Texas Bus Accident Lawyer

What Types of Bus Accident Claims Do We Handle?

You do not have to be riding the bus to have a claim. A collision may injure passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, or people traveling in another vehicle.

Our bus accident lawyers handle claims involving:

• Public transit and city buses
• School buses
• Charter and tour buses
• Airport and hotel shuttles
• Intercity and commercial buses
• Pedestrians or bicyclists struck by a bus
• Vehicles hit by a bus
• Passengers hurt while boarding, exiting, or riding

A passenger may also be injured when a driver stops suddenly, closes a door too soon, or moves before everyone is safely seated or holding on. A traditional collision is not required, but the evidence must still show what the driver or bus operator did wrong.

Who May Be Responsible for a Bus Accident?

Responsibility depends on who owned the bus, who employed the driver, and what caused the accident. More than one person or organization may be involved.

Potentially responsible parties include:

• A bus driver who made an unsafe decision behind the wheel
• The company, school district, or transit agency that operated the bus
• A contractor hired to provide transportation or maintain the vehicle
• A manufacturer if a faulty bus part contributed to the accident
• Another motorist whose actions helped cause the crash

More than one party may share responsibility, so a bus accident attorney may look beyond the driver when investigating what happened.

Claims Involving Public Transit or School Buses

Different rules and shorter notice deadlines may apply when the crash involves VIA in San Antonio, METRO in Houston, or a public school district. These cases do not follow all the same rules as claims against private companies.

Government immunity may affect whether a claim can be brought, and written notice may be required well before the usual deadline for filing a lawsuit. Limits on recoverable damages may also apply. If a government-operated bus was involved, it is important to identify the correct public entity early.

Common Causes of Bus Accidents

Driving a bus safely takes time, space, and attention. A crash may happen when the driver is distracted, under pressure to stay on schedule, lacks proper training, or is given a bus with a mechanical problem.

Common causes of bus accidents include:

• A driver using a phone or driving while impaired
• Traveling too fast or leaving too little stopping distance
• Turning or changing lanes without enough room
• A tired driver who had been on the road too long
• Gaps in the company’s hiring or training practices
• Tires, brakes, or other bus parts that needed attention
• Missed inspections or repairs
• Pressure to keep an unsafe schedule
• Unsecured equipment or luggage
• Another vehicle entering the bus’s path

Finding the cause may require more than the police report. Driver records, onboard video, maintenance history, inspection reports, and company communications can provide additional information.

Injuries Caused by Bus Accidents

Many buses do not have seat belts for every passenger. Someone who is standing or moving toward an exit can be thrown against a seat, window, pole, or the floor.

Bus accident injuries may include:

• Head injuries and traumatic brain injuries
• Neck, back, and spinal cord injuries
• Broken bones
• Internal bleeding and organ damage
• Cuts, scarring, and facial injuries
• Torn ligaments and other soft-tissue injuries
• Crush injuries
• Anxiety or trauma following a serious crash

Tell your medical provider exactly how the accident happened and mention any new symptoms. Some injuries do not become clear until later that day or over the next several days.

What Compensation May Be Available?

There is no standard value for a bus accident claim. What may be recovered depends on the injuries, available insurance, applicable legal limits, and the losses supported by the evidence.

A claim may include:

• The ambulance ride, emergency room visit, or hospital stay
• Surgery, prescriptions, and later appointments
• Therapy needed to regain strength or mobility
• Medical care or daily assistance you may need later
• Paychecks you missed while you were unable to work
• Reduced future earning ability
• Pain and physical limitations
• Scarring or disfigurement
• Damage to a vehicle or personal belongings

Ali Law Group looks at what the accident has cost you so far and what your doctors say you may need going forward.

What Should I Do After a Bus Accident?

Start by getting the medical care you need. If you are able to gather information, a few details can make the accident easier to investigate later.

Try to:

• Report the accident.
  Tell the driver or bus operator and ask how to obtain an incident report.
• Record the bus information.
  Save the bus number, route, driver’s name, location, and time.
• Keep proof of the trip.
  Hold onto your ticket, reservation, transit-card record, or receipt.
• Take photographs.
  Photograph the bus, surrounding area, your injuries, and anything inside the bus that contributed to the incident.
• Get witness information.
  Other passengers may have seen what happened or recorded it.
• Save damaged belongings.
  Keep torn clothing, damaged luggage, eyeglasses, phones, or other personal property.
• Keep your records together.
  Save bills, medical instructions, work notes, and messages from insurers or the bus operator.
• Avoid a quick release.
  Do not sign away the claim until you understand your injuries and what the agreement covers.

Bus video may be erased or recorded over. A bus crash lawyer can request that the operator preserve footage and other records connected to the incident.

How Can a Bus Accident Lawyer Help?

Bus claims can become complicated when the driver works for a contractor, the vehicle belongs to another company, or a government agency oversees the route. A bus injury lawyer can sort through those relationships and determine which records need to be requested.

Ali Law Group can help with:

• Getting the crash report and checking it against other evidence
• Tracking down video recorded on the bus or nearby
• Finding out what passengers and others at the scene remember
• Looking into the driver’s training, license, and history behind the wheel
• Checking when the bus was last inspected, serviced, or repaired
• Find out who owned and operated the bus
• Check which insurance policies may apply
• Show how the injuries affected your health and work
• Take over communication with insurers and other parties
• Review settlement offers
• File a lawsuit when that becomes the appropriate next step

As a Texas bus accident law firm, Ali Law Group serves clients from its Houston and San Antonio offices and handles cases across the state.