NYC Bus Accident Lawyer

Bus Accident Lawyers in New York City Help You Get Compensation

When you climb into a bus, the possibility that it may crash while you’re on board probably never crosses your mind. After all, you just don’t hear about bus accidents that often. While they are less common than most other vehicle accidents, relative to the number of buses operating today, bus accidents happen more often than you might think—even here in New York.

Unfortunately, when bus accidents do happen, the damages tend to be extensive. The vehicle’s heavy weight, coupled with the large number of passengers aboard—most of them completely unrestrained—escalates the potential for catastrophic harm.

Bus operators are subject to special, very strict safety laws. Anyone who operates a large transit vehicle in New York owes a high duty of care to their passengers and the other people on the road. When they behave negligently, victims are entitled to compensation from them for the full cost of their injuries.

Even if someone outside of the bus causes the crash (a car driver in the other lane, for example), victims are still able to recover their damages from the at-fault party under New York personal injury law.

Of course, as with most vehicle accidents, corporate intervention in the claims process can leave victims frustrated. Insurance companies, bus owners, tour operators, and local government might get involved, all in an effort to reduce their financial liability. Victims can’t count on at-fault parties to step up to the plate and pay what they owe without an aggressive car accident attorney in NYC stepping in.

As New York City bus accident lawyers, our firm has helped New Yorkers recover significant financial compensation after an injury involving a bus, mass transit vehicle, or common carrier. We have a long track record of standing up to the insurers and corporate bigwigs on the other side and successfully demanding that they pay our clients what they deserve.

In every case, our goal is to maximize compensation and put you in the best possible position to recover for a better tomorrow. We care about the safety of New York’s people and passengers, and we believe we make a real difference in the cases we take on.

Why Choose Our Team?

There are plenty of ways that our NYC bus accident attorneys can help you if you have been involved in a serious bus accident. Some of the advantages of working with us include:

• Highly Experienced: We have plenty of experience working with clients of all backgrounds who have been involved in bus accidents, and we can lean on that experience to ensure we provide you with strong representation as well.
• Long Track Record: We also have a very long track record of success. If you take a look at our prior case results, you will see that we have won for countless clients in the past, and we understand what it takes to put your case in a position to be successful as well.
• Positive Reviews and Ratings: We also have positive reviews and ratings from our clients. We encourage you to take a look at our client testimonials to see just how happy our prior clients have been with our services.
• Connections: We have plenty of connections to drop the justice system that we can use to collect evidence, gather expert testimony, and position your case for success.

If you need bus accident lawyers in NYC, look no further than our team. We would be honored to fight for your rights and ensure your voice is heard following a serious accident.

How Our Bus Accident Lawyers in NYC Help

Having a Lawyer on Your Side Can Make a Big Difference

The NY auto accident attorneys at Tucker Lawyers PC have decades of legal experience and a winning track record, and we provide top-notch client service. We have won large settlements and jury awards on behalf of clients injured in vehicle accidents, and we are prepared to do the same for you.

When you have us on your side, we will:

• Meet with you to listen to the details of your accident, determine who the at-fault parties are, and what type of settlement to fight for
• Gather evidence, such as videos from traffic cameras; police, ambulance, and medical reports; and bus company accident records
• Interview witnesses, other passengers, police officers, and first responders
• Handle all legal requirements, court appearances, and paperwork in a timely manner in accordance with New York deadlines
• Hire experts to reconstruct the crash scene and testify on your behalf as to fault and the effects of your injuries on your life and your family, as well as the care you will require into the future
• Handle all communications and negotiations with insurance companies and their attorneys to arrive at a fair settlement
• Build your case and take it to trial if necessary.

After your accident, it is important to move quickly to get legal help because New York has a statute of limitations—a deadline for filing personal injury cases. According to New York State law, you generally have three years from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit. If a claim is being brought for wrongful death, the claim must be brought within 2 years from the date of death, and if the claim is against a municipality the time is significantly shorter. If you miss these deadlines, the courts are likely to refuse to hear your case, so call our bus accident lawyers immediately to get started.

Bus Accident Attorneys Must Prove Negligence

We Look to Hold All Negligent Parties Liable

To win your lawsuit, we must prove that the defendants in the case were negligent and at fault for causing your injuries. Legally, this means we must show the existence of the following elements:

• Duty – The defendant had a duty of care not to harm you.
• Breach – The defendant breached that duty through actions or failure to act.
• Cause – This violation was directly related to the accident that caused your injuries.
• Damages – You suffered damages as a result.

