Atlanta Bus Accident Lawyer
Many people rely on public transportation to get to work safely. In fact, 700 million passengers are transported by buses across the country every year. Additionally, parents trust school buses to transport their children to and from school every day.
Unfortunately, however, bus accidents are a familiar occurrence in bustling cities like Atlanta. And when bus accidents occur, they often cause severe injuries.
If you or a loved one was recently injured in a bus accident in Atlanta, you have options. Speak to an Atlanta personal injury lawyer to find out if you are entitled to pursue a personal injury claim against the bus driver or bus company to collect compensation for your injuries.
At Piasta Walker Hagenbush, LLC, we help bus accident victims in Atlanta receive the compensation they deserve. Call us today at (404) 996-1296 to arrange a free consultation with a knowledgeable Atlanta bus accident attorney.
How Are Bus Accident Claims Different from Car Accident Claims?
While you may be familiar with the process involved with pursuing compensation after a car accident, our Atlanta car accident attorneys explain a couple of important differences between bus accident claims and car accident claims that you should know about:
Buses are Common Carriers
What this means under Georgia law is that bus drivers have a heightened responsibility to their passengers. There is specific training that a bus driver must receive and certain safety guidelines and protocols that they must follow. When a bus driver does not receive the necessary training or follow the required guidelines and procedures, and as a result, someone is injured or killed, the driver and the company they work for may be held liable.
Buses Are Often Owned by Government Entities
Buses are often owned and operated by cities, municipalities, and school districts, which changes some of your legal requirements in terms of filing a personal injury claim after being injured in a bus accident. In most cases, this means that before you can file a claim, you need to provide earlier notice to the government entity of your intent to bring the claim. An experienced Atlanta bus accident lawyer from Piasta Walker Hagenbush, LLC, can help walk you through that process.
Proving Liability In a Bus Accident Claim in Georgia
Determining the liable party can be challenging in a bus accident. It takes an investigation into the cause of the accident to determine what negligent action was responsible and who is liable for the damages. In a bus accident, liable parties could be any of the following:
- The driver if they are an independent contractor
- The bus company or agency if they engaged in negligent hiring or training practices
- A bus maintenance company
- The manufacturer of a defective bus part
- A third-party driver
- A negligent road or highway maintenance agency
To meet the burden of proving liability with a preponderance of the evidence, your attorney must demonstrate the following legal points:
- The party at fault owed a duty of reasonable care to prevent injury to others
- They breached this duty through an act of negligence
- The negligent breach of duty caused the injury
- The injury victim suffered economic and non-economic damages from the injury
As the injury victim in a bus accident, you may be facing powerful insurance companies that deny their client’s liability or offer lowball settlements in exchange for signing away your right to a lawsuit. Always consult with your Atlanta bus accident attorney and then direct all communication with the insurance company to your lawyer.
Your Rights After a Bus Accident in Atlanta, GA
If you are a victim of a bus accident, whether you were a passenger on a bus or were in a vehicle that was struck by a bus, it is important to understand your rights. If the accident was caused by the bus driver’s negligence, you are entitled to be compensated for your pain and suffering, medical bills, future medical treatment, any lost wages that you have incurred, and other damages.
Our job at Piasta Walker Hagenbush, LLC is to try to make things right. We cannot go back in time and make it as if the bus accident never happened. But what we can try to do is to make you whole again, by putting you in the position you would have been if the accident never happened. Whether that means making sure your medical bills get paid, making sure that you are compensated for any lost wages you have incurred, or getting you paid for the pain and suffering that you have had to endure, that is what we will do.
What Compensation is Available After a Bus Accident in Atlanta?
Bus accidents may cause serious injuries and financial hardship as well as pain and distress. Even less serious injuries sometimes result in missed paychecks and exorbitant bills for medical treatment. An attorney from Piasta Walker Hagenbush, LLC will help you file a claim for compensation for any or all of the following:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical costs for injury-related treatment
- Lost income
- Future income loss
- Pain and suffering
- Other non-economic damages that might apply in your case such as PTSD, trauma, disfigurement, or loss of enjoyment of life compensation
Your Atlanta bus accident lawyer will carefully calculate your damages so you miss no compensation that’s available to you from the at-fault party’s insurance company.
Will I Have to Go to Court For a Bus Accident Case in Atlanta?
The vast majority of personal injury claims—including bus accident injury claims—are resolved outside of court through direct, evidence-backed negotiations with the attorney of the at-fault party assigned by the insurance adjuster on the case. Only in about five percent of cases does the claim become a lawsuit in court when an insurer denies a valid claim or offers an unacceptably low settlement amount.
Promptly filing your claim is important so your Atlanta bus accident lawyer has time to investigate, document evidence, calculate your damages, and make a compelling case to send in a demand letter to the insurer, and then has ample time to negotiate a settlement. Sometimes mediation occurs to help settle the claim outside of court. If your case must go to court to secure your compensation through a jury award for damages, your lawyer from Piasta, Walker, Hagenbush, LLC must file a lawsuit petition within two years of the date of the accident to be within Georgia’s two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims.
Contact an Experienced Atlanta Bus Accident Lawyer
If you were a passenger on a bus in Atlanta that was involved in an accident, and you sustained a serious injury, or if you were driving a car or other vehicle, and you were hit by a bus, we are here to help. Call Piasta Walker Hagenbush, LLC today at (404) 996-1296 or visit our contact page to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Atlanta bus accident lawyer.
Our bus accident lawyers in Atlanta have the experience and the expertise to get you the compensation you deserve, and we charge no fee until and unless we recover compensation on your behalf.