Greenville Bus Accident Lawyers

Traveling by bus can be a great way to save money and let someone else drive. But when you’ve been injured because someone else’s negligence caused a bus accident, you owe it to yourself to find out if you are due compensation.

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably gotten seriously injured in a bus accident. You may be struggling with pain. You might have lost income because you can’t work. You are probably wondering whom to turn to for answers about a bus accident claim.

We are here to offer free legal advice. Call our Greenville bus accident lawyers today.

Don’t put off getting the answers you need because you are worried about having to pay up-front to ask your questions. Give us a call and schedule your free legal consultation as soon as you can.

Bus Accident Claims Come In Many Forms

Traffic accidents vary in severity from relatively tame fender benders to terrifying collisions. When a vehicle as large as a bus is involved, however, there is always the potential for serious damage. In addition, there are numerous forms a bus accident can take.

Many people think of bus accidents in terms of being injured as a passenger riding a bus. But there are many other ways a person may be injured and eligible for a bus accident claim:

• You may be exiting the bus into an uneven or unsafe surface, such as a pothole or broken sidewalk
• You may be struck by the bus as it pulls into the stop
• An improperly functioning door may close on your limb or clothing after you exit, causing you to be dragged as the bus resumes its route
• You may be injured as a passenger in another motor vehicle with which the bus collides
• You may be thrown or hit with something while riding the bus as a passenger due to the driver’s mishandling of the vehicle
• You may suffer injury due to a mechanical malfunction that causes the bus to crash
• Buses are at higher risk for tip-over and rollover accidents than other vehicles, which can injure both passengers and those outside the bus

Bus Accident Claims Can Be Complex

No matter how you’ve been hurt in a bus accident, it’s crucial to make sure you receive prompt treatment for injuries. If your injury is due to someone else’s careless or reckless behavior, it’s important to seek compensation in the form of a bus accident claim.

The tricky aspect about claims involving liability on behalf of the bus driver or company is that many buses are owned by government entities, such as public transportation bureaus and school districts. This means that you will likely have to begin by filing something called a “notice of claim” with the entity that oversees the bus service. Procedures for handling bus claims will vary from state-to-state, but there’s usually a short period of time to get your documentation submitted so that you can proceed with a claim, often months instead of years.

The notice of claim requirement is just one of the unique aspects of dealing with bus accident claims that make them tricky. If you’ve been hurt in a bus accident, it’s best to seek claim guidance from our experienced Greenville bus accident lawyers as soon as you can.

Determining Fault on the Part of the Bus Company

• As we’ve mentioned, there are numerous ways a person can be injured in a bus accident, whether they were on the bus at the time or near it. There are also numerous ways fault can apply in an accident, depending upon how events unfold. For example:
• Driver fatigue: In the case of drivers who aren’t getting enough rest between shifts, there may be liability on the part of the bus company, in addition to driver liability.
• Inadequate or improper driver training: It’s the bus company’s responsibility to make sure their drivers are properly screened during the hiring process and properly trained.
• Drivers under the influence: The driver may be intoxicated. If this is a regular occurrence and the bus company is unaware of it, the bus company may share liability with the driver for failing to protect their passengers from such dangers.
• Improperly or overloaded buses: The bus company is responsible for training their staff and enforcing procedures regarding how to safely load cargo.
• Poorly maintained equipment: The bus company is responsible for the maintenance and mechanical soundness of their buses.

How Our Greenville Bus Accident Lawyers Can Help Your Claim

There are two primary ways you will benefit from retaining one of our Greenville bus accident lawyers to handle your claim. The first is by being able to hand over the stress of dealing with a claim to a legal professional capable of bringing you maximum compensation for your damages. As a result, you get to focus on rest and getting better, while giving your claim the best chance of success.

The second way you will benefit by hiring our Greenville bus accident lawyers is by being able to collect far higher compensation than if you took on your claim alone because of all the ways your lawyer can protect your claim’s value.

People sometimes make the mistake of thinking they’ll save money by taking on their claim themselves. The truth, however, is almost always the reverse. In most cases, those who fail to hire an attorney end up with many times less in compensation than people who retain lawyers. There are several ways a lawyer can help you get more in compensation, and they have to do with the ability to protect the value of your bus accident claim.

