Every day, hundreds of buses transport passengers to, from, across, and through Pennsylvania, either through municipal bus networks or privately-owned companies. Whatever type of bus it is, the driver of that vehicle is expected to act reasonably at all times to protect passengers and others on the road from harm. Any failure to do this could serve as grounds for a civil lawsuit.
Bus accidents are unique, and they require special handling. If you have been injured in a crash, you need the depth of experience available only from a Pennsylvania bus accident lawyer who has devoted years to securing full compensation for injured bus crash passengers just like you.
Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers’s founding partner Jon Ostroff represented more than 30 passengers injured or killed in four different catastrophic crashes in 2013 alone. After the fourth crash, Ostroff said: “It’s hard to believe that this is now the fourth time this year that a Greyhound bus full of passengers was involved in yet another violent, high-speed interstate collision that occurred last night. The three previous crashes were caused by Greyhound bus drivers that passed out or fell asleep behind the wheel. We’ll be very interested to learn why this bus driver slammed into the rear of a truck in the middle of the night. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of yet another tragic Greyhound Bus crash.” Reach out to us today to learn more about your legal options for obtaining compensation.
Public vs. Private Bus Accident Claims in Pennsylvania
When a private bus driver or bus company’s negligence directly leads to an accident that causes injury to you, you have the right to file a lawsuit. That civil claim would be subject to the same general rules that govern other personal injury cases.
When pursuing a lawsuit, you are subject to a two-year filing deadline set by 42 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes §5524. If your case is successful, you will be eligible to recover compensation for the full value of all your injuries and losses stemming from the crash.
Suing Government Entities
Your case may be more complicated if the defendant is a government employee or the municipal transit authority that employs them. 42 PA Con. Stat. §5522 requires anyone who intends to sue a government agency for a personal injury to notify that entity in writing no later than six months after the date they sustained that injury, meaning you have a much shorter window of time to start the litigation process than you do under the PA statute of limitations.
Furthermore, under 42 PA Con. Stat. §8528, the maximum amount of damages you can recover against a government defendant is $250,000, and no government defendant can bear more than $1,000,000 of total liability for any one incident. Due to these potential legal roadblocks, you should not proceed with a claim against a public transit agency in Pennsylvania without first seeking guidance from a bus crash attorney.
Recoverable Damages Through Successful Litigation
Barring the compensation limits for public bus wreck cases, you may incorporate economic and non-economic losses into your settlement demand or lawsuit. Recoverable losses in a typical claim may include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost work income
- Lost professional opportunities
- Pain and suffering
- Lost of life’s pleasures
- Lost consortium
- Personal property damage
A local lawyer can provide more detail about the types of compensation you may be able to recover after a bus crash.
Why You Need a Lawyer from Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers
You may find other injury lawyers who say they have won millions of dollars for clients, or show their impressive credentials, or cite testimonials from satisfied clients. Attorney Jon Ostroff is proud of his results against the largest bus company in the US. He says: “In the past decade, no other firm in America has obtained over $25 million in verdicts and settlements against Greyhound, or represented the number of passengers injured or killed in preventable crashes. We’ll keep fighting until we teach this dog some new tricks.”
Here’s what attorney Jon Ostroff and his team can bring to the table that no other law firm can match: outrage.We are furious at how easily bus companies dismiss the rights of injury victims and spare no effort to avoid paying for injuries due to their negligence and their drivers’ recklessness.
Many bus accidents in Pennsylvania involve intracity transit buses, charter motorcoaches and tour buses, and commercial intercity buses. The companies that own these vehicles range from medium-sized local operations to giants like Trailways, Greyhound, BoltBus, Peter Pan Bus Lines, Coach USA, and Megabus.
These companies each keep a staff of lawyers on retainer to work out ways to elude responsibility after a serious bus accident. We’ve seen them claim that passengers give up their rights to sue when they buy a ticket. After a serious bus crash, their lawyers are quickly and quietly on the scene to try to convince survivors to accept a tiny settlement and waive their rights to further compensation.
We are sick of these deceptive schemes and underhanded tricks. We fight aggressively for our clients’ full recovery for all medical bills, property losses, work disability, physical and occupational therapy, and non-economic damages. If the bus company or its insurers won’t meet our settlement demands, we’re ready to take the case to the courtroom and the jury.
Seek Help from a Pennsylvania Bus Accident Attorney
Even if you believe you have a strong case, pursuing a lawsuit without professional legal guidance is rarely a good idea. This is especially true for bus collision cases against large companies or government entities.
Once retained, a dedicated Pennsylvania bus accident lawyer from Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers will provide steadfast guidance and support throughout the litigation process. Call today to schedule a free consultation.
