In California, many of us rely on buses every day, whether for personal transportation to work or elsewhere, or to bring our children to and from school. Buses are generally safe, but accidents can happen, and they can result in life-threatening injuries. If this happens, you should contact a bus accident attorney in Los Angeles CA as soon as possible.
What to do if the bus is city or government owned
If you are injured in a bus accident involving a city or government-owned bus, the next issue is who you can sue. Many of the buses on the road are either owned by the government (such as a local transit authority) or are operated by the government for a specific purpose (such as school buses). Is it feasible to bring a lawsuit against the government if you are wounded in a bus accident caused by one of their buses?
Yes, you can sue the government if you were wounded in a bus accident as a consequence of the government’s negligence (or the fault of one of its employees). When suing the government, however, there are certain rules that require you to contact a lawyer as soon as possible after an accident. This is why it is important to work with a bus accident attorney in Los Angeles CA.
You’ll probably have a lot less time to file a claim, and you’ll have to follow certain procedures to recover your funds. A bus accident lawyer with considerable experience with cases involving government bodies might be very useful in this process, as he or she will know exactly how to guarantee that your case can move forward.
Buses have their own set of rules that must be followed
You must establish that the bus driver or the bus owner was negligent or at fault in causing the accident to win a lawsuit involving a bus accident, just as you would in a car, motorcycle, or truck accident case. This might happen for a variety of reasons, such as the bus driver’s inattention, the bus company’s inability to maintain the vehicle correctly, or the hiring company’s failure to adequately train the driver.
Companies that provide public transportation are normally subject to common carrier rules. These guidelines establish a higher level of duty on those who operate public transportation since they are entrusted with the care of a large number of people at once (such as buses).
Common carrier standards apply to people who operate buses, trolleys, trains, taxis, and even limos, and they owe them a far higher duty of care. This guideline makes sense; someone driving a school bus full of children should be held to a higher standard of care than someone driving about town by themselves.
If the driver or any other employee was negligent and caused an accident, your bus accident attorney in Los Angeles CA might sue the city, county, or state governmental organization responsible for that means of public transportation. You may be able to sue the city for your damages if the accident included a public bus, for example. Suing the government, on the other hand, is more difficult than suing people or corporations that are not part of the government.
In California, you must frequently fill a certain form with the government agency within 6 months of the accident to secure your claim. You will have more time to file a lawsuit if your claim is denied. A personal injury lawsuit, on the other hand, can be filed up to two years after the event occurred and does not need the filing of a special claim beforehand.
To get started and learn who is legally responsible for your injuries, contact The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000 to request a free legal consultation with a bus accident attorney in Los Angeles CA.