Ways Our Greenville Bus Accident Lawyers Can Help Protect the Value of Your Claim

• Our experienced Greenville bus accident lawyers will know how to investigate the accident that injured you. This will ensure that all responsible parties are identified to make sure you don’t leave compensation “on the table” when negotiating a settlement.
• Your lawyer will seek proof to show causation. This means “connecting the dots” to prove that the negligence of the at-fault parties led to the accident, the accident led to your injuries, and your injuries led to your damages. It’s essential to make these connections in your case to win your claim.
• Your attorney will recognize and avoid the manipulations of the insurance company. There are many ways the insurance company will try to lower the value of your bus accident claim. An experienced lawyer will see these for what they are and won’t allow your claim’s value to be damaged by them.
• Your lawyer will know how to correctly total up your damages, to make sure that again, you ask for all that you deserve when it comes to compensation.
• Your lawyer will help you assess settlement offers. Turning down a settlement offer from the insurance company is far more difficult than you may think it will be when you’re handling your claim by yourself. This is partially because you may not be entirely sure what your claim is really worth, and partly because you fear if you reject an offer, another may not be forthcoming. When you’ve got a bus accident lawyer on your side, you’ll get the guidance you need to feel confident in making decisions about which offers to consider, and which aren’t worth your time.
• Hiring the right attorney will send a clear message to the insurance company that you can’t be taken advantage of. Without a lawyer, the insurance company is likely to throw denials and delays in front of you, hoping you’ll just give up and go away. But when your lawyer contacts the insurance company on your behalf, they know they can’t get away with these tactics. And when you hire a personal injury trial attorney, they’ll also know they’ll be sued if they reject a reasonable settlement request on a valid claim.
• You’ll have the option to sue if you need to. Beyond letting the insurance company know you’re serious, hiring the right lawyer will give you the ability to go forward with a lawsuit, if necessary, to recover the compensation you are due. Having options gives you leverage.

Christian & Christian Law assist people with personal injury matters in the following locations: Anderson, Clemson, Easley, Fountain Inn, Greenville County, Greer, Mauldin, Simpsonville, Spartanburg, and Travelers Rest.

Mistakes You Can Avoid

In addition to your lawyer’s ability to protect your claim in various ways, keep in mind the ways that you, too, can protect your claim’s value, both before and after you’ve hired a lawyer.

Get to the Doctor ASAP

No matter how you feel after a bus accident caused by someone else’s carelessness, be sure to get checked out by a medical professional. This will ensure you aren’t riding an adrenaline high from the fight or flight response, unaware that you’ve got a serious internal injury you cannot see.

Getting examined will also protect your bus accident claim, by establishing an official record of any injuries you have. The sooner you get that record established after the accident, the stronger the proof that the accident was the cause of your injuries.

Follow the Treatment Plan from Your Doctor

One of the most undervalued ways people can protect their claims is simply following their treatment plan. Your treatment plan is the list of activities and treatments the doctor suggests you do — or refrain from doing — to support your recovery. It may include a course of antibiotics, stretching exercises, or physical therapy. There are numerous forms a treatment plan can take, and they often include more than one way you can help yourself recover, including getting lots of rest.

Making sure you follow these instructions can go a long way toward protecting your claim. Insurance companies still employ accident investigators. If that investigator finds you’re skipping your physical therapy appointments, for example, they’ll be more than happy to try and drop your claim’s value.

One of the most damaging ways you can jeopardize your claim is through doing things you should not yet be doing. If an investigator gets video surveillance of you shoveling snow with a shoulder injury, for example, the insurance company will jump for joy. If you later fail to make a complete recovery from your shoulder injury, the insurance company can point to their proof that you disregarded doctors’ orders and blame the recovery shortfall on you instead of the accident that hurt your shoulder.

Any way the insurance company can shift blame from their client to you is going to save them money. So remember, that treatment plan is very important. It’s going to help you or the insurance company, depending on how seriously you take it.

Don’t Allow the Insurance Company to Record Your Statement

After an accident report is filed, you can expect a call from the bus company’s insurance adjuster asking for a recorded statement. This is not something you should agree to.

You have the right to refuse to speak to the insurance company until you have guidance from your attorney. Better yet, have your attorney handle all communications with the insurance company. This is the best way to make sure that there are no miscommunications that can damage your claim.

