Accidents involving a Greyhound bus can be serious. These buses often travel too fast and their drivers sometimes ignore safe driving practices in an effort to keep to their schedules. Tiredness, distracted driving and speeding are probably the main reasons why a bus crashes.
It is important for any victims of an accident to claim sufficient compensation to pay for what could be extensive hospital treatment. As this figure could be substantial it is important that you get useful legal advice from an experienced personal injury lawyer before you submit your claim for damages.
Filing a Personal Injury Claim Against a Bus Line
You need proof of negligence before submitting a claim against either the driver of the bus that hit you or the company itself. This proof may be in the form of eye witness statements, a police report, damage report from the car repair yard and any photographic evidence that you can obtain yourself. Normally, the best proof would be a combination of all the evidence just listed.
In addition to proof of liability, you will need to justify how much you are claiming. If your injuries are likely to be long term or permanent you will need expert witnesses to come up with a reliable amount to include in your claim. The settlement will also include property damage, hospital and doctor’s bills to date and an amount for pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life and other less tangible damages.
Average Settlements for a Claim
There is no hard and fast way of estimating what could be obtained in a compensation settlement. It all depends on the injuries sustained, the extent of the damage to the vehicle you were driving and the amount of emotional, psychological and physical pain experienced.
Some states have caps on personal injury claims. If only injuries are involved and they are not too serious, you may be able to claim damages from your own insurance policy. This would be necessary anyway if the accident happened in a no-fault state.
Serious injuries such as spinal injuries and brain injury are likely to lead to the highest settlements, possibly in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Permanent injuries that may mean disability for life could even reach millions of dollars in compensation being handed out.
How a PI Attorney Can Help You Win Your Claim
Bus accidents are usually quite serious and may be very serious. It is important to get effective legal representation as otherwise you could find that a claim is challenged, denied, or you only obtain an insufficient payment. Most personal injury lawyers will discuss your bus accident with you and your chances of successfully obtaining compensation before agreeing to take on your case. Then, you should find that you do not have to pay any legal fees unless the case is won on your behalf.
Additional Resources
*Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Greyhound, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
