Evans Bus Accident Lawyer
Bus accidents take place with surprising regularity both in Colorado and across the country. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, there are nearly 70,000 bus accidents in America each year. This figure encompasses public buses, charter buses, school buses, and any large motor vehicle carrying passengers by road.
Consider scheduling a consultation with an Evans bus accident lawyer if either you or a family member has been involved in a bus accident resulting in serious injury. The services of an experienced injury attorney who handles bus accident cases can drastically increase your odds of obtaining compensation. Let a lawyer do all the legal heavy lifting while you focus on recuperating.
Uniqueness of Bus Accidents
While the number of yearly bus accidents pales in comparison to the number of accidents strictly involving passenger vehicles, bus accident litigation is often exceedingly more complex in nature. The following factors may help explain why:
- Weight and size
- Seatbelt use
- Shared liability
Weight & Size
Even a small bus can weigh significantly more than a large passenger truck or van. As such, bus accidents often result in catastrophic property damage, multiple severe injuries, and fatalities.
Seatbelt Use
Most buses – even many school buses – either do not have seatbelts or require passengers to use them while the vehicle is moving. Should a bus crash occur, this greatly increases the likelihood that passengers would sustain life-threatening injuries.
Shared Liability
Unlike car accidents where fault is typically traceable to a single driver, bus accidents often involve a multitude of parties who can be found legally liable. These include bus drivers, bus management companies, bus parts manufacturers, and even government entities in accidents involving public buses.
Types of Compensation Available to Bus Accident Victims
Similar to other personal injury cases, a significant part of most bus accident litigation is devoted to determining what a victim is owed in terms of monetary damages. Once fault is established, litigants generally then begin the sometimes-difficult and contentious process of agreeing on the type and amount of damages owed.
With the help of an Evans bus accident lawyer, a victim may be able to obtain damages covering a wide range of accident-related losses and expenses, past and future. Such damages may include:
- Medical bills
- Lost income
- Loss of earning capacity
- Pain and Suffering
Medical Bills
It should come as no surprise that a major injury sustained during the course of a bus accident can lead to hefty medical bills. Bus accident victims can secure compensation for ambulance transport, emergency room care, prescription drugs, and myriad other types of medical expenses.
Lost Income
Recuperating from a serious bus accident can make it difficult, if not impossible, to go to work and earn a living. For this reason, bus accident victims who have lost income due to their injuries generally can recoup some or all of it in the form of legal damages.
Loss of Earning Capacity
The term “loss of earning capacity” refers to a bus accident victim’s inability to earn as much money as they did before the accident occurred. Generally speaking, loss of earning capacity is harder to calculate than lost income as it requires some element of speculation. The expertise of an Evans bus accident attorney can be especially helpful when it comes to establishing loss of earning capacity.
Pain and Suffering
A bus accident injury can result in more than just a mountain of medical bills and economic losses. Colorado, like most other states, permits the award of damages for non-economic losses as well, which typically fall under the label of pain and suffering. These can include physical disfigurement, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Schedule a Consultation with an Evans Bus Accident Attorney Today
Bus accidents almost always give rise to complex litigation involving multiple parties and questions relating to liability and determining damages. They can be truly devastating events that drastically alter the course of many people’s lives. You are therefore strongly encouraged to consult an Evans bus accident lawyer to explore your options in the wake of such a crash.