Most city administrations have a large fleet of vehicles. The most numerous city vehicles are buses, trams and other forms of public transit. If you have been hit by a city vehicle such as a bus or a truck, you may be wondering how you are going to pay the bills for medical treatment and the damage to your vehicle if you were in one at the time of the accident.
You may be able to claim compensation from the city or the agency involved if you can prove that the accident was not your fault. It is best to ask for legal help from an experienced personal injury lawyer.
Medical Bills After an Accident With a City Vehicle
Medical bills are potentially significant if you were injured by a city vehicle. It is important to get doctor’s reports and receipts for everything that has been paid so that you can submit these with a personal injury claim when you get around to filing one. At the very least, even if you don’t think that you were hurt in an accident, you should see a doctor and get examines. Some injuries don’t show up until a few days after the actual incident. The actual bills you may need to pay depend on your injuries but tend to be a combination of the following:
- doctor’s fees;
- ambulance fees if any;
- admission to a hospital including accommodation ad food;
- tests, x-rays and scans;
- anesthesia;
- surgery;
- medication;
- bandaging and special equipment such as crutches, splints, pins and wheelchairs.
Property Damage Bills After an Accident With a City Vehicle
Many city vehicles are large, e.g. city buses. If you have been hit by a large city vehicle it is quite likely that your own vehicle was badly damaged. It may even have been so badly damaged that it was cheaper to replace it than repair it. The cost of towing the vehicle away to a repair facility would also have to be included in any claim for damages from the city.
Other property apart from your vehicle may include anything that was in the vehicle at the time of the crash that had some value and was damaged. This could include electronic equipment such as sound systems, GPS, internal fittings, air bag replacement etc.
How a PI Claim May Help Pay Bills After an Accident With a City Vehicle
If you were not to blame for the accident and you think you have a good chance of proving that it was the fault of the driver of the city vehicle you may be able to recover the cost of all those bills through a personal injury claim. You may have to file an initial claim quite quickly as statutes of limitation for claims against a city entity tend to be shorter than for claims against private entities. Personal injury claims may help cover all ‘economic’ costs such as medical bills, property damage and lost earnings. In addition, you may be able to claim compensation for the pain and suffering caused by the injury.
Why Working With a Lawyer Makes Sense
Claims against a city entity typically tend to be more complicated than other claims and must be submitted in a narrower time frame. There is little room for mistakes when submitting a claim. It is best to seek advice and legal help from an experienced personal injury lawyer before filing a claim.
*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 a city agency or department, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
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