Bus Accident Lawyers Serving Boynton Beach

Have you recently been injured due to a bus accident? While they are rather uncommon compared to standard car accidents, bus accidents can still occur and have the potential to cause extreme damages to any individual.

Boynton Beach, Florida, is a big city with hundreds of buses on the road every day. The chances of being involved in an accident with one is a possibility. Since buses are so large, significant injury can occur, including death.

If you or a loved one have recently suffered an injury from a bus related accident, it’s important that you speak to an attorney about your case. You could have the potential to file a claim against the driver or entity responsible to seek compensation for your incurred injuries.

Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers is a firm with attorneys dedicated to helping victims such as yourself know their rights and seek the justice they deserve. We have the experience you need for filing a claim and want to help you in your fight.

Here is everything you need to know about bus accidents and what to do after in terms of filing a claim and seeking compensation.

If you drive within the city of Boynton Beach, you will notice there are various types of buses in the city from transportation buses to school buses, as well as charter buses. Some companies even have vehicles for employees to drive that are larger than a van but smaller than a school bus.

There are several reasons as to why bus accidents occur. Those reasons can be related to the driver, outside elements, or other forces. Here are typical common causes of bus accidents:

• Poor vehicle maintenance
• Left turns or failure to yield
• Inadequately trained driver
• Fatigued driver
• Distracted driving
• Speeding
• Inclement weather
• Road obstructions
• Another driver responsible for the accident

Regardless of which company the bus belongs to, the driver must be properly trained and certified to drive the bus before they get on the road. This training is provided by the employer, and it’s on the driver’s end to make sure all training is complete. In order for employees to use company equipment such as buses, there are laws and regulations in place that try to prevent these situations.

One of the rules in place is the number of hours a bus driver works. Drivers that work over their scheduled hours can start experiencing driver fatigue which makes it difficult for them to operate the vehicles. More accidents can occur with this possibility since the drivers can start to fall asleep at the wheel or lose focus.

There are situations such as inclement weather that can make operating a bus more difficult for the drivers and lead to accidents as well. These situations can be difficult to seek compensation through a lawsuit due to the outside forces and unknown negligence being a factor.

If you are ever sharing the road with a bus, it is important to remain vigilant. For your safety, always be prepared to act quickly if you begin to see a bus sway or start to drive into another lane.

Bus accidents can happen to anyone. Parties that may be involved in bus accidents at any time, day or night, include people such as:

• Passengers
• Commuters
• Pedestrians
• Motorcyclists
• Bicyclists

There is no shortage of the kind of injuries a person can sustain from bus-related accidents. Since buses are much larger than standard vehicles, the injuries sustained can be severe and life-altering.

Extreme bus accidents can leave victims with life-threatening injuries or requiring the assistance of medical help for the long-term. Whichever the case may be, it’s clear to say there will be some medical bills arriving your way if you’re ever involved in a bus accident, and no one can prepare for these bills to pile on.

Here are some common injuries that can be a result of bus accidents:

• Broken bones or lacerations
• Brain injuries
• Spine injuries
• Neck injuries
• Amputations
• Death
• PTSD and other emotional trauma
• More

Severe injuries can result in victims having to alter their daily lives. This could entail going to rehabilitation centers to learn how to live with interventions or perform a function all over again. If this occurs, that is another expense that must be dealt with.

Emotional and mental injuries can also occur that will take a while to heal from and cope with. It can be very challenging for a person involved in a bus accident to feel confident behind the wheel again or even cope with a newfound fear of buses.

It’s crucial that all injuries are carefully looked at after a bus accident and that they are treated properly to start recovery.

There is a lot that will happen after a bus accident. Moments leading up to and after the accident can be a blur since there will be a lot of adrenaline running, but it’s important to remain calm and remember the steps you need to take that will help you in the long run once the accident is over.

The first thing you should do is call the police. Someone will likely do this as well, but it’s a step to make if you are capable of doing so. The police must be notified in Florida whenever there is an accident so they can come out to assess the scene and file an unbiased report. They will speak to you about what happened, and this can be a crucial source of evidence.

The next step is to be medically examined by EMS. Depending on the nature of your accident, you could have visible injuries that need to be assessed, but you should still be examined even if you don’t. Buses can cause significant internal injuries that EMS may not be able to locate right away. This may cause them to send you to the hospital to be examined by a doctor, and it’s important that you do not skip this step.

If the doctor finds any internal injuries caused by the wreck, they will file a medical report that your attorney can potentially use later on.

Additionally, the next step is to talk to insurance for personal injury protection to help pay for medical costs. Even if you are a pedestrian that has been struck by a bus, this is the first person to turn to after an accident since this is required by Florida law.

Before you file a claim, it is well-advised to have the help of a Boynton Beach Bus Accident Lawyer filing the claim with you. Personal injury attorneys can help file a claim with your insurance so that you have a greater chance of seeking an optimal outcome.

