Bus drivers often have to make quick driving decisions or cut across a number of lanes in order to make the turns to get their riders to the correct destination. Other drivers are expected to give buses extra room and drive with caution when buses are nearby, but that doesn’t always happen, so it’s easy to see how accidents involving buses can occur.
Considering the fact that most school buses and city buses do not have seat belts, it doesn’t take much for riders to suffer injuries in the event of a crash. So what should you do if you’re riding a bus and suffer an injury during an accident? We explain in today’s blog.
Types Of Bus Accidents
There are a number of different ways you can be injured in an accident while riding on a city bus. Here’s a look at some of the different types of bus accidents:
- Bus vs. vehicle
- Bus vs. pedestrian
- Bus vs. motorcyclist or cyclist
- Bus vs. object (streetlight, median, etc.)
- Mechanical default resulting in injury
- Bus driver error resulting in injury
Even if the bus driver was not at fault for causing the accident, you may still be eligible for a compensation award because there is an expectation of rider safety that exists in public transportation.
Injured While Riding A Bus
A silver lining of a bus accident is that you were not at fault for the accident or any subsequent injuries. Because it was not your fault, you are entitled to a number of damages, including but not limited to: medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional injuries and lost wages.
So what should you do if you’ve been injured while riding a bus? Right after the injury accident, your body for signs of an injury that requires immediate attention. Tend to those injuries and make sure someone contacts the authorities before you help out any other passengers. When appropriate, get the contact information of at least five other riders who will be willing to testify about the accident.
After you’ve received necessary medical attention for your injuries, your next point of action should be to contact an injury law firm like Hey Workers. There are statutes of limitations and deadlines that must be met in order for you to receive compensation, so don’t delay. When talking with the lawyer, bring up anything that you believe to be relevant about the accident, including whether the driver was distracted, they accelerated too quickly, or they were disobeying certain traffic laws. All of this will factor into your case and help determine the compensation package that you are entitled to receive.
Finally, make sure you never sign anything related to the accident without first talking to your lawyer. Whether it’s a liability waiver or settlement offer, never sign unless you’ve consulted with your attorney, because it can hurt your ability to get the best compensation package for your injury.
For more information about what you should do after a bus accident, or to talk to a team of legal representatives about your case, reach out to Hey Workers today.
