Riding a bus is an everyday occurrence for many Austin area residents, from school buses to charters to their regular Capital Metro route. Few of them realize a bus ride is just as risky as driving a car. National statistics show the number of bus accidents per million passenger miles is comparable to the number of car accidents per million driven miles.
When buses are involved in accidents, passengers often get injured. Few buses have seat belts, and even then bus riders rarely think to wear them. When injured in a bus accident, it can help to have an experienced Austin bus accident attorney on your side to protect your rights.
Why Hire an Austin Bus Accident Attorney?
At the George Salinas Injury Lawyers, our Austin bus accident attorneys have represented victims of bus accidents and helped them recover compensation from insurance companies and other parties responsible for their injuries. If you or a loved one have been injured in a bus accident, contact us to schedule a free consultation or call (210)-225-0909 to discuss your potential legal options.
We have helped our clients recover compensation in all types of vehicle accidents, including those involving buses. Our testimonials page features statements from our former clients about what it’s like to work with us. We are particularly proud of our commitment to clear communication with clients, both for the purpose of understanding their stories and ensuring they known what we’re doing for them.
Common Bus Accident Injuries
Bus accidents can cause a wide range of physical and emotional injuries. Because there isn’t any way in most buses to protect your body in a collision, the physical injuries can be particularly severe. Victims of a bus accident commonly suffer buffer broken bones, lacerations, severe head injuries, and spinal cord damage. Bus accidents can also be extremely emotionally traumatic.
Seeing fellow passengers injured, or being trapped in a life threatening situation for hours while rescue workers struggle to pick apart the wreckage of a bus rollover, for example, can leave lasting emotional scars.
Any of these injuries can leave victims of a bus accident and their families with significant expenses for treatment and long-term care, not to mention lost wages and the costs of their pain and suffering.
Who Bears Responsibility for Bus Accident Injuries?
There may be a range of parties at fault in a bus accident, depending on the circumstances. At George Salinas Injury Lawyers, we represent clients who have been injured in bus accidents because of the wrongful actions or negligence of third parties. For example, a bus company operator may not have maintained its buses in a reasonably safe manner, resulting in a crash. A bus driver, or the driver of the other vehicle in a bus collision, may have been overworked, or operating under the influence. Road crews may not have maintained a road surface in a safe condition for a bus to travel over.
With years of experience representing victims of vehicle accidents, our attorneys have a track record for investigating our clients’ cases, identifying parties who are at fault, and seeking compensation from them and their insurers.
What Kind of Damages Can Be Recovered After a Bus Accident?
Victims of a bus accident who require medical care often, although not always, have coverage for their injuries through some sort of insurance. But, medical expenses are just the tip of the iceberg for those victims and their families. In the past, our clients have also received compensation from insurance companies and responsible parties for:
- the costs of long-term care and rehabilitation services
- lost wages due to time off work to recover from an injury or to care for an injured family member
- Lost future earnings of the accident victim
- Property damage
- The pain and suffering resulting from the accident and the difficulty of living with the long-term consequences.
In addition, under Texas law, some of our clients have been entitled to recover “punitive” damages that serve to punish the responsible parties and ensure that others are not injured in the same way.
The full scope of the damages you can receive after a bus accident will depend on the facts of your case, of course. Working with an attorney experienced in bus accident cases can be the most reliable way to ensure that you recover the compensation you deserve for your injury or the loss of your loved one.
How Do Those Liable for Bus Accident Injuries Try to Avoid Paying?
Insurance companies and responsible parties rarely want to pay for your injuries. They may try to avoid paying their fair share by pointing the finger at someone else, including the accident victim. That tendency is an especially difficult problem in bus accident cases, where the damage caused by an accident can be so widespread that it gives accident investigators lots of different theories to choose from for who might be at fault.
When a bus accident happens, potentially responsible parties may start building a case that the accident “wasn’t their fault.” For victims and their families, calling on an attorney with experience in bus accident cases can help ensure that insurance companies and responsible parties do not try to pull a fast one and get them to sign releases or to accept inadequate settlement offers.
What Will a Lawyer Cost?
When expenses associated with a bus accident injury or death begin to mount, the last thing a victim or the victim’s family wants to worry about is the cost of a lawyer. At George Salinas Injury Lawyers, we offer free initial case consultations, and in appropriate cases, we may agree to represent a client on a contingency fee basis in which we only collect fees out of money we recover on our client’s behalf.
In such an arrangement, we may also be willing to cover the court costs associated with pursuing a case, if appropriate. Please do not be afraid to tell us about your situation and ask us if your or your loved one’s bus accident case may be appropriate for a contingency fee arrangement.
Contact An Austin Bus Accident Attorney Today
If you or a loved one have been injured or died in a bus accident, contact the Austin bus accident attorney at George Salinas Injury Lawyers today to schedule a free consultation to discuss your legal options or call (210)-225-0909.