Any collision between two vehicles is capable of causing property damage, personal injury, and the wrongful deaths of drivers or passengers. When one vehicle is significantly larger than the other – for example, a charter bus compared to a car or pickup truck – the potential for injury, death, and vehicle damage is even greater. If a charter bus or budget bus collided with your car and caused you to be injured, you could have a cause of action against the bus driver, bus company, or other parties. The bus accident lawyers of The Reiff Law Firm can determine whether you have a case, and work aggressively to recover the maximum compensation for your injuries, medical treatment, and property damage.
Claims against private companies are governed by complex rules, making it extremely difficult for injury victims to obtain fair compensation without the benefit of aggressive legal representation. This is particularly true of cases involving driver impairment, driver fatigue, inadequate vehicle maintenance, noncompliance with federal laws, and related factors. Bus companies and insurers may deny liability for your injuries, or even assert that you were to blame for the accident.
Make sure that your case is handled by an effective, results-oriented attorney who understands the unique regulations, deadlines, and legal strategies impacting claims against charter bus companies. The bus accident injury lawyers of The Reiff Law Firm have more than 34 years of experience litigating personal injury cases against bus drivers, bus companies, insurance companies, and others, and are prepared to tirelessly pursue compensation on your behalf. For a free consultation concerning a charter bus accident claim, contact our law offices immediately at (215) 709-6940.
Who Can I Sue if a Budget or Charter Bus Hit My Car and Injured Me?
If you were injured in a car accident that was caused by a bus striking your car, truck, motorcycle, or other vehicle, you could be entitled to compensation, depending on the circumstances under which the collision occurred. If you believe that you could have a case against a bus operator, charter bus company, or another driver who was involved in your accident, we urge you to contact our law offices for a confidential and cost-free consultation. At the law offices of The Reiff Law Firm, our personal injury attorneys have decades of experience handling bus accident cases and can help you determine the most appropriate and efficient course of action for pursuing compensation for vehicle damage and personal injury. If another passenger in your vehicle was killed in the crash, we can also assist with Pennsylvania a wrongful death action or survival actions.
Various parties may be liable for an accident involving a charter bus or tour bus, such as the individual operating the bus, the bus company or charter company, and potentially, drivers of other vehicles that were involved in the crash, such as a driver who forced the bus operator to swerve or veer before striking your vehicle. Determining liability can be a complicated task for injury victims, particularly as “common carrier” laws may impact your case, and should be handled by an experienced attorney.
In Pennsylvania, “common carriers” are defined as “persons or corporations holding out, offering, or undertaking, directly or indirectly, service for compensation to the public for the transportation of passengers or property, or both, or any class of passengers or property, between points within this Commonwealth,” including bus companies such as Megabus and Bolt Bus, in addition to public bus transit services such as SEPTA. Common carrier laws may also apply outside of Pennsylvania, affecting interstate travel on charter buses and tour buses, such as routes between Philadelphia and New York City.
These laws are important for injury victims in that bus drivers are held to higher safety standards than other drivers, making it possible to hold common carriers liable for wrongful death, personal injury, and the associated damages, such as medical treatment for accident injuries. Despite this, common carriers can use a range of defense strategies to defeat claims by injury victims, underscoring the importance of being represented by a bus accident attorney who has a track record of obtaining favorable case outcomes.
After your car has been hit by a bus, it is very important that you seek immediate medical care, and avoid making any oral or written statements to bus company or insurance representatives until you have spoken to an attorney. The insurance company does not have your best financial interests at heart, and by making statements or signing agreements, you may inadvertently weaken your ability to recover fair compensation. You should also save any medical documentation, and, if possible to do so safely, take extensive photographs of your injuries and damage to your vehicle. By taking these crucial measures, you will improve your likelihood of getting compensated after a bus accident involving your car.
Charter Bus Accident Injury Attorneys Can Fight for Compensation
A bus striking your car, even at low speeds, is a traumatizing, terrifying experience that can cause catastrophic injury, costly property damage, and the deaths of vehicle occupants. If your accident was caused by the negligence or recklessness of a bus driver, maintenance worker, bus company, or other parties, the attorneys of The Reiff Law Firm can fight to hold the parties at fault accountable. Compensation may be available for medical care, pain and suffering, funeral and burial expenses, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, permanent scarring and disfigurement, diminished earning capacity, damage to your vehicle, and other losses stemming from the accident.
The Bethlehem car accident lawyers of The Reiff Law Firm can assess your accident from every angle to maximize your recovery, protect your best interests, and pursue justice for your loved ones. Our nationally recognized, award-winning legal team handles a broad spectrum of claims against reckless and negligent bus companies, including rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, intersection accidents, drunk driving accidents, drowsy driving accidents, multi-vehicle accidents, bone fractures, head and brain injuries, cuts and lacerations, back and spinal cord injuries, amputation injuries, whiplash and soft tissue injuries, and many other types of cases. To arrange a free legal consultation, contact our law offices at (215) 709-6940 today.
