Many people use buses every day for reliable transportation in and around Alexandria. Just like any other motor vehicle, though, buses can still crash. Sometimes, the bus driver or their employer may be to blame, while at other times, another driver may cause the accident.
Either way, having an experienced personal injury attorney on your side can make a huge difference when it comes to seeking compensation for your injuries. An Alexandria bus accident lawyer could investigate the crash on your behalf and help you pursue monetary compensation for all injuries and losses sustained.
Common Bus Accident Injuries in Alexandria
Many people who have suffered injuries in bus accidents are unsure whether they have grounds for a claim. It is more common than you might think to believe that your injuries are not severe enough to warrant legal action. However, the type of injury you suffer does not necessarily determine whether you have a right to financial compensation.
Instead, what matters is the severity of your injuries and their impact on your life. There are some types of injuries seen in Alexandria bus accidents more frequently than others. These include:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Amputations
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Facial injuries
- Internal injuries
- Third-degree burns
- Organ failure
- Compound fractures
- Broken bones
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Concussions
- Whiplash
These are just a few of the more common types of injuries seen in Alexandria bus accident claims. If you suffered another type of injury that is not listed above, you may still have grounds for a claim. Contact our office to find out what legal options may be available to you.
For a free legal consultation with a bus accident lawyer serving Alexandria, call (318) 333-3476
When to File an Alexandria Bus Accident Claim
Despite having suffered a serious injury, you may not be sure whether you should reach out to a lawyer for help. When you are lying in your Alexandria hospital bed, wondering what your next steps should be, consider the following:
- Is someone else responsible for causing your injuries?
- Are your injuries having a significant impact on your life?
If the answers to these questions are or could be yes, then it may be worth your time to reach out to a bus accident lawyer in Alexandria for help. In doing so, you can learn more about whether you have the opportunity to pursue insurance or civil claims, and who may be responsible for compensating you for your damages.
Alexandria Bus Accident Lawyer Near Me (318) 333-3476
Common Carrier Doctrine
Like all other cities and counties in Louisiana, Alexandria is subject to the common carrier doctrine. This doctrine establishes that operators of taxicabs, trains, planes, and buses owe their passengers a duty to exercise reasonable care at all times and that failure to uphold this duty of care may serve as grounds for an Alexandria bus accident attorney to file suit if that failure results in injury.
Part of exercising reasonable care means that operators must not take harmful or unnecessary risks while driving. They should also refrain from actions or maneuvers that could expose their passengers to harm on the roadway.
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What You Get When You Hire a Lawyer from Our Firm
You are not alone after a bus accident, and you should not feel like you must handle filing a claim and lawsuit on your own when recovering from your injuries is a priority. We offer strong legal representation and can handle your whole case while you heal.
The wide range of services we provide our clients with includes:
Investigating the Bus Accident
We will conduct an investigation into the accident and find out what led to it. We will also identify the liable party. We can visit the scene of the accident and take pictures and videos. There may be debris from the crash as well as skid marks that can help us figure out what happened.
Managing All Communications
You do not have to worry about speaking with any of the parties involved, their representatives, or an insurance company. We will speak on your behalf.
Filing Your Claim and Lawsuit
We will organize all documents, handle all paperwork, and make sure everything is submitted by the deadline. We will file your claim and possibly a lawsuit if you do not receive a settlement that covers all your losses. If we need to negotiate for adequate compensation, we will, and if an insurance company refuses to agree to a reasonable payout, we will litigate the case and continue the fight for a fair award in court.
Gathering Evidence
Pictures and videos of your injuries are imperative to your case. If a nearby surveillance camera recorded the accident, we might be able to access this footage and use it as evidence.
Interviewing Witnesses
If there were witnesses to the accident, and you have their contact information, we can reach out to them and speak with them about what they saw. Eyewitness testimony can strongly benefit your case.
Don’t wait to seek help from one of our lawyers. In a short period of time, evidence can disappear, and witnesses can become more difficult to get in touch with. It is in your best interest to allow us to get started on your case as soon as possible. The sooner we can get to work, the sooner you may be able to get compensated.
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Assigning Responsibility in an Alexandria Bus Accident
Responsibility for a bus accident in Alexandria may rest with one of several individuals or entities, or with multiple ones at once. Individuals, corporations, municipalities, and other legal entities are all equal before the law when it comes to potential liability.
Bus Drivers
If a bus driver operates their bus carelessly or while distracted, fatigued, or intoxicated, the accident victim may be able to file a claim or lawsuit. This is one of the more common sources of liability in bus accidents, so most experienced Alexandria bus accident lawyers should be intimately familiar with how to approach such cases.
