Avondale Bus Accident Lawyers

At Gerber Injury Law, we understand how bus accidents can tremendously affect injured victims’ lives. Our bus accident lawyers offer strong, reliable, and aggressive representation to victims of bus wrecks in Avondale and all over Arizona.

Seeking legal counsel when someone you care about has been a victim of an accident often takes more than just a qualified accident attorney. You should enlist the services of a compassionate team to help you with the entire legal process and litigate your case in court, if necessary.

This is where Gerber Injury Law comes in. Our personal injury team includes lawyers with trial and settlement experience in different practice areas. So, if you are involved in a bus wreck in Avondale, we can get you the help you need. Our team of experienced attorneys knows how to negotiate your potential claim or take your case to trial.

Common Causes of Avondale Bus Accidents

Bus wrecks in Avondale can happen for various reasons, including:

• Multitasking while driving
• Distracted driving
• Driver fatigue
• Speeding
• Unsafe maneuvering or swerving
• Inadequate training
• Failure to obey traffic lights and signs
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs

If you suspect any of the above reasons led to your accident and injuries, consult an experienced bus accident lawyer immediately for help.

Liability Issues Involving Bus Accidents in Avondale

After a bus accident, insurance representatives will pressure you to settle quickly if the bus company is at fault. Nonetheless, you should contact a reputable personal injury law firm, like Gerber Injury Law, to get a fair settlement.

Every bus accident case is unique. That’s why our bus accident lawyers are here to help victims injured in all types of bus accidents.

Liability in these personal injury cases usually rests on the at-fault party, which in most cases is the bus driver. However, there may be different interpretations of liability depending on the type of bus:

Public Buses

If you are injured while riding a public bus, liability may fall on the city or municipality. However, there are some instances where governments outsource bus services to contractors, who may also be held liable if their negligent actions lead to bus accidents.

School Buses

These types of accidents are relatively rare, but they may seriously endanger the lives of children. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), 54 people died in accidents involving school buses in 2020, and about 4,800 people were hurt. NSC also points out that from 2011 to 2020, roughly 70% of fatalities in accidents involving school buses were the occupants of other vehicles, not the bus.

Coming back to liability, the school board or district may be held liable for these types of accidents. Any private bus company the school or district hires may also be liable.

Tour Buses

Liability for accidents involving tour buses may fall on the driver or tour bus company. If a third party, like a travel agent, hires the bus for other people, the intermediary may also be at fault.

Charter Buses

Here, liability may fall on the charter company, the bus owner, the driver, and the insurance company. Sometimes, the company may require you to sign a liability waiver before using their buses. This, however, doesn’t always absolve them of liability after an accident. If you signed such a waiver, don’t hesitate to consult our bus accident lawyers to learn more about your options.

Establishing Liability in Bus Accident Cases

Securing a settlement or winning a personal injury lawsuit ultimately depends on whether you — the plaintiff — can establish negligence and prove the defendant’s liability. You need to look at certain factors to make this determination. This is why having skilled bus accident lawyers who treat you like family and guide you through this process is essential.

An experienced personal injury attorney may be able to determine if you have a valid bus accident claim based on these elements of negligence:

Duty of Care

You might have a valid injury claim if the defendant owed you a duty of care. For example, all bus drivers are required to follow state driving laws and transport their passengers safely. Bus companies must regularly inspect and maintain their vehicles. They must also hire qualified bus drivers.

Breach of Duty

This implies that the at-fault party breached their legal duty by not acting in a way that a reasonable individual would have in the same scenario. For instance, a bus driver who speeds through an intersection while ignoring traffic lights breaches their duty of care. A bus company that disregards regularly inspecting and maintaining its vehicles also breaches its duty of care.

Causation

To prove that the accused is responsible, there must be a clear link between the other party’s careless actions and your injuries. A doctor’s notes and medical records can help establish causation.

Damages

Damages in a bus accident case may include medical bills, lost wages, physical pain, and missed time from work due to any injuries sustained.

Time Limit to Take Legal Action

Generally, you have two years from the accident date to file a personal injury case. Bus accident cases that aren’t filed within this 2-year time limit will likely be dismissed, and you’ll be unable to pursue any compensation.

Contact Our Avondale Bus Accident Lawyers Today

Using public transportation in Arizona is the norm for hundreds of thousands of residents. But what happens if you or a loved one is hurt in a bus accident? Do you sue the bus driver or take on the city or bus company by yourself?

If you have questions about whether you have a potential bus accident claim, contact a bus accident lawyer from Gerber Injury Law as soon as possible. Our legal team has worked hard to earn the trust and respect of our clients for more than two decades. We are ready to do the same for you.

Let us discuss the legal options available in your injury case. Contact us today at 623-486-8300 to schedule your free case review.