While traveling by bus is statistically safer than traveling by personal vehicle, that does not mean accidents involving commercial and public buses never happen or that they cannot cause serious injuries when they do. There may be several unique legal restrictions affecting your right to file suit over a bus crash, depending on what type of bus was involved.
Fortunately, you have help available from a knowledgeable Reading bus accident lawyer with experience handling cases like yours successfully in the past. From start to finish of your legal proceedings, your dedicated personal injury attorney could ensure your rights are respected and pursue the best possible outcome for your unique claim.
Much like accidents involving commercial trucks, multiple people or entities could be responsible for a traffic collision involving a bus, not just the person operating the bus at the time of the wreck. In many situations, a reckless or careless bus driver’s employer can be vicariously liable for their employee’s misconduct or possibly directly liable for negligence at the organizational level—for example, knowingly hiring an unlicensed or untrained driver.
In other situations, fault for a bus crash may lie with a third party, like a mechanic, manufacturer, or even with another driver who collided with a responsibly operated bus. Sorting out exactly who holds the blame for a specific incident in legal terms is one of many things a seasoned bus wreck lawyer in Reading could provide vital assistance with.
An attorney in Reading could factor both economic and non-economic forms of harm into a lawsuit or settlement demand over a bus wreck, including:
While a court has the authority to impose punitive damages against a negligent person in addition to compensatory damages, it is rare for a bus accident claim to result in a court awarding punitive compensation to an injured person.
The Political Subdivision Tort Claims Act puts some unique restrictions on injury claims filed against local government entities over things like public bus accidents. Most notably, this act prohibits any local government entity from being held liable for more than $500,000 of total damages stemming from any single accident, even one resulting in permanent and debilitating injuries.
Furthermore, anyone intending to sue a government entity over an injury must notify that entity of their intentions in writing within six months of sustaining that injury. This is significantly shorter than the two-year filing deadline applicable to most injury claims, so it can be vital to contact a skilled lawyer as quickly as possible after a public bus crash in Reading.
Even at low speeds, traffic wrecks involving crowded buses can lead to substantial injuries and losses for multiple people at once. Separating yourself from the crowd and getting the civil restitution you deserve after an incident like this can be extremely difficult, which makes it especially crucial to have dependable legal counsel on your side.
A practiced Reading bus accident lawyer could be the steadfast ally you need to get the favorable case resolution you want. Call today to learn more.