Bus passengers or passenger car drivers may be able to file an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit if they incurred damages in a bus accident caused by a negligent party. If you were involved in a collision with a New Orleans bus, you might be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit, which may help you recover the costs of the accident.
A lawyer with our firm can help you hold a negligent bus driver or company responsible for their actions. You can meet with the team at Laborde Earles Injury in our New Orleans office to learn more about your opportunities for financial compensation regarding your accident.
Working with Us Starts with a Free Case Review
When you first call our firm, you will receive a free, no-obligation consultation. Since our bus accident lawyers operate on contingency, our services will be free unless and until you recover compensation. That means that we don’t charge you:
- Up front
- Retainers
- Hourly
In turn, whether or not you can afford to hire a lawyer on our team should not be worrisome to you, as working with us comes without any risks.
Let Us Evaluate the Cost of Your Bus Accident
After a bus accident, you might incur medical bills, lost income, and other financial expenses and losses, which may be compensable. If our legal team can prove negligence on the part of the bus driver or bus company, you might be able to collect the following compensable expenses:
- Accident-related medical expenses (past and future)
- Accident-related loss of income (past and future)
- Pain and suffering
- Mental and emotional turmoil
- Property repair or replacement costs
- Wrongful death damages (e.g., funeral and burial costs and loss of companionship)
As you physically recover from a bus accident, it can be easy to overlook small expenses related to your injuries. Keep careful track of all the expenses and losses you incur from the bus accident. Our lawyer may use the bills, receipts, and estimates you collect after the accident—along with your medical records—to estimate the total cost of the potential financial compensation.
Our Firm has a Track Record of Successful Outcomes
At Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers, we have more than 100 years of combined experience in personal injury law and have obtained over $200 million in settlements and verdicts for our clients.
More specifically, our outcomes have included:
- $7,000,000 verdict in an 18-wheeler accident
- $5,250,000 award for someone who suffered a brain injury in a car accident
- $3,816,421 settlement for a victim of a van driver’s negligence
- $2,000,000 compensatory award for someone who suffered spinal cord injuries in a car accident
These turnouts are only a handful of examples of how we take care of our clients. Now, it’s time to help you.
Obtain the Medical Records That Document Your Bus Accident Injuries
Your emergency and current medical records and prognosis can help our legal team establish a timeline for your current and future medical care. Your records can also help establish the cost of the total medical expenses. A lawyer on our New Orleans team may help you calculate and review the fixed and unfixed expenses for accuracy.
Types of Injuries You Can Sustain
An accident involving a large bus can leave you or a loved one with severe physical injuries. The sheer size and weight of a bus might cause physical damage to anyone involved in the crash, including:
- Head and skull injuries, which might lead to physical, sensory, and cognitive challenges
- Back and spine injuries, which can cause intense pain, loss of movement, and permanent damage
- Broken bones, which can lead to nerve damage, blood vessel damage, and compartment syndrome
A bus accident in New Orleans can put you or someone you love at risk for incurring these injuries, including their financial impact. Many injuries can lead to additional physical damage or long-term health challenges. Some may even result in permanent damage or death.
The personal injury team at Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can establish a financial value for the compensation you are entitled to receive due to your injuries.
The Statute of Limitations May Affect Your Right to Compensation
In New Orleans, your right to financial compensation after a car accident is governed by CC Art. 3492, also referred to as the statute of limitations. This statute generally allows people to file a personal injury lawsuit within one year from the date of the accident.
If you do not file your lawsuit in the time allowed, you may not be able to file it at all. If you do file past the statute of limitations, the at-fault party’s representative may ask to have the case dismissed without it being heard. Their request may be honored, and you might be left with no legal recourse.
Our team can work with you and use the date indicated on your crash report to ensure the lawsuit is filed on time and that the risk of dismissal is diminished or eliminated.
Do not Overlook the Value of Your Bus Accident Crash Report
Should you decide to work with a lawyer on our team after getting injured in a bus accident, they may ask you to carefully recount the circumstances of the accident. They may also ask questions and request specific details that help them get to the root of the accident’s cause. The answers you provide, along with the details in your crash report, may help our lawyer determine if negligence played a role in your bus accident case.
The injuries you sustained in the bus accident require you to file a crash report, according to RS 32:398. You are also required to file a crash report if the accident resulted in fatalities or significant vehicle damage.
After you obtain a copy of the report, our lawyer may use it to determine the:
- Date of the accident to ensure compliance with the statute of limitations
- Identity and contact information of the at-fault bus driver, their employer, and their insurance carrier
- Road and weather conditions at the time of the accident and their contribution to the cause of the accident
- Points of impact and readily apparent damage to all involved vehicles, occupants, and other involved parties
Your crash report might also provide access to witness statements or the reporting police officer’s contact information, notes, and diagrams. Share a copy of the report with our lawyer and retain a copy for personal records.
Types of Buses That Could Have Been Involved in Your Accident
Bus travel can help daily commuters and distance travelers get from their starting points to their destinations without having to fight traffic on their own.
New Orleans is a bustling city with many modes of transportation. The public transit buses that transport people around the city are only one type of bus you might see. Other bus types may include:
- School buses
- Cross-country buses
- Intercity buses
- Motorcoaches
- Van-based buses
Knowing what kind of bus was involved in your case could be a contributing factor in determining liability.
Contact Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers Now
If the injuries you sustain in a bus accident prevent you from fully participating in building a compensation claim, a New Orleans bus accident lawyer on our team can help you. We can start working on the potential financial recovery while you focus on physical recovery.
Contact the personal injury team at Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers for a free consultation by calling (504) 777-7777. Find out how hard our team will fight for your case.
Call or text (504) 777-7777 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
