Ringgold Bus Accident Injury Lawyer
When it comes to severe collisions and auto accidents, there are few vehicles more powerful than a bus. The size and weight of buses create the capacity for accidents that devastate motorists and passengers alike. Because of the potential impact of a bus, injuries can be extensive and medical bills can mount quickly. Retaining a Ringgold bus accident injury lawyer to fight for the compensation you deserve may be imperative if you were involved in a serious bus accident.
In order to gain some peace of mind and make yourself whole again, we urge you to contact a skilled injury attorney. He or she could answer any questions you might have and could work to establish proof of the defendant’s fault.
Proving A Bus Collision Case
Proving liability is the key to winning a case against a bus company. Whether the operator is a public municipality, a corporation, or a sole proprietorship, the standard is the same. In order to show the bus driver was liable for the accident and thus responsible for the harm done to the injured party, a lawyer would argue that the driver acted with negligence.
Negligence is proven by showing that first, a duty existed on the part of the driver to care for his or her passengers and other motorists and pedestrians, and second, he or she failed to exercise that duty which directly resulted in the harm to the injured party.
Proving that the bus driver had the duty to care for his or her passengers and others on the road is generally not difficult. Anytime someone gets behind the wheel of an automobile, he or she assumes a duty to obey the rules of the road and protect himself and anyone else that might come into contact with his vehicle. A plaintiff and his or her Ringgold bus accident lawyer could bring forward evidence of the bus driver’s failure to exercise a duty of care by showing that he or she:
- Was driving too fast
- Was driving with distractions
- Was drunk driving
- Was driving while drowsy
- Had a reckless disregard for the safety of others
- Lacked sufficient skills or safety training
- Failed to inspect or maintain the vehicle for safety reasons
Once the plaintiff shows that the driver breached his or her duty, the plaintiff and his or her Ringgold bus accident injury lawyer must also show that the breach was the direct (or proximate) cause of the harm. Proximate cause is a legal standard which determines that the injury would not have occurred without the breach directly causing it.
What Damages Can a Plaintiff Recover?
Depending on the severity of his or her injuries, plaintiffs may recover monetary damages, such as medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, rehabilitation costs, and more, from a bus injury defendant. In the state of Georgia, the comparative negligence standard is applied to collecting damages.
This means that even if the plaintiff is found to be partially responsible for the accident (for example, if he gets rear-ended by a bus while he doesn’t have his eyes on the road), he or she can still recover as long as he found to be less than 50% responsible for the crash.
It is important to note that the time limit to file a bus injury case, or the statute of limitations, is two years from the date of the accident. For cases involving the government, such as city bus cases, the time is even shorter – plaintiffs only have six months to file those claims.
Talking to a Ringgold Bus Accident Attorney
There are many details that a plaintiff in a bus accident case should focus on for it to be successful. If you sustained injuries in a bus wreck and are uncertain of the steps to take to file a strong injury claim, a Ringgold bus accident injury lawyer could take things into his or her hands and fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact our attorneys today to discuss what damages you may be able to claim and what strategies we could use in your situation.
