Bus accidents happen from time to time, partly because there are so many buses out on the road at any given time and many of the company’s bus drivers do drive for long distances with minimum rest stops.
A bus accident can be very serious with multiple injuries and possibly fatalities, depending on the circumstances. If you have been injured in a bus accident and think that the accident was due to driver error or a problem with the bus itself, then you should consider claiming compensation from the bus company.
A personal injury claim can help pay for any medical treatment and replace wages that were lost or other earnings. It is preferable to use a personal injury attorney when deciding to file for damages from a large corporation.
How Soon You Should Settle
The sooner you start planning on a claim for compensation the better, although the first priority is to make sure you get proper treatment for your injury. Generally, the sooner you start thinking about filing a claim, the more likely it is that you will still have contact with other bus passengers, who will be able to vouch for your account of what went wrong and how you became injured while on the bus.
Even if you were driving your own car and were hit by a bus, the other passengers in the bus may be able to provide valuable witness statements. It is very likely that police will attend the accident scene if people were injured, especially passengers. They will compile an accident report which will also be valuable evidence when filing a claim.
Some claims can take months before a settlement is reached. It partly depends on whether your documentation is as complete and convincing as it should be and how serious your injuries are, which can determine just how much you are likely to claim. The upper limit on a personal injury claim is the state’s statute of limitations, typically two or three years after an accident.
Why You Should Take Your Time to Settle
While it is generally preferable to file a claim as soon as you can after an accident, you should not do so unless the claim has been well prepared. If you rush off a claim demand too hastily, the chances are that it will be denied or challenged. You may find that if you do get a payment it is much less than you really need.
Personal injury claims are not settled on hearsay. They must be substantiated by clear evidence that the injury you have suffered was caused by a employee.
In most cases, this will be the driver, but it may be that the driver was only responding to an emergency caused by another driver altogether, or there was a fault in part of the bus mechanism which caused the bus driver to lose control. You must be sure of your evidence. Other passengers or road users should be able to verify what exactly happened and who was to blame. You must also obtain enough evidence to support the amount of damages claimed.
How an Lawyer Can Help
Claims against large companies should preferably be prepared with the help of a personal injury attorney. The attorney can assess your chances of winning a claim better than you can by yourself and can help you prepare the documentation you need to submit with your claim.
Finally, the attorney can negotiate with the company and its insurers more skillfully than you are likely to do all by yourself. To speak to a lawyer about your claim, complete the Free Case Evaluation on this page.
*Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Greyhound, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