The insurance adjuster who calls is not trying to help you get your claim processed. They are trying to save the insurance company money. One of the ways they do this is by asking the same questions in different ways to confuse you. If they can get you to say anything that may suggest you are lying or confused, they may get away with lowering the value of your claim.

Don’t leave yourself vulnerable to this game. Our Greenville bus accident lawyers know how to speak about your claim with consistent and unified messaging that protects its value.

Make Finding a Lawyer a Priority

It’s understandable that you may be dealing with a lot physically, mentally, and emotionally right after a bus accident. But the sooner you can get an attorney to help you build your claim, the stronger that claim will be. Remember, there are specific rules that must be followed in making sure your claim is filed on time and acknowledged for consideration.

In addition, it’s important to remember that evidence can disappear. Your lawyer is going to want the chance to review all available information to look for support for your specific claim. This may include getting access to the data on the bus’s black box. This equipment can provide valuable information about the crash to support your case.

Witnesses will also have the best memories of events right after the accident. The longer you wait, the higher the chance that a witness may become impossible to locate.

If you don’t feel like looking for attorneys who cover your area, consider asking a loved one or friend to help you do this. They can investigate attorney websites and bring you their recommendations. You can then decide together who they should call on your behalf to schedule free legal consultations.

Choose Your Lawyer Carefully

People sometimes make the mistake of thinking of lawyers in terms of “one size fits all.” Just as this is not true with doctors, it’s not true with lawyers. Your sister’s tax attorney is not the best fit for your bus accident claim, unless she happens to focus much of her time in the personal injury realm and bus claims specifically.

In addition, you need to make sure you’ve got a trial attorney. Not all lawyers are capable or willing to take your claim to court. Some firms are “settlement mills.” They operate on the practice of encouraging their clients to accept low settlements to avoid the necessity of going to trial. This works well for them, so long as they turn over a high number of cases each year, but it won’t help you receive the compensation you deserve.

The best attorney for your Greenville bus accident claim is a personal injury trial lawyer who has a winning record of resolving bus accident claims via negotiation and in the courtroom.

South Carolina Bus Accident Client Story

We are sharing the story below to give you additional information about a bus accident claim. Though we’ve changed names and specifics to protect the privacy of our clients, the information’s helpfulness remains. Please read to the end, and then give us a call to schedule your free legal consultation.

“You just never know what’s coming at you each day.” That’s what Nora Randall always said.

At sixty-seven years young, Nora Randall was known as “Nana Nora” to her kids: both the niece and nephew she’d raised when they’d been orphaned as toddlers, and the developmentally-challenged adults she cared for daily as an adult caregiver. Infinitely patient, dignified yet fun-loving, Nora blessed all who were graced with her presence.

Nora had never had biological children of her own. Instead, she dedicated her life to raising her sister’s kids and the young adults in her care. She loved them as fiercely as any mama bear loved her cubs, and she was loved just as fiercely in return.

Teaching all Nora’s “kids” life skills and building strong bonds brought her all the joy she ever needed. She led a quiet, humble life, perfectly content with her daily blessings. That is, until a bus ride in mid-December not so long ago, when Nana Nora almost met her maker.

It was Nora’s day off, and she’d taken the Greenville city transit bus over to the community center to donate to the Christmas gift drive. As the bus approached the stop on Greenacre Road, Nora stood and moved to the front, holding the rail for balance. But when the bus pulled to the stop, the brakes failed. The bus slid right past the stop toward the intersection ahead, right toward a car approaching from Clark.

In an effort to avoid a head-to-head collision, the driver jumped the curb at the corner. Nora took a header down the bus steps. She suffered a broken hip and a broken wrist. She would spend three weeks in the hospital and another three in a rehabilitation facility. She didn’t know how long it would be before she would be completely healed, or if she would be able to continue the work she loved.

Nora’s niece Zuri and nephew Jordan visited her in the hospital every day. It was clear she was in a lot of pain, though she didn’t complain. Two weeks into her hospital stay, Zuri suggested a meeting with the law offices of Christian & Christian. The look on Nora’s face told her she didn’t like the idea of filing a claim against the bus company.

“I’ve been taking the city bus since I was a child,” Nora said. “I know all the drivers. They’re good people. The brakes failed on that bus. It wasn’t Mr. Lewis’s fault. He kept from squashing that little Prius at the corner,” Nora said, with a proud nod.

