Recover Compensation For Your Losses
When you get on a bus, you put your safety and your life in the hands of the driver and the transport company they work for. You expect to arrive at your point of destination without incident. Every precaution to keep you safe should be taken. This is obligatory on the part of the bus company and must be done with care and diligence. Most bus companies understand this. Other bus companies have not put in the processes and procedures necessary to ensure a safe journey for their passengers. If you have been injured in a public transportation accident, you do have legal options and you have the right to build up a case and sue.
Your first move should be to contact a Los Angeles public transportation crash lawyer. Before you file an official claim, you will need a legal strategy or at least the beginnings of one. The lawyers for the bus company will do all that they can to deny, discredit, and dismiss your claim. Pursuing legal representation can help you prepare for this fight and get the justice you deserve.
Why You Should Tell Your Story
The attorney you speak to will want to hear what you have to say about the accident. During the first consultation you will be asked to recall the events leading up to the accident and all that happened afterward. The particular injuries that you suffered as a result of the accident are as important as the circumstances of the accident itself. Make sure to discuss all the injuries you sustained, pain, and strain you have endured, as it will form the basis of the legal strategy they will develop.
The Consequences Of A Bus Accident
A bus accident can turn your entire life upside down. Even if you are one of the lucky ones who are able to walk away from the accident, you should still undergo a medical examination. There may have sustained internal injury that only a physician can detect.
If you received more serious injuries, then you might have to stay in hospital for days or even weeks. You will accumulate medical bills and have to forgo income during this time. You might also have to pay for long-term rehabilitative treatment and medical prescriptions. When you are ready to go back to your job, you may have to reduce the number of hours you work or be forced to take a lower-paying position.
You should not be forced to take on this burden alone and as you recover from the accident, you should consider ways of holding those appropriate party accountable for it.
Figuring Out Who Is Liable
Once your Los Angeles personal injury attorney has heard your story and decided that you have solid grounds for a lawsuit, they will then help you determine who is liable for your injuries. A number of potential entities can be sued for damages. You may be able to sue the bus company, the manufacturer of the bus, or the insurance company that represents either one of these.
Even if the driver was at fault for the accident, their error may owe to a deficiency in training, overwork, or the failure of the bus company to properly screen the people it hires. If the accident was a result of a failed part or system, then you can sue both the makers and the operators of the bus.
What Los Angeles Bus Accident Attorneys Do For Their Clients
A bus accident attorney specializes in this area of tort law and they have extensive experience and expertise in all matters related to it. Your lawyer will be able to gather the facts, introduce the relevant forensic evidence, and bring the right parts of law to bear on your case.
Here are a few of the specific actions your attorney will take on your behalf:
- Gather the Facts
The first thing your attorney will do is get a copy of the police report of the accident, which will include photos of the scene and statements by eyewitnesses. Your lawyer will then engage their own professional investigators to look deeper into the matter. Such professionals will re-examine the bus and the scene of the accident and will re-interview eyewitnesses.
The investigation will also assess how the company selects and trains its drivers and the hours of work each one is expected to put in. Emails, correspondence, and all other internal documents related to driver safety and training will be put under subpoena and the safety record of the company will be looked into.
- Introduce Forensic Evidence
The debris, tire marks, nature and position of the damage tell a story of how the accident unfolded. This evidence can also be used to determine what exactly caused the accident. Your lawyer will bring in an auto accident reconstruction expert. Such a professional will be able to develop a simulation of the accident based on the evidence at the scene. Your lawyer will also bring in technical experts to go over the damaged bus thoroughly to confirm system malfunction.
Medical experts will also be brought in. They will be able to review your medical records and make a sworn statement or testify under oath that the bus accident was the only thing that could have caused your injuries.
- Bringing the Law to Bear
In the end, your lawyer will have to prove that there was a bus accident, that it was the fault of the bus company or manufacturer, that you were injured as a result of the accident, and that you are owed a specific dollar amount in damages. Your legal counsel is well qualified to make this argument and to get results that are in your favor.
However, the case does not need to go to trial. Your lawyer may be able to present enough evidence to compel the respondent to offer a fair and adequate settlement.
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