practices and Remedies Code § 16.003, you can sue if you were a passenger in a bus accident within two years to get a claim filed in time. This time needs to be used wisely since it can run out before you know it.
Evidence can disappear quite fast if you do not get hold of it early enough. If you call an attorney soon after your accident, we can dedicate resources to securing that much-needed evidence before it is out of reach forever. It can also take quite some time to find the best pieces of evidence, so there must be ample time to work on this crucial step.
Bus accident claims can get quite complicated, so having the time to cross your T’s and dot your I’s will be integral to having a solid negotiation position.
If we are prepared for the defense’s possible tactics and the insurance and bus companies’ efforts to protect their bottom lines, you can feel much better about The Texas Law Dog getting you the result you want.
Damages You Can Seek as a Passenger in a Bus Accident
The chaos of a bus accident is a recipe for anything to happen to you and your personal property. You could slam into the side of a seat, breaking ribs, lose your phone as it goes flying onto the floor and breaks, and you could witness something truly distressing that leaves you reeling for a long time afterward.
- Pain & suffering
- Bodily injuries
- Mental anguish
- Lingering mental effects like PTSD
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Property damage
- Loss of means to work
- Loss of wages
- Loss of consortium
- Lowered quality of life
- Permanent disfigurement or disability
Your options are not limited to an injured bus passenger in a bus accident. Talk to a qualified attorney to see what works for your particular bus accident case. Missing out on damages is one of the big mistakes to avoid after a bus accident.
Getting Hurt by Another Passenger Is a Different Story
Suppose you were hurt on a bus by another passenger. In that case, that does not necessarily mean we would hold the driver, bus company, or anyone else accountable for the act of another person.
Extending any liability beyond the person who was hurt would require a high degree of proof that the driver was harmfully negligent within the bounds of their usual work duties.
If there is a very unique situation regarding your bus accident that you are unsure how the law would approach it, reach out to The Texas Law Dog to get your questions answered. You can sue as a passenger in a bus accident, but we will have to discuss further exactly who to hold accountable and how.
