If you suffered serious injuries in a bus accident, you might be curious about bus accident laws in California and how they can help you.
You are probably wondering what you are entitled to recover and how you determine who is liable. California law permits injured victims to recover compensation when a negligent bus driver caused their injuries.
You may also have claims against the company that operates the bus, another driver who caused the accident, or other parties.
A personal injury attorney can help you understand how bus accident laws in California apply to your case.
What Can I Recover After a California Bus Crash?
If you suffered injuries after a bus crash, you are entitled to recover compensation for economic and noneconomic damages.
Economic Damages
Economic damages represent financial losses directly related to your injuries and include the following:
- Medical expenses,
- Lost wages,
- Loss of earning capacity, and
- Property damage.
Tangible evidence like receipts, invoices, pay stubs, and other similar documents help support your claim for economic damages.
Noneconomic Damages
Noneconomic damages represent non-monetary losses related to the psychological and emotional effects of your injuries and can include the following:
- Pain and suffering,
- Emotional distress,
- Loss of companionship, and
- Loss of consortium.
The importance of noneconomic damages cannot be understated. Many injured victims find that noneconomic damages provide much-needed financial support for the intangible losses they’ve suffered because of an accident.
Whom Can I Sue?
If you were injured in a Los Angeles bus crash, your attorney can identify the parties that might be liable for your damages. Possible responsible parties include:
- The bus driver.You may have claims against the bus driver. However, if the bus driver was working at the time, the company employing the driver is usually responsible.
- The bus company. When a bus company fails to protect the safety of its passengers, provide proper training to its employees, or one of its drivers acts negligently, you might be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit against the bus company.
- A government entity. You might be able to file a claim against a government entity if your accident involved a government-owned bus.
- An auto part manufacturer. If a defective part caused the bus to crash into you, you might be able to pursue a claim against the designer, manufacturer, or distributor of the part.
- The bus maintenance company.You might be able to pursue a lawsuit against a bus maintenance company if a mechanical failure caused your crash.
- Other drivers. If another driver caused the bus to collide with you, your attorney might advise you to pursue a claim against the driver.
A determination of fault is vital to a successful claim. However, determining which parties are at fault can be complicated.
A personal injury attorney can analyze the facts of your case to help you identify all of the parties responsible for your damages.
What Do I Need To Know About Government Claims?
If a bus owned, operated, or controlled by a government entity caused your injuries, you must file your claim under the California Tort Claims Act.
For personal injury claims against non-government defendants, you generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a claim.
However, in cases involving government defendants, your deadline to file a claim is shortened to six months after the accident.
Additionally, you must identify all liable parties and the different theories of recovery and damages in the initial claim.
Carefully plan your lawsuit against a government entity with the guidance and experience of a qualified personal injury attorney.
Contact Us
If you were involved in a bus accident, you might be suffering from severe or even catastrophic injuries. No matter how complex your case is, the skilled lawyers at the Peerali Law Firm are ready to advocate on your behalf so you can focus on recovering.
The Peerali Law Firm uses innovative and creative legal solutions to help our injured clients recover the compensation they deserve. If you were injured in a bus accident, contact our office today to schedule a free consultation to learn more about how to get your claim started.
Kristopher earned his J.D. at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law where he was a member of the Review of Law and Social Justice honors law journal and was awarded several scholastic honors.
Loading...