Other Drivers
In some cases, although a bus driver is operating their bus reasonably and appropriately, another driver causes an accident by driving carelessly, operating a vehicle while intoxicated, tailgating, or failing to use a turn signal. In those cases, the accident victim may be able to file a claim or lawsuit against the offending motor vehicle driver.
Bus Companies
Bus companies and other transportation companies owe a duty of care to their passengers. This duty requires that they hire safe and properly trained drivers to operate their buses. If the at-fault bus driver has a history of traffic tickets or safety violations, the accident victim may be able to sue the bus company for negligence in hiring and/or training practices.
Bus Manufacturers and Repair Facilities
Sometimes, bus accidents occur when bus parts are manufactured improperly, usually bus tires and brake mechanisms. In defective parts cases, the accident victim may be able to file a claim against the offending manufacturer.
In the same vein, bus repair facilities also owe a duty to ensure that their employees make repairs in a competent and workmanlike manner. If a shoddy repair job leads to a bus accident, an accident victim may be able to take legal action against the bus repair facility.
Cities, Counties, and Other Municipalities
Municipalities, including the city of Alexandria, are responsible for making sure that all roadways are in good repair, clear of debris, and always have traffic signs and signals in good working order. If a bus accident can be traced to a municipality’s negligence, the accident victim may be able to sue the municipality directly.
Proving Bus Driver Negligence
In some instances, bus accidents occur because the driver acted in an irresponsible manner. In these cases, victims may have grounds for a personal injury claim against the bus driver or their employer (under a vicarious liability theory). Bus driver negligence can take any of the following forms:
- Poor or improper training
- Reckless driving (i.e., violating the rules of the road)
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
A bus accident attorney in Rapides Parish could help victims assert a personal injury claim against a negligent bus driver and pursue fair compensation.
Proving Other Common Causes of Bus Accidents
Bus driver negligence is not the only cause of bus accidents in Rapides Parish. Crashes can also occur when the bus is not properly equipped with seat belts or other safety restraints. If a defective part leads to an accident, an injured passenger may be able to assert a manufacturing or a design defect claim against the manufacturer of the parts.
The accident victim could also have a claim against the bus company, school district, municipality, or another owner of the bus for failing to hire capable drivers or improperly supervising them.
If a mechanic fails to make proper repairs to the bus, leading to an accident, the injured passenger might have a legal claim against the repair facility. Finally, if another driver causes or contributes to the accident, then the injured bus passenger could file a personal injury claim or lawsuit against that driver.
Louisiana Personal Injury Laws Impacting Your Alexandria Bus Accident Claim
Several Louisiana personal injury laws could have a significant impact on the outcome of your Alexandria bus accident claim. Two of the most important are the statute of limitations and comparative negligence laws.
The Statute of Limitations
Under the Louisiana Civil Code, the majority of personal injury claims will need to be filed before the one-year statute of limitations expires. If your lawsuit is not filed before the statute of limitation runs out, you may lose the opportunity to pursue your case in the civil court system.
However, the exact date that the statute of limitations will expire in your case can vary considerably depending on when you were diagnosed with your injuries and the date the accident occurred. Protect your injury settlement by hiring an attorney to handle the legal details of your case.
Comparative Negligence
Many injury victims hesitate to contact a lawyer because they believe sharing fault for their injuries means they are not entitled to financial compensation. However, Louisiana is a pure comparative negligence state.
This means sharing fault will not prohibit you from recovering compensation for your damages. However, expect your injury settlement to be reduced by your portion of liability. For instance, if you were found 15% liable for causing your bus accident injuries, you could expect to recover only 85% of your injury settlement.
Pursuing Compensation for Injuries
Rapides Parish bus accidents are unique in that they have the potential to injure large numbers of individuals simultaneously. Common injuries in these accidents include whiplash, scrapes and cuts, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, and strains.
Victims of bus accidents could pursue compensation against the at-fault person or persons for medical expenses, lost earnings, mental distress, inconvenience, loss of use of a body part, or loss of family or spousal companionship. The exact amount of damages varies from case to case, but an experienced Rapides Parish public transportation accident attorney could help victims calculate a fair value for their losses.
Call an Alexandria Bus Accident Attorney for Help Today
Potential damages in your case could include compensation for past and future medical bills, lost wages, inconvenience, pain, and suffering. For more information, contact an Alexandria bus accident lawyer today.
Call or text (318) 333-3476 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