Every driver in Florida is required to carry a minimum of $10,000 in PIP for incidents such as these, and although you should not expect to always be offered that full amount, your attorney can help negotiate for a fairer settlement if your damages are severe enough.

There is also the possibility of filing a lawsuit for extra compensation if your case meets certain requirements. The best way to know whether your case meets those requirements is to consult with a lawyer who will review all the evidence and advise you on this possibility.

Florida is a no-fault state. This means that all parties involved in an accident must turn to insurance for seeking compensation instead of automatically filing a lawsuit.

If you are ever involved in an accident with a bus, it’s important to collect information such as who is driving and what company they work for since their insurance could be responsible. This will also be helpful information for your attorney when they try to contact the other party for communication and negotiation purposes.

Insurance is the main way of seeking financial compensation after a bus-related accident, but it’s not the only way.

It is possible for you to step out of the no-fault system in Florida and become eligible to file a lawsuit if your case meets one or both of the following requirements:

• Medical bills exceed a certain limit, and insurance will not help cover it
• You have sustained a severe injury

The severe injury must be one or a combination of the following impairments:

• Wrongful death
• Scarring
• Amputation
• Life-long medical interventions

Filing a lawsuit against a bus company and driver is not a simple task. If you meet the requirement for this lawsuit, you can benefit from the help of a trusted attorney who knows the relevant laws about your claim.

The time to contact a bus accident lawyer is as soon as possible after your accident. Since you will be speaking to insurance first, your attorney can review your insurance declaration papers to indicate potential compensation and benefits that may be due.

Your insurance company will look for ways to reduce your claim and benefits based on the evidence and statements you make. This is why you can benefit from having a bus accident lawyer speak on your behalf. They will be able to answer your insurance adjuster’s questions thoroughly so that it does not jeopardize your potential settlement.

A bus accident lawyer can also help you file a lawsuit and be your advocate during that process. Bus companies usually have their own high-quality lawyers who are ready to defend their company and make sure they do not lose their fight. With a high-quality lawyer of your own, you can have a professional on your side who knows how to negotiate and help you seek compensation by illustrating the relevant evidence of your case.

Hiring a bus accident lawyer is one of the best decisions you can make after your incident. You will have a professional on your side that will guide you throughout the entire legal process.

When you begin looking for a bus accident lawyer to represent you, one of the first things to look into is their experience. In order for your case to have the optimal chance at success, you will want to hire a lawyer with competence and a proven track record in handling bus accidents successfully.

The next important quality to have in any attorney is communication. You will want to hire a lawyer that will consistently communicate with you about updates in your case.

If you are eligible to file a bus accident lawsuit, you will need to prove that negligence led to the harm and injury. Since you were injured from the bus, you would claim that the other party’s known negligence is the cause of what you’re suffering from and need compensation for.

Personal injury cases against bus entities can be complex since you will be battling a company rather than a single person. You have the option to sue the driver, but since they were operating as an employee, the company may likely be included in the case.

Lawsuits against bus companies can take time to settle since their side will look for every way to reduce their liability. A lawsuit can take months and even longer than a year for everything to conclude.

There is a chance you could reach a settlement with the company without having to go to court. If you can agree to a price negotiated between your attorney and the bus company’s attorney, then the case will not need to go to court.

If no settlement can be reached, then you may have to go to court to determine whether you have a meritorious claim and if so, how much you should be compensated for.

You can seek compensation to recover damages relating to your injury after a bus accident. The money that you may earn from your settlement can be used to pay for medical bills, ongoing medical treatment, or to make up for what you have suffered.

All of these factors will be reviewed in court along with preexisting factors and conditions before the wreck to determine what is fair based on your economic and non-economic losses.

Economic and non-economic losses will be reviewed by the jury to determine what a fair outcome should be.

Economic losses are items that can actually be totaled up for damages you have incurred or have had to pay out of pocket from the accident. These include medical bills, time off work, and medical interventions.

Non-economic losses refer to the physical and mental pain and suffering that has occurred as a result of the accident such as trauma, PTSD, physical impairments, or loss if you are a surviving family member.

In severe cases, the jury may apply the multiplier method. This method takes any number between 1-5 and is used to multiply the awarded earnings.

For example, suppose the jury awarded you $80,000 for your economic and non-economic losses and since the accident was so severe, they assigned the number 3 for the multiplier method.

$80,000 x3 = $240,000 will be your awarded damages.

Are you ready to seek compensation and need the legal guidance to do so? You can get started today by speaking to an attorney at Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers. Our firm has been around for more than 40 years helping residents in Boynton Beach and other Florida cities recover from damages in all types of accidents, including buses.

We start by scheduling a free consultation with one of our lawyers. This is where you will be able to talk about your case in greater detail and hear about our resources to help you. Our initial consultations are complimentary and obligation-free.

To schedule your consultation, call us at (561) 800-8000 or leave your contact information in our online case form.

Florida’s statute of limitations offers victims of bus accidents a two-year timeline for filing a claim. Don’t let any more time pass you by.

Call Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers today.