“I know, Nana, but you just said it yourself. ‘The brakes failed,’” Zuri said gently. “You’ve been seriously hurt as a result. This is serious business for someone — for anyone, to have a broken hip.”

Nora gave her beloved niece the side-eye. “I may seem old to you, but I’m not dead, Zuri. This girl’s got a lotta years left in her.”

“I know that, Nana,” Zuri, agreed softly. “And I couldn’t bear to lose even a day that you could have been here with us,” Zuri said, wiping tears that suddenly welled.

Nana squeezed her hand tight. “I know, baby, I know,” she said with a smile.

Zuri let it drop, but she enlisted her brother to nag Nora as well, and by the day Nora was due to be transferred to the rehabilitation facility, they’d convinced her to meet with Greenville bus accident lawyer Matthew Christian.

Attorney Christian sat down with Nora two days later, after she was settled in the facility to continue her recovery. Zuri and Jordan sat in on the meeting with her.

How much does it cost to hire a bus accident lawyer?

Nora began asking her questions as soon as everyone was settled.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but I need to know what you charge to hire your firm. The kids tell me this is a free consultation. But what if I decided to move forward with a claim, then what would I need to come up with?” Nora asked, lifting her chin as she waited for the worst.

Attorney Christian nodded. “I understand. This is the first concern of most of our clients. It’s simply what people need to know to be able to even consider a claim.

“Our firm doesn’t charge anything up-front. We work on a contingency-fee model, which means we only get paid when we successfully resolve your bus accident claim. We front all case expenses as we go, from start to finish, including things like accident investigation, research, communications with the insurance company, even a trial, should it come to that. We’ll take a solid look at your case and let you know if we think we can help. After that, we only get paid if you get paid,” Christian said.

“No kidding?” Nora said, eyebrows raised in disbelief.

“No kidding. And this consultation truly is free and without obligation, so ask away,” Attorney Christian added.

How much is my bus accident claim worth?

“How much do you think my claim could be worth?” Nora asked, wondering if a claim might actually be possible. Without her job, her only source of income would be government assistance. But more than that, she would lose her “kids,” as she affectionately called the adults in her daily care. She couldn’t fathom not being able to continue. It had been more than a job since her first day. It had become her world.

“To answer the question of your claim’s value,” Attorney Christian said, “we’ll begin with our own investigation of your bus accident. This serves to both identify all responsible parties and to gather supporting evidence for your claim.

“During and after the investigation, Ms. Randall, you’ll be doing your part to help us get the second piece of information we need to accurately arrive at your claim’s value. That’s the determination of your damages. To help us get this information, you’ll need to reach what is called ‘maximum medical improvement.’

“This is the point at which you will have recovered as much as you’re going to be able to recover. It’s going to mean you’re done with surgeries. It’s also going to be the point at which your doctors will know with certainty how your injuries will impact your life in the future,” said Christian.

“You mean whether I can return to my life’s work with my kids,” Nora said, blinking back the tears that stung her eyes.

“Yes, that’s one of the things we need to know. What you do for a living is not so easy with a healthy hip and wrist. You may need to make adjustments to your work — “ The stink-eye Nora threw Attorney Christian stopped him mid-sentence.

“It’s too soon to project.” He finished. “But we do need you to recover as far back to where you were before the accident as you can to determine your damages. We need an honest look at all the ways your life has — and will be, negatively impacted by your injuries.

“And yes, it will at the very least include your loss of income while you heal and cannot work. If you should need any future accommodations or continuing treatments, that must be factored in as well.

“And as much as you don’t want to think about it, we may have to factor in non-economic damages, such as — Heaven forbid — adjusting to the emotional loss, should you be unable to continue work as a caregiver. All the losses you experience due to your injuries are things you deserve compensation for,” Attorney Christian said gently.

Nora quickly wiped her eyes and looked away with a huff. “Well, as you said yourself, it’s too early to project.”

“That’s right. If you were to move forward, we’d be in close communication with your doctors in determining how your recovery is going and when they feel you’ve reached maximum medical improvement,” said Christian.

“For now, your job is to rest and follow doctors’ orders — this especially includes when you leave this facility. Do not overdo your activities. You’ve got to take the time and care you need to heal,” he added.

“Not only that, but if an insurance investigator happens to spot you out and about over-exerting yourself, they’ll drop the value of your claim and try to blame you if you don’t recover all the way back to your former health. They’ll say it’s because you’re overdoing it, not because of the severity of the accident,” Attorney Christian said.

