Bus accidents are often confusing events for those involved. They can result in serious injuries or even traffic fatalities, causing devastation in their wake. Even worse, many bus crashes are entirely preventable, often caused by people being in a hurry or being careless.
Bus accidents can injure passengers, other motorists, pedestrians, or others. Bus accident victims may have the right to recover compensation for their medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering. However, bus companies, government agencies, and their insurance companies may make it difficult to collect this compensation.
An experienced bus accident attorney in Long Beach, CA, from Belal Hamideh Law, P.C., can guide you through the legal process of demanding financial compensation for the injuries you’ve sustained. Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your legal options following a serious bus crash.
How a Bus Accident Lawyer Can Help You
Due to the complexity of personal injury claims involving bus crashes, you should not try to handle your legal claim alone. Too much is at stake, and the bus driver and company are staunchly defended.
When you hire a personal injury attorney, you can level the playing field. Additionally, a lawyer can:
- Determine fault: Your bus accident lawyer can conduct a thorough investigation into the accident, determine factors that contributed to it, and identify all at-fault parties. This legal analysis examines the bus driver’s actions, assesses the behavior of other drivers, and considers the various legal theories for demanding fair compensation.
- Gather evidence: To recover compensation for your injuries, you will need to present compelling evidence of why the bus driver, bus company, bus manufacturer, or other party was responsible for the accident. Your lawyer can inspect the physical condition of the bus, visit the accident scene to gather evidence, demand electronic data for the bus, including information from the electronic data recorder and any onboard cameras, work with accident reconstruction experts to recreate the accident, and review the official report on the accident.
- Assess damages: An experienced attorney can account for the full extent of your damages, including current and future medical expenses, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and other harm you’ve suffered. We consider the long-term impact of your injuries so you don’t leave money on the table.
- Handle negotiations: Your personal injury attorney can handle communications and negotiations with insurance companies, demanding the compensation you need and explaining that we are prepared to go to trial if the responsible party does not offer a fair settlement.
- Provide legal support: Your personal injury lawyer will be there for you every step of the way, guiding you through the legal process, answering your questions, and offering tailored legal advice.
Contact our personal injury law firm today for a free consultation.
Why Choose Belal Hamiddeh for Your Bus Accident Case
Some of the reasons you should consider hiring Belal Hamideh for your bus accident case include:
- Experience: Our personal injury lawyers have over 30 years of combined experience handling personal injury and workers’ compensation cases that we can leverage at the negotiating table and when litigating cases.
- Results: Belal Hamideh has a 99% success rate. Our attorneys have successfully recovered over $100 million for our clients.
- Legal reputation: Belal Hamideh has been recognized as a Top 10 Best Personal Injury Attorneys for Client Satisfaction by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys, Top 40 Under 40, five-star rated on Google and Avvo, and a Super Lawyers Rising Star. These accolades demonstrate the esteem his clients and adversaries hold for him.
- Personalized attention: Our compassionate legal team provides compassionate legal representation. We take pride in our honest and open communication with clients.
- Contingency fee arrangements: Because our Long Beach personal injury attorneys work on a contingency-fee basis, you don’t pay any upfront fees and can benefit from an immediate, no-cost, and no-obligation consultation.
Let our attorneys handle your legal claim while you focus on your recovery. Call us today to get started on your personal injury claim.
What Makes Bus Accident Claims So Complicated?
Bus accidents are different from car accidents or other types of personal injury cases in fundamental ways, including:
Unique Laws Apply
Buses in California are considered common carriers, which means that they are subject to stricter legal requirements than other motorists. Under California law, common carriers “must use the utmost care and diligence for [passengers’] safe carriage, must provide everything necessary for that purpose, and must exercise to that end a reasonable degree of skill. Public and private bus services are legally required to take all reasonable measures to protect their passengers from harm.
When bus drivers, operators, or others fail to uphold this standard, they may be legally responsible for the damages you sustained. Understanding this principle and leveraging it is often key in bus accident cases.
If the bus accident involved a city bus or a bus operated by a governmental entity, the California Government Claims Act applies. This law mandates that you file your legal claim with the government within six months of the incident. There are also special requirements related to the adequacy of the notice you provide about the accident.
Multiple Parties May Be at Fault
Establishing liability for a bus crash can be difficult. Multiple parties could contribute to the situation, including:
- Bus drivers
- Operating companies
- Maintenance providers
- Bus manufacturers
- Government agencies
An experienced attorney can conduct a thorough investigation to determine all parties at fault.
Multiple Parties May Have Suffered Injuries
Bus accidents may result in serious injuries that affect multiple parties. There will be a limited amount of insurance coverage that applies to all of the injured parties’ claims. Insurance companies may attempt to dispute liability, minimize injuries, or deny claims to protect their own financial interests.
An experienced Long Beach bus accident lawyer from Belal Hamideh Law, P.C. can anticipate these challenges and prepare a tailored legal strategy to overcome them. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your legal rights.
Common Causes of Bus Accidents
Bus accidents can occur for various reasons, including:
- Driver error, including running red lights or stop signs, speeding, making unsafe stops, following too closely, or failing to yield the right of way
- Distracted driving from texting, communicating with dispatch, listening to navigational information, and dealing with unruly passengers
- Driver fatigue and long shifts
- Hiring unqualified drivers or failing to provide adequate training
- Failing to maintain buses properly, leading to faulty brakes, blown tires, or steering system issues
- Overloading buses with too many passengers
- Manufacturing defects
- Bad driving by other motorists
- Lack of proper maintenance checks
An experienced bus accident lawyer is familiar with the various factors that can contribute to bus accidents. We can gather the evidence necessary to prove liability.
Types of Buses Involved in Crashes
Various types of buses operate in Long Beach and can be involved in bus collisions, including:
- Long Beach Transit buses
- Passport and AquaLink services
- LA Metro buses operating in Long Beach
- School buses
- Private shuttles
- Long-distance coaches
- Greyhound buses
Our law firm is prepared to handle legal claims involving any type of bus.
Common Injuries Sustained in Bus Accidents
Due to their larger size, high passenger occupancy, and the lack of standard safety features like seatbelts and airbags, bus accidents can result in severe injuries, including:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Amputations and other disfiguring injuries
- Broken and dislocated bones
- Severe burns
- Internal organ damage
- Neck and back injuries
- Nerve damage
- PTSD and emotional trauma
- Whiplash and other soft tissue injuries
If you or a loved one was injured in a bus accident in Long Beach, seek immediate medical attention. Then, contact an experienced bus accident attorney who can aggressively pursue the compensation you deserve.
Financial Compensation You Can Seek After a Bus Accident
Bus accident victims can seek compensation for special damages and general damages. Special damages are economic damages that represent financial losses you incurred from the accident, such as:
- Emergency medical care
- Hospital stays
- Surgeries
- Medication
- Rehabilitation
- Future medical expenses
- Lost wages for the time you missed from work
- Loss of earning capacity due to the future reduction in your long-term earning capacity
- Property damage to repair or replace your damaged vehicle or personal belongings
General damages provide compensation for more subjective and individual losses, such as:
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering
- Physical discomfort
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Lost wages for the time you missed from work
Contact Our Long Beach Personal Injury Attorneys for a Free Case Evaluation
If you were injured in a bus accident, you need strong legal representation. Our personal injury law firm has recovered more than $100 million to date and can provide you with tailored legal advice and compassionate representation. Contact Belal Hamideh Law, P.C. today for a free initial case assessment.
