St. Charles Bus Accident Lawyer
Bus accidents injure thousands of people every year. These kinds of vehicles are unwieldy, have large blind spots, and are much larger and heavier than most other vehicles on the road. A collision with a bus is likely to cause significant damage.
If you have suffered harm in a public transit accident, you could bring a claim for damages with help from a dedicated injury attorney. A St. Charles bus accident lawyer could review the facts surrounding your case and determine the merits of your claim.
Does Negligence Need to Be Proven in Bus Accident Cases?
When a plaintiff files a claim seeking compensation for personal injuries caused by a vehicle accident, negligence must be proven. Establishing negligence requires a plaintiff to show that someone owed them a duty, breached it, and that the plaintiff suffered an injury because of that breach.
In vehicle accident cases, it is understood that everyone using the roadways owes other drivers and passengers the duty of reasonable care. Specifically, all drivers have obligations to conform to driving norms, obey traffic signals, comply with traffic laws, and avoid reckless behavior that might put others at risk. If a bus driver is violating the law or operating the vehicle in a way that is not adequately protective of other drivers or pedestrians, the driver could be negligent.
Many parties in a bus accident could be held liable for damages besides the bus driver, including:
- The driver’s employer
- Drivers of other involved vehicles
- Bus maintenance company if poor maintenance contributed to the accident
- Bus manufacturer if mechanical failure was a factor
- Municipality where the accident occurred if signage or road maintenance was an issue in the collision
A local lawyer could reconstruct a bus accident to identify all liable parties who may have owed a duty of care to the plaintiff.
Is There a Deadline for Seeking Compensation?
There is a five-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims in Missouri, which is a more generous deadline than other states. However, there is a special circumstance that often comes up in bus accident claims which shortens the time drastically. If the state or a municipality within the state is a potential defendant in the personal injury suit, Missouri Revised Statutes §81.060 says the plaintiff has only 90 days from the date of the accident to file a formal claim.
This situation might arise if a plaintiff was injured in an accident involving a bus owned by a government entity or driven by a government employee. For example, a person who was in a collision with a St. Charles city bus might file a claim against the city if the driver was negligent or the bus was defective or poorly maintained. A government might also be a defendant if road conditions were a factor in a bus accident. In that case, an injured victim could make a claim against the government agency charged with keeping the roads safe for drivers.
If an injured plaintiff fails to file a notice of claim within 90 days of suffering their injury, they will not be able to proceed against that government entity. Securing a nearby bus accident attorney’s services immediately after a crash could ensure that all proper notices are filed timely and preserve the plaintiff’s right to seek damages against all potential defendants.
Trust an Experienced St. Charles Bus Accident Attorney to Handle Your Injury Case
If you are recovering from a bus accident, you should focus on healing and planning your next steps. You should not be dealing with the stress that comes with trying to secure proper compensation for the negligent actions of others.
Working with a skilled St. Charles bus accident lawyer could make the process easier on you and ultimately lead to a better result. Contact our office to schedule a case review today.