While buses are designed to ensure passenger safety, that doesn’t mean they are always safe. What happens if you are in a passenger vehicle and a bus hits you? Most accident victims look to an insurance company for damage compensation. But bus accident claims are more complex than regular car accident claims. Even if the bus driver is at fault for the accident, another party might be liable for the damages you incurred.
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You might have questions if you or a loved one was injured in a Tampa bus accident. First, you should know that you may be entitled to seek compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and vehicle damage. However, you must prove the bus driver’s or company’s liability to recover damages.
An experienced Tampa bus accident attorney can help you prove the at-fault party’s negligence. They can do so by gathering strong evidence to support your claim.
If you sustained injuries in a Tampa bus accident, a Tampa bus accident attorney could help you deal with the aftermath. It’s not easy to deal with injuries, medical bills, and complex legal proceedings alone. That’s why we are here to help while you focus on recovering.
How Can a Tampa Bus Accident Attorney Help Me?
Bus accident victims may feel upset and traumatized after the incident. They may even feel alienated or suffering alone with their injuries. Bus accidents don’t just cause physical pain. They inflict emotional struggles and mental anguish on injury victims. To make matters worse, injury victims may fear getting left with debt from medical bills and a lifetime of trauma from the accident.
However, you don’t have to go it alone after a bus accident. A Tampa bus accident attorney can help you get your life back on track and regain a sense of normalcy in your life. We can help you during the difficult time following a Tampa bus accident. You need to explore all of your legal options and get answers to critical legal questions.
Bus Accidents in Tampa
With over 60,000 registered buses, Florida has one of the highest numbers of buses in the country. That’s the fourth-highest number of buses after California, New York, and Texas. With so many buses, it’s inevitable for an accident to happen. Tampa is also one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the country and the fourth worst area for traffic accidents.
Buses are a useful and economical mode of transportation for thousands of Floridians. On any given day, hundreds of buses are on the roadways. Here are some different types of buses that frequently cause Tampa bus accidents:
Intercity Buses
Intercity buses caused about 13% of fatal bus crashes in the past decade.
Transit Buses
Transit buses account for approximately 35% of fatal bus accidents in the last ten years.
School Buses
According to data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), school buses caused about 40% of fatal crashes in the US over the last decade.
If you were injured in an intercity, transit, or school bus accident, a Tampa bus accident attorney could help you figure out the next best step to protect your rights.
Leading Causes of Tampa Bus Accidents
Distracted, careless, or negligent driving are the top causes of motor vehicle accidents. However, bus accidents have unique factors that can cause accidents. For example, driver fatigue and improper driver training are common causes of bus accidents that other motorists don’t necessarily have.
Other times, a pedestrian or other motorist may have contributed fault to the accident. Whatever the case, a knowledgeable Tampa bus accident attorney can help you determine all liable parties. Once we thoroughly investigate the case, we can determine what caused the accident and who to hold accountable.
How to Determine Liability in a Tampa Bus Accident
Several parties can be liable in a Tampa bus accident. A Tampa bus accident attorney can help assess and determine who is at fault for the accident. Understanding who is liable is a key factor for the success of your Tampa bus accident claim.
The following parties might be liable after a Tampa bus accident:
- The driver
- The bus company
- The bus manufacturer
- Another negligent driver
Tampa Bus Accidents Present Unique Challenges
Determining who is liable in a Tampa bus accident will not always be easy. Determining liability can become tricky with so many parties involved. For example, if the bus driver was negligent and caused a crash, will the driver be liable or the company that owns the bus?
Likewise, who is liable for the accident if the driver did everything right but the bus had faulty brakes? The manufacturer or the bus company for failure to adequately maintain the bus?
As you can see, determining liability in a bus accident can get confusing. But, that’s where a Tampa bus accident attorney can be invaluable. They’ll guide you through the complex process of determining liability using their resources, network, and expertise.
What if I Was in a Bus Accident With a Government Vehicle in Tampa?
The government has buses that it owns and operates on Florida roadways. This can affect your claims process if you get into an accident with a government vehicle. That’s because the government has certain protections from liability.
Sovereign immunity is the legal concept protecting government entities from liability. Consequently, your compensation or chances for recovery may be limited in an accident with a government vehicle.
The good news for Florida injury victims is that there are exceptions to governmental liability protections. So, sovereign immunity can be waived in certain situations. For example, the state will usually accept liability if your damages are below $200,000.
Ask your Tampa bus accident attorney any questions you have regarding sovereign immunity and if it’s relevant to your case.
Common Injuries From a Tampa Bus Accident
Buses are massive compared to passenger vehicles. As a result, the potential damage from a bus accident is much greater than a regular car accident. In addition, the passengers in the smaller vehicle almost always have a higher likelihood of sustaining severe or catastrophic injuries after a Tampa bus accident.
Common injuries that result from Tampa bus accidents include:
- Broken bones
- Severe lacerations and bruising
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Spinal cord injury
- Internal bleeding or organ damage
- Severe burns
- Amputation of a limb
A Tampa bus accident attorney can help ensure you claim all possible damages after the accident. Sometimes, victims are unaware of the damages they can claim. Tampa bus accident victims can seek recovery for damages far beyond injuries and medical bills.
What Damages Can I Seek After a Tampa Bus Accident?
After suffering injuries in a Tampa bus accident, you can seek compensation. In addition to your injuries, you probably walked away with car damage, trauma, and much more.
A Tampa bus accident attorney could help you recover for the following losses:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of companionship
- Wrongful death (if your loved one was killed in a bus accident)
How Soon After a Bus Accident Do I Need to Hire a Tampa Bus Accident Attorney?
If you want to recover compensation after the bus accident, you need to act quickly. Under Florida law, injury victims have four years to file a claim after a bus accident. While that may seem like a long time, it goes by quickly.
Additionally, evidence can get lost or destroyed over time, so it’s best to gather it sooner than later. The court will not hear your case if you miss the four-year deadline. Furthermore, insurance companies will not negotiate a settlement past the statute of limitations. Therefore, if you delay your claims process, you may miss your chance to recover fair compensation. Luckily, a Tampa bus accident attorney can help you gather evidence and file a timely claim.
Is It Worth It to Hire a Tampa Bus Accident Attorney?
Having a Tampa bus accident attorney on your side is the best way to get a desirable settlement outcome. They can take what would have been a complicated process and make it a smooth sail for you.
Negotiating with insurance companies is often an uphill battle. That’s because they train people to undervalue claims to minimize payouts. But a skilled Tampa bus accident attorney knows how to handle them and use tactics to win you a higher financial award.
Contact a Tampa Bus Accident Attorney Today
Our legal team has the experience and expertise to handle your Tampa bus accident claim. We understand the legal issues that come with bus accidents and know how to value your injury claim.
We are prepared to go to court for you if we need to because we are passionate about serving our clients justice.
You have nothing to lose by contacting us now because we offer a free case evaluation.
