If a bus driver acts recklessly or carelessly and causes a crash, you might assume that injured passengers would focus on suing that negligent driver. However, holding a single negligent driver liable for all your losses is not always practical. There are often many other people, companies, and government agencies that might also hold some fault for the incident.
Understanding liability in Quakertown bus accident cases is crucial in getting the payments you need for your injuries and other losses. At Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers, Founding Partner Jon Ostroff and our seasoned legal team have a long history of success filing these types of lawsuits. Let our skilled attorneys answer your questions and fight for the compensation you deserve.
Who Could Be Liable for a Bus Crash in Quakertown?
The answer to the question, “Who is legally at fault for a bus accident?” depends on the circumstances of the crash. An accident caused by a bus driver breaking a traffic law is obviously the bus driver’s fault, at least to some degree. However, even in a seemingly straightforward situation, the company or government agency that employed the bus driver might hold “vicarious liability” for their employee’s negligence.
In other situations, someone who wasn’t even directly involved in a bus accident might be partly or primarily to blame. For example, suppose a wreck happens because a bus wasn’t appropriately maintained or a component failed while it was moving. In that case, liability might lie with a mechanic who didn’t service the bus properly or a manufacturer who produced the faulty parts.
In some cases, a local government agency might bear some blame for a crash caused by a road hazard like a pothole or a broken traffic signal. A third-party driver who crashes into a bus might be partially to blame for driving carelessly or recklessly. Your seasoned local attorney can investigate the bus accident to determine who may be held liable for your losses.
Evidence to Prove Bus Wreck Liability
Sometimes, holding someone liable for a bus crash in Quakertown is as easy as proving they did something illegal right before it happened. A skilled attorney at our firm might accomplish this by referencing objective evidence like a police report or a video from a surveillance or dashboard camera. Most times, though, you’ll need evidence from multiple sources.
Depending on the situation, it might be helpful to have photos of the accident site, testimony from witnesses, and statements from medical professionals and crash reconstruction experts. Our Quakertown lawyers can also help to subpoena things like cell phone records if the suspected cause of a crash was a bus driver texting behind the wheel.
Talk to a Quakertown Attorney About Liability in Bus Accident Cases
Knowing who’s responsible for causing a bus accident and proving them legally liable for the wreck in court are two very different things, as any experienced bus accident attorney knows. If you go into a lawsuit or settlement talks without a good grasp of how liability works in legal terms, you’ll have a hard time getting any money at all, let alone the full amount you deserve.
Guidance from legal counsel can be vital in establishing liability in Quakertown bus accident cases. At Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers, we have helped over 30,000 injured victims across Pennsylvania. Call us today to learn how we can help you.