In a bus accident, there may be multiple parties who are responsible. Our auto accident lawyers would look to name them all in your lawsuit because they may all have insurance and assets that can go toward a settlement. In addition to the bus driver, who may have driven recklessly or committed traffic violations, defendants may include:

• Bus companies because New York bus companies have a duty to screen, hire, and train competent drivers to perform regular vehicle maintenance on a regular basis and to comply with government regulations. If they fail to do so, they may be held liable for crashes.
• The bus and part manufacturer, if the bus or its parts were defective and failed.
• Other motorists, if they were negligent and drove recklessly and collided with a bus or caused the bus driver to lose control.
• A road maintenance company that left debris in a road.
• A municipality that failed to fix road problems or post warning signs for hazardous conditions.

Damage Awards Our Bus Accident Lawyers May Recover

You May Receive Both Economic and Noneconomic Damages

The term “damages” refers to both the losses and injuries you received and the compensation you receive from the parties you are suing—the defendants in the case. In a successful case, New York allows you, the plaintiff, to recover a settlement that covers:

Economic damages – for monetary costs such as:

• Medical and rehabilitation bills, current and anticipated for the future
• Lost income from being unable to work
• Property damage.

Noneconomic damages – for more intangible damages that do not have a specific dollar value but negatively impact your life, including:

• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional anguish
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of quality and enjoyment of life
• Disfigurement, or permanent loss of limb.

While economic damages pay your bills, non-economic damages go directly to benefit you as compensation for the pain and suffering resulting from the accident, and they often are the largest part of a settlement.

Punitive damages – In some rare cases, where a defendant acted extremely egregiously and recklessly, such as by driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you may also be awarded punitive damages. These are intended to punish the defendant and deter such actions in the future.

Possible Amounts of Damage Awards

No lawyer can tell you exactly what your damage award amount will be, as amounts can vary widely in a bus accident case. Depending on the factors involved, they may range from thousands to millions of dollars. Factors that will be considered include:

• Your actual costs and monetary losses
• The seriousness and permanence of your injuries and whether they require continuing care
• Your age, family situation, and health before the accident
• Your earning capacity and whether you will be able to work in the future
• Whether a death is involved
• The extent of the fault of the defendants
• The availability of insurance coverage and assets of the defendants
• Whether you can settle the case through negotiations, or if it has to go to trial
• The inclination of the individual judge and jury
• The skill of your attorneys in building and presenting your case.

New York does not have a damage cap for personal injury cases, and the more permanent and severe the injury and the greater the impact on your life, the higher the award may be. It’s best not to come up with an amount to demand until the full extent of your injuries is known because injuries can worsen over time.

All these factors will be taken into consideration when our attorneys evaluate what your case may be worth during your consultation. We know how to get results for our clients and make sure they don’t get taken advantage of, and we will fight for the optimum compensation you deserve.

Common Causes of Bus Accidents

Buses have a tremendous responsibility to keep the public safe. We all count on them to carry us from one destination to another, and, when they accept the precious responsibility of safeguarding New Yorkers and their loved ones, there is absolutely no excuse for careless behavior.

Sadly, bus drivers and the companies that employ them aren’t always as careful as they should be. Common causes of bus accidents include:

• Speeding
• Bus driver fatigue
• Inadequate training
• Overly demanding schedules that keep drivers on the road for long hours
• Distracted driving or texting while driving a bus
• Negligently hiring someone who is not qualified to drive a bus
• Reckless driving
• Running red lights or stop signs
• Making unsafe lane mergers
• Clipping cars in other lanes
• Failing to modify driving behavior in adverse weather
• Inadequate bus maintenance
• Manufacturing defects in the bus
• Violation of traffic laws and/or bus regulations.

Types of Bus Accidents in New York

Our experienced New York bus accident lawyers are available to help with any of the following:

• New York City bus accidents
• Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) bus accidents
• Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT) injuries
• School bus accidents (all New York school systems and private schools)
• College bus accidents
• Private tour bus accidents
• Charter bus accidents
• Double-decker bus crashes
• Trolley injuries
• New York City subway injuries
• Tramway accidents
• Shuttle van accidents
• Any other bus or mass transit injury in New York.

If you have questions about a specific type of accident that you have been involved in, reach out to us today to schedule an appointment with our lawyers.

