Every day millions of people in California use public and private buses to journey through the city. Commercial buses have become the inevitable part of transportation in Los Angeles city. This also increases the rate of accidents that may happen due to the increased number of buses on the road. These accidents can many times be of devastating effects. Many undergo wrongful death and many suffer fatal injuries from the bus crashes that happen in the city. Since this is the present condition, it is very necessary for everyone to know about the bus accidents and the legal liabilities attached to it.
What To Do If You Suffer A Bus Crash
In case you or your loved one undergoes a bus crash, you must know what to do next. The most important thing to do soon after the crash is to make sure that the injured person gets proper medical attention. They must be taken to a safe place and given the needed medical assistance because the injuries can turn out to be fatal if you delay doing it. After this, you can go forward in filing a lawsuit against the ones who are responsible for the accident.
The Need Of A Lawyer In Your Case
It is necessary for you to seek the help of an experienced bus accident lawyer to help you in winning the claim that you raise against the party at fault. They can help you to determine the worth of the bus crash case you are dealing with.
The Role Of Negligence Of The Bus Driver
The safety standards for the drivers of heavy vehicles in California are held very high. To be eligible to drive large commercial vehicles like buses and trucks, they must get the commercial drivers license (CDL) by passing an exam and undergoing additional training. If a bus driver fails to execute his job following the rules and regulations that they are required to keep, they can be proved negligent in their duty and can be sued after the accident.
Since 1872, the California Civil Codes has put forward some legal safety guidelines for the commercial vehicles that transport people and goods. In case of a bus accident, the lawyer can help the victim to know if the bus driver or the company had failed to keep any of these guidelines mentioned under the law.
Common Types Of Bus Accidents
There are different types of bus accidents that happen on the Los Angeles roads. There can be the crash of school buses, which transport the schoolchildren. Also, the public transit buses or the long-distance tour buses or charter buses may undergo a crash. Though the underlying principles in dealing with these cases are the same, there can be some differences depending on each case.
There can be bus accidents in which the bus collided with a car or bicycle or sometimes it may be a pedestrian who might be injured in the bus crash.
Common Causes Of Bus Accidents
Most often, it is the negligence of the bus driver that causes the bus crashes. This includes driver fatigue, distracted driving, speeding, aggressive driving, ignorance of safety standards, etc. But it may not always be the negligence of the bus driver that causes the bus accident. Sometimes it may be the mistake on part of the other vehicle driver that leads to the bus crash.
Getting Your Medical Expenses Covered After The Crash
A person involved in a bus crash might suffer damages in various forms. There can be physical, mental and financial damages that accompany the accident. You might need to undergo very expensive medical treatments for the physical damages that you suffered from the bus crash. In that case, it is possible for you to get your medical expenses covered with the help of your bus accident lawyer. This will include ambulance transportation charges, hospital care charges, surgery charges, physical therapy charges, etc.
Compensation For The Destroyed Vehicle
Sometimes the vehicle involved in the bus crash may be damaged completely in the impact of the collision. In that case, the vehicle owner has the right to receive financial compensation for his destroyed vehicle. This can be included while calculating the damages caused by the crash and the owner can earn compensation for his destroyed vehicle in this manner.
Filing The Bus Accident Lawsuit
The buses also have insurance as the other vehicles have. If it is another vehicle that is responsible for the crash, you can get the compensation from the insurance company of that vehicle owner. But in your attempt to get the maximum compensation you can also file a lawsuit against the bus driver and the company.
A bus accident attorney can help you to finalize the amount you are entitled to receive as compensation for the damages you suffered in the bus accident.