Taking a bus is part of the everyday commute to work, school, or errands around town for many people in California. Like any other vehicle on the road, though, buses are not immune to roadway accidents—and given the number of passengers these vehicles may be carrying, a particularly violent wreck could lead to numerous injuries and losses.
Depending on the circumstances, various parties may bear civil liability for a bus wreck, and you may have trouble demonstrating that liability without help from an experienced injury attorney. A Corona bus accident lawyer could work with you to gather evidence, take stock of your recoverable damages, and prove someone else legally responsible for them. En Español.
Like accidents between smaller cars, traffic accidents involving buses can stem from a variety of sources. In many cases, the bus driver is the primarily negligent party, usually because they did something overtly careless or reckless. For example, they may have been intoxicated behind the wheel, unreasonably fatigued, distracted by their cell phone, or simply failed to follow traffic regulations.
In certain situations, however, filing suit against a bus driver may not be a prudent course of action. For instance, if an accident results in particularly severe injuries that require expensive treatment, an individual bus driver’s insurance may not be sufficient to cover all of a plaintiff’s losses.
In this kind of case, as well as many others, the company or entity which employed that driver may bear vicarious liability for the actions of their employee. Alternatively, the entity that owns or operates a bus may be the primarily liable party if they failed to enforce rules for driver conduct or did not complete a thorough background check before hiring a negligent driver.
Even a mechanic or another third party may be liable if a crash results from a mechanical fault while a bus is operating. A Corona bus accident attorney could help an individual determine who may be the best defendant(s) to file suit against in their particular case.
Assuming they can establish liability based on a preponderance of available evidence, a bus accident victim in Corona may be able to recover compensation for numerous types of damages. In general, recoverable damages in these kinds of cases can be categorized as either economic or non-economic.
Economic damages are typically easier to evaluate, as this category encompasses objective financial losses that can be quantified by bills and receipts. In a typical bus crash case, a lawyer in Corona could help a plaintiff pursue compensation for medical expenses, loss of work wages, loss of future earning capacity, and repair costs for their vehicle and/or personal property.
However, non-economic damages—which encompasses subjective losses that do not have a quantitative price tag—may also be available, and in many cases, even form the bulk of the damage award a successful plaintiff ultimately receives. Recoverable non-economic damages following a bus wreck may include loss of enjoyment of life, emotional anguish, permanent disability or disfigurement, and physical pain and suffering.
Filing a civil lawsuit may not be the first thing that comes to mind after being involved in a bus crash, but it could end up being the most important action you take in the aftermath of your wreck. If you fail to file suit and pursue compensation for your damages, you may end up suffering severe financial and personal losses for an accident you did nothing to cause.
Professional legal counsel could work tirelessly on your behalf to help you avoid this outcome and seek a positive resolution to your claim. Schedule a consultation with a Corona bus accident lawyer today to see what might be possible in your case.
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