Were you or a loved one injured in an accident involving a bus in Los Angeles, CA? You may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and more. An experienced Los Angeles bus accident lawyer at M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers can help you fight to maximize your settlement or verdict.
Our skilled attorneys have over 100 years of combined experience fighting for accident victims in L.A. Our work has paid off. We’ve recovered over $400 million for our injured clients since we opened our doors.
It’s essential to take legal action quickly to preserve your rights after a bus accident. Call our law firm in Los Angeles, California at (877) 300-4535 to schedule a free consultation today.
How M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Bus Accident in Los Angeles
Any injury can complicate your life. You may be struggling with painful injuries and unable to work – watching helplessly as the medical bills and daily expenses pile up. If someone else caused your accident, you deserve to have an experienced Los Angeles injury attorney in your corner.
At M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers, we have over a century of collective experience. Our respected Los Angeles personal injury lawyers have been selected as the top 40 under 40 trial lawyers in the country by the National Trial Lawyers and as “Rising Stars” by Super Lawyers Magazine.
When you hire us, you gain an advocate who will:
- Investigate the circumstances of the crash
- Identify all responsible parties and sources of compensation
- Help calculate the fair value of your case
- File a claim for damages on your behalf
- Handle all negotiations with the insurance company
Our Los Angeles personal injury attorneys aren’t afraid to fight for your rights at trial if necessary. To learn more about our practice areas and legal team, call for a free initial consultation today.
How Common Are Bus Accidents in Los Angeles?
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (the “METRO”) operates most public bus routes across Los Angeles County. About 115 bus routes criss-cross the L.A. metro area. With approximately 2,320 buses, the METRO fleet is the third-largest bus system in North America.
According to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) research, 232 buses were involved in fatal crashes in 2019. Compared to car accidents, that means fatal bus accidents are relatively rare.
However, when bus accidents do happen, they tend to be severe. A comprehensive study found that about 63,000 bus crashes happen nationwide each year. About 14,000 of those crashes cause at least one serious injury.
At M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers, we handle all types of bus accident claims, including those involving:
- METRO buses
- L.A. Department of Transportation (LADOT) buses and “Dash” buses
- School buses
- Greyhound buses
- Private charter buses and shuttles
- Commuter buses
- Flixbus
- Amtrak
- And more
Do you have questions about your legal options after a bus wreck in L.A.? Call our Los Angeles bus accident attorneys for a free case review today.
What is My Los Angeles Bus Accident Case Worth?
Many different factors come into play when assessing the value of a personal injury case.
The value of your claim will depend on:
- The cost of your medical treatment
- How the injury impacts your work, education, and quality of life
- Whether you’ll recover fully or suffer a permanent disability
- Your pain and suffering – both physical and emotional
- The circumstances of the accident
- The strength of your negligence case
Insurance companies tend to focus on factors that drive down the value of your case. They might:
- Blame you for contributing to the accident
- Claim that your injuries were pre-existing
- Challenge the cost of your medical care
- Blame a third party for the crash
As a general rule, the higher your case value, the harder the insurance company will fight to downplay your injuries. Because bus accident cases often involve multiple parties, it’s important to hire an experienced lawyer who can help you establish how much your personal injury claim is worth.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Bus Accident Victims?
Bus accident victims are entitled to seek damages for their economic losses and non-economic losses under California personal injury laws.
If your case is successful, you may be entitled to compensation for:
- All past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Lost future earning potential
- Rehabilitation
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
- Loss of consortium
In cases involving intentional wrongdoing or gross negligence, punitive damages may also be available to punish the defendant.
Can I Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for a Bus Accident in California?
It’s possible that the insurance company could blame you for causing an accident. Accident victims in California can recover partial compensation even if they’re partly to blame. Under California’s pure comparative negligence law, your damages are reduced in proportion to your percentage of fault if you contributed to the accident.
We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation For All of Your Bus Accident Injuries
Bus accidents might be relatively uncommon, but when they do occur, they often cause serious, long-term injuries.
Our lawyers in Los Angeles often represent bus accident victims who have sustained:
We know that things can be difficult in the weeks following a crash. You don’t have to deal with the aftermath alone. Call our law offices in Los Angeles to schedule a free case evaluation and get the legal representation you deserve.
What Causes Most Bus Accidents in Los Angeles, California?
It’s no secret that the roads in Los Angeles can be congested. Buses provide a cost-effective option for commuters who don’t want to spend hours behind the wheel each day. Unfortunately, they can also cause significant damage when involved in a crash.
Despite extensive training and certification requirements, bus accidents are often caused by driver error.
Some of the most common causes of bus accidents in Los Angeles include:
- Distracted driving
- Driver fatigue
- Lack of training
- Failure to check blind spots
- Failure to account for longer stopping times and wider turns
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Tailgating, speeding, and other aggressive driving behaviors
- Passing too closely
- Dangerous lane changes
- Unsafe turns
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Drunk driving or driving under the influence of drugs
- Bus defects
- Failure to properly maintain the vehicle
Bus drivers also need to pay close attention to other drivers on the road. Third-party drivers often try to avoid getting caught behind the bus. They might speed, drive in the bus’s blind spot, and even cut the bus off unexpectedly.
How Do I Prove Negligence After a Bus Accident in California?
Most bus accidents happen because someone was negligent. You’ll have to identify all negligent parties before you can seek compensation for your injuries.
In bus accident cases, someone other than the bus driver may be liable even if the driver caused the accident. That’s because bus drivers are employees. When bus drivers are negligent, their employer can be liable for damages.
Examples of responsible parties may include:
- The bus company
- Public transportation authorities
- Owners of private buses
- Negligent third-party drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists
- Trucking companies
- Maintenance companies
- Inspection companies
- Manufacturers of defective bus components
- The school district or private school responsible for operating area school buses
- The bus driver
To prove that one or more parties is financially responsible, you’ll have to establish the elements of negligence, including:
Buses are common carriers in the state of California. Because they’re trusted to carry multiple people to and from their destinations, they’re subject to a heightened duty of care. Basically, that means the driver has to be even more careful than an ordinary driver in a passenger vehicle.
Sometimes that can make it easier to prove your case. It can also make things more complex, especially when government agencies are liable for a crash.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Bus Accident in California?
Typically, the statute of limitations in California gives accident victims two years to file a personal injury lawsuit. The two-year period applies when the at-fault party is a private party.
You could have much less time to take legal action if the defendant is a government entity. For example, you have only six months to file a claim against the city of Los Angeles. If your claim isn’t rejected in writing, you have two years to file a lawsuit.
If you were injured in a bus accident, it’s important to act sooner rather than later. Call M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Los Angeles bus accident lawyer.
Our personal injury law firm in Los Angeles, CA also provides:
