Buses provide an important means of convenient, affordable transportation. However, they are difficult to maneuver, given their size, shape, and weight. This means bus operators must be properly trained and attentive at every moment.
A reckless, tired, or inexperienced driver is a danger to everyone on and around their bus and can cause a severe bus accident. Even at low speeds, a collision involving a bus can result in catastrophic injuries and property damage. If you were injured in an incident involving a bus, you should talk to a seasoned personal injury lawyer about filing a legal claim.
Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers won a landmark case against Greyhound Bus Company in 2013 after a bus operator fell asleep behind the wheel with a vehicle full of passengers. The bus driver crashed on Interstate 80, causing many passengers to suffer injuries ranging from minor to fatal. This severe collision and the subsequent trial were featured on CNN. Founding Attorney Jon Ostroff was interviewed in this news story, which focused on Greyhound Bus Company’s failure to monitor fatigue among its drivers.
In this case, we won over $21 million for our clients. This includes a $5 million verdict, additional delay damages, and post-verdict interest that forced Greyhound to pay well over $6 million. The verdict we obtained is the largest verdict ever recorded against Greyhound Bus Company in Pennsylvania. Greyhound pulled out all stops to try to pin liability on a truck involved in the crash and Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers overcame these defenses in order to obtain full compensation for our clients. Whether you were injured by a commercial bus or public transit vehicle, reach out to our Lewisburg bus accident lawyers to begin working on your legal claim.
Taking Action After a Government-Owned Bus Crash in Lewisburg
Many buses are either owned by or contracted to local governments. If you suffered injuries in an accident with a bus owned by or contracted to a government agency, you can sue that organization for damages.
However, the legal process is more complicated if one of the at-fault parties is a government agency. An experienced injury lawyer will follow all proper procedures to preserve your right to file a bus accident claim.
Notice of Claim Requirement
The most critical factor in a lawsuit is time. If you intend to sue a local government, school district, or public agency, you must file a very specific “notice of claim” within six months of your injury. If you fail to give proper notice, you may no longer be able to file a claim.
Limitations on Damages
Even if the proper paperwork is filed on time, state laws protect local governments from having to pay significant compensation in court. Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes §8553 limits the damages you may collect from a local government to $500,000 per incident.
Seeking Damages to Compensate Accident-Related Losses
Damages enable you to recover losses related to your accident injuries and financial losses or medical bill obligations and hold the at-fault party (defendant) accountable for the harm they caused. Your Lewisburg attorney can help you value your losses and compile the documentation necessary to support your bus wreck claim.
Economic Damages
You can obtain economic damages to reimburse all your expenses related to treating and living with your injury. If your condition will require future treatment, damages can also include the projected cost of this future medical care. Additional losses you could pursue damages for include loss of income and loss of financial and business opportunities.
Non-Economic Damages
You can also seek non-economic damages for the intangible effects of your injury. Non-economic damages can be awarded to compensate you for pain and suffering, embarrassment, disfigurement, and loss of life’s pleasures.
Punitive Damages
The court awards punitive damages in cases involving extreme acts of recklessness by the defendant. This type of damages award is meant to punish the at-fault party and discourage their poor conduct. Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers has an outstanding record of recovering punitive damages against bus companies. In the 2016 trial against Greyhound Bus Company, Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers recovered over $2 million in punitive damages for four of our clients. These punitive damages were over and above economic and non-economic recoveries for these four clients.
How Partial Fault Impacts Damages
Fault is an important factor in personal injury claims. If the court deems you partially responsible for the accident, your damages award could be reduced by a percentage that equals your portion of fault. If you are more than 50% responsible for the accident, you cannot collect any damages.
For example, if a bus hits a pedestrian crossing with the traffic signal in a crosswalk, that person likely bears little or no responsibility for the accident. However, if a pedestrian unexpectedly enters the road outside of a crosswalk, resulting in an accident, partial fault may come into question.
Partial fault laws make it essential for you to have a bus wreck attorney in Lewisburg who can present persuasive evidence of a defendant’s fault. Presenting a strong case that the defendant’s actions were the primary cause of the bus accident increases the chances that you will be able to collect recover all of your damages.
Hire Our Lewisburg Bus Accident Attorneys Today
Seeking damages after a bus accident can be stressful, especially if you are still recovering from your injuries. When dealing with the aftermath of a severe bus collision, put your case in the capable hands of a Lewisburg bus accident lawyer like Jon Ostroff and his team of 11 attorneys.
Our legal team will guide your case to a successful conclusion. Call Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers today to discuss your case in a free case legal review.
