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Taking a bus to school, work or simply to get around Denver should not end in a serious accident. Yet this is exactly what can happen when a bus driver, school or bus company is negligent. At Dormer Harpring, our attorneys help bus accident victims determine why a crash happened, who is responsible and what their legal rights might be. We are committed to helping crash victims in Colorado seek the justice and financial compensation that they deserve.
Hiring a bus accident lawyer to take your case can allow you to rest and focus on your recovery while an experienced professional handles complicated legal tasks for you. This can include going up against a bus company or its insurance carrier using aggressive negotiation tactics. Without an attorney, an insurance company may try to take advantage of you as an injured bus accident victim. An attorney will not let this happen.
Your lawyer will work for you and no one else. He or she will be just as dedicated to achieving positive results for your case as you are, as your lawyer won’t get paid unless you do. You can trust your lawyer to take the steps that are necessary to build the strongest possible personal injury claim, including thoroughly investigating the bus accident, detecting signs of fault, searching for available evidence and hiring expert witnesses. Your attorney will passionately advocate for your best interests while you concentrate on healing.
The first step toward seeking justice for a bus accident is to identify the cause of the crash. Bus accidents are almost always preventable. They frequently stem from negligent acts or omissions, such as bus driver errors. The top causes of bus accidents are:
Colorado is a fault-based car insurance state, meaning anyone who gets injured in a bus accident must determine and prove fault to receive compensation from that person’s insurance company. This includes after an accident involving a city, school, public, charter or party bus.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, in 2020, 156 buses were involved in fatal crashes throughout the United States. This included 86 transit buses, 46 school buses and 9 intercity buses. While this represents the lowest number since FARS data collecting began in 1975, it excludes the thousands of bus accidents that were not fatal. Bus accidents can cause serious and catastrophic injuries to those involved, including:
These injuries can impact the passengers that were on the bus at the time of the crash as well as the driver or occupants of a motor vehicle that collided with the bus. No matter what type of injury you were diagnosed with, you may be entitled to financial compensation. The insurance company of the person or party that caused the crash may be financially responsible for your medical bills and other losses.
If you get involved in a bus accident in Denver, it is important to know what steps to take to protect yourself and your legal rights from the beginning. If you can, remain calm and try to take the following actions:
A bus accident attorney can carefully review your case and offer legal advice that you can trust. Hiring an attorney can make it easier to take the steps that are necessary to build a claim and move forward from a harmful bus crash.
If a negligent bus driver caused your bus accident, the bus company or employer can most likely be held vicariously liable. Vicarious liability is a legal doctrine that holds employers responsible for the negligent actions of their on-duty employees. You may be able to hold a bus company, school or the City of Denver liable for your accident if it was caused by bus driver error.
If another driver caused the bus crash, his or her car insurance policy may be responsible for paying for your losses. Another option may be bringing a lawsuit against the manufacturer of a defective or faulty bus part with a product liability claim. An investigation by an attorney can determine the liable party or parties in your bus accident case.
You must act quickly if you wish to seek compensation for a bus accident in Denver. Colorado has a statute of limitations, or legal time limit, of three years from the date of most motor vehicle accidents. A claim against the government, however, must be brought within just 180 days. If you miss your deadline, you will most likely give up the right to file a claim.
Being involved in a bus accident can be overwhelming. Unfortunately, the bus company and its insurance provider can make things harder – they will not be on your side. The best way to protect your rights is by hiring a Denver bus accident attorney to represent you.
Dormer Harpring has been trusted with complicated car and bus accident cases for many years. We know how to get real results for our clients. Contact us today to learn more during a free consultation with a bus accident attorney. Call (303) 747-4404.