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If you’ve been involved in a bus crash, establishing liability can be a crucial part of ensuring you receive the compensation you deserve for your injuries and damages. Bus accidents can be complicated due to the involvement of multiple parties, including the bus driver, the bus company, other drivers, and even pedestrians. However, by taking the right steps and working with a knowledgeable bus accident lawyer, you can build a strong case to prove who is at fault.
Gather Evidence At The Scene
The first step after any accident is to gather as much evidence as possible. This is especially important in bus crashes, where several people may have different accounts of what happened. Here’s what to look for:
- Photographs including damage to vehicles, the bus, and any nearby property. Also, document any visible injuries you have sustained.
- Witness statements from people who may have seen the accident. Get their names and contact details. Their testimony could be invaluable in supporting your version of events.
- Call the police to the scene and ensure they file an accident report. The police report often contains important details about the incident and can be a critical piece of evidence.
Understand The Key Parties Involved
In a bus accident, several parties could be responsible for the incident. Understanding who might be at fault will help you build your case. The potential liable parties in a bus accident include:
- The bus driver if they were acting recklessly, such as speeding, running a red light, or failing to yield
- The bus company if they failed to maintain the bus properly, didn’t train drivers adequately, or ignored safety regulations
- Other drivers’ negligent behavior such as by merging into the bus’s lane or not yielding
- Government or municipal authorities who are responsible for the road conditions or traffic signals. If poor road maintenance or faulty traffic lights were factors, the city or government may be partially liable.
Establish Negligence
To prove fault in a bus crash, you need to show that someone was negligent. Negligence refers to when someone fails to take reasonable care, resulting in harm to others. For example, if the bus driver was texting while driving or if the bus company didn’t maintain the vehicle properly, that would be considered negligence.
Review The Bus’s Maintenance Records
Bus companies are required to regularly inspect and maintain their vehicles. If a mechanical failure, such as bad brakes, contributed to the accident, the company could be held accountable for neglecting their maintenance duties.
Your personal injury attorney may request the bus’s maintenance records to check for any history of mechanical problems. If the company failed to properly service the bus, that could strengthen your case for proving fault.
Obtain Expert Testimony
In complex bus accident cases, professional testimony can be crucial. Specialists such as accident reconstructionists can help explain how the crash happened and who was at fault. They can analyze the damage to the vehicles, review the physical evidence, and even recreate the accident to determine how the collision occurred.
Keep Track Of Your Medical Records And Damages
After the accident, it’s important to keep detailed records of your medical treatment and any other expenses related to your injuries. This will help demonstrate the severity of your trauma and the financial impact the accident has had on your life.
In addition to medical expenses, you should also track lost wages if you were unable to work due to the accident. All of this information will be essential when proving your damages and the fault of the responsible parties.
Proving fault in a bus accident case can be challenging, but by gathering evidence, understanding the key parties involved, and working with an experienced attorney, you can build a strong case. Our colleagues at Strong Law Accident & Injury Attorneys emphasize that negligence is the core of all bus crash and personal injury cases, so it’s important to show that the responsible party failed to fulfill their duty of care, which ultimately led to the accident and your injuries.
If you have been in a bus accident, learn about your legal options by consulting an attorney.