Bus Accident Attorneys Answer FAQs

Bus accident cases are extremely complicated and, after an accident, you are bound to have questions and concerns. While the best way to find out specific answers to your questions is to contact our office for a free consultation, here are some answers to questions our clients often ask:

Should I speak to an insurance company?

No, the less you say to an insurance company, the better. Insurance companies are out for profit and to protect their bottom line, so they will always try to get you to accept the lowest amount possible. The law requires private motorcoach companies to take out at least $5 million in insurance coverage, so they can hire skilled insurance defense lawyers who may employ tactics to get you to say something that can be used against you in your claim. Tell the insurance adjuster to speak to your attorney, and let Tucker Lawyers PC handle all dealings and negotiations.

Can I bring a claim even if the bus driver wasn’t 100% at fault?

New York law follows the pure comparative negligence rule, which states that an injured party will receive compensation for their injuries from defendants in proportion to the percentage of the defendants’ contribution to the accident. For example, if a jury believes that the bus driver is 90% at fault, but some other factor (possibly another driver) is 10% at fault, the insurance company for the bus driver is responsible to pay 90% of the claimant’s damages.

How long will it take to settle my case?

Every case is different, but our legal team utilizes the most advanced technology and aggressive legal strategy to expedite our clients’ cases, generally resolving cases years faster than any other firm.

How will my medical bills get paid?

If you were a passenger on a bus that is involved in an accident but have a car insurance policy of your own, or if you live with a family member who has car insurance, No-Fault Insurance Law requires your or your resident family member’s insurance to pay your bills even though the car wasn’t involved in the accident. If you don’t have a household automobile insurance policy, then the insurance company for the bus is responsible for the bills. However, you must file a No-Fault application with the insurance company within 30 days from the date of the accident; if you fail to do so, you have waived your right to file the claim for benefits.

Do I need an attorney to handle my claim?

Bus companies and their insurance companies have an army of attorneys, claims specialists, and experts, so to get fair compensation you will need to hire an attorney who specializes in this type of law. Our legal team has decades of experience and a proven track record of maximizing settlements, and we are in the best position to help you get everything to which you are entitled.

Rely on our NYC bus accident attorney to represent you if you have been involved in a serious collision.

Bus Accident Lawyers Explain No-Fault Insurance

New York’s No-Fault rule states that you can only bring a successful claim if you have sustained a serious injury as defined by the New York State Legislature. This law significantly restricts an individual’s ability to collect money for pain and suffering.

A serious injury is defined as death; dismemberment; significant disfigurement; fracture; loss of a fetus; permanent loss of use of a body organ, member, function, or system; permanent consequential limitation of use of a body organ or member; significant limitation of use of a body function or system; or a medically determined injury or impairment of a non-permanent nature which prevents the injured person from performing substantially all of the material acts which constitute such person’s usual and customary daily activities for not less than 90 days during the 180 days immediately following the occurrence of the injury or impairment.

The bus accident attorneys at Tucker Lawyers PC recommend that you retain an attorney immediately so that all filings are completed to protect your rights and ensure that you receive the compensation you are entitled to.

Top 5 Mistakes Made After a Bus Accident

Here are the top 5 mistakes we can help you avoid if you have been in a bus accident:

• Admitting fault at the scene of the accident before you have all of the facts
• Not filing an accident report with the police
• Assuming you will feel better and not seeking medical attention
• Believing that the insurance company will deal with you fairly
• Not hiring an experienced attorney who will complete all filings to protect your rights and ensure that you will receive the compensation that you deserve.

Call Our New York Bus Accident Lawyers for Help

If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident involving a bus while in New York, the passionate personal injury lawyers at Tucker Lawyers P.C. can help. We take bus operators’ safety obligations very seriously, and we are prepared to aggressively pursue the justice you deserve.

Whether you’re a native New Yorker or were injured while visiting our great city, our bus accident lawyers can make a meaningful difference in your claim for compensation. We won’t charge a penny unless we achieve a successful outcome in your case.

Don’t delay. Call Tucker Lawyers today at (516) 399-2364 for your free consultation.

Managing Attorney John. J. Tucker, Esq.

John has personally handled thousands of clients who were victims of another’s negligence and fights relentlessly for their rights. John enjoys bringing closure to a client’s matter so that the injured party can move forward with their life. His background enables him to evaluate complex liability related claims and bring resolution to claims in a record time frame. [ATTORNEY BIO]