“Whether you retain our firm or another, Ms. Randall, please know that what I’m telling you is very, very important to protecting the value of your claim.”

Nora wasn’t pleased, but she nodded curtly. Zuri leaned in with a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry,” she said to Attorney Christian, “she’ll be supervised.”

“Oh? You plan to come and sit with me every day at my apartment, do you?” Nora said, only slightly indignant.

“Nope. You’re coming home with me after this, at least for a while,” said Zuri, in a voice that brooked no argument.

“Who’s going to take care of Leo?” Nora laughed. “He’s not going to change his own litter.”

“Please. That nasty old cat’s been living in my apartment for three weeks now, Nana.” Zuri laughed, to Nora’s shock. “What, you think I’m going to walk up and down the steps in your apartment building night and day? Besides, he likes my windowsill.”

“‘He likes my windowsill,’” Nora mimicked, pretending to be offended, but the glint in her eye said she was pleasantly surprised her niece was bringing her home. “We’ll see about your windowsill.”

How long will my claim take?

“So, Mr. Christian, just how long does this bus accident claims process take?” Nora asked, turning to the attorney to hide her smile from Zuri.

“That’s going to first depend on how long it takes you to reach maximum medical improvement. I’m sure you know this isn’t something that iron will of yours can rush,” said Attorney Christian.

Jordan laughed. “Nope, but she’ll be pushing to move it just a little farther along every day!” Zuri joined him in giggling and elbowed her aunt until Nora broke down and laughed with them.

“That’s fine, so long as you ‘push’ by getting extra rest and following doctor’s orders. You owe it to your health to do this right, Ms. Randall, and protecting your claim will protect your right to the compensation you need to get your life back,” said Attorney Christian.

“Oh, child, and they say I’m the tough one. I’m surrounded by tough love today.” Nora sighed. “Oh, all right, yes, you have my word I’ll behave myself and recover properly.”

“Excellent,” smiled Christian. “Getting back to your case timeline, once you reach maximum medical improvement, we’ll arrive at your claim’s value and send a demand letter to the insurance company. Once they get it, how quickly your claim gets wrapped up will rest with them. If they agree to fair and reasonable compensation, we’ll be all set. If they refuse to settle in good faith, though, we’ll take them to court,” Christian said.

Nora’s mouth opened in alarm, but Attorney Christian held up a calming hand.

“As I mentioned, the firm fronts case costs, and that includes the possibility of needing to go to trial, so please try not to worry about which way your claim will go. The bottom line is, if the bus company did not properly maintain their bus, they are liable for the damage caused by accidents.”

“But Mr. Lewis saved that car!” Nora protested.

“Filing a claim is not punishing the driver if the driver was not at fault,” Christian continued. “Even if he were — which he probably isn’t — your claim is almost certainly a matter to be settled between insurance companies and attorneys. Please try not to worry about getting the driver in trouble, Ms. Randall,” Christian said. “The accident investigation is where we sort all of this out, but as of right now, it sounds as if Mr. Lewis did everything possible to avoid a collision with a car.”

Jordan smiled and patted his aunt’s shoulder. “See, Nana, we know Mr. Lewis did a good job that day.”

“Mr. Lewis is my hero!” Nora sniffed. “He’s a good man.”

Zuri winked at Jordan. They both knew Nora had a crush on Mr. Lewis.

“The bottom line here, Ms. Randall, is that whomever you retain to represent your claim, we urge you to make sure you hire a personal injury trial attorney with experience winning bus accident claims. Your case may not need to go to trial, but if it does, you deserve to be able to take it there and win.”

Nora had to admit, after learning how a bus accident claim might be possible, she had reason to give it serious consideration. She knew how dangerous a broken hip was to a senior citizen. And whether she’d admit it out loud or not, she was not likely to be able to return to her job — at least in its present form — after recovering from a broken hip and broken wrist. Changes were coming. Major adjustments, at the very least. The seasoned caregiver needed to consider the help she herself was likely going to need moving forward.

They concluded her free legal consultation with her promise to think it over and call the firm the next day.

As Attorney Christian left the room, he nearly bumped into an enormous bouquet of daisies. He stepped aside and held the door as a distinguished-looking older gentleman gingerly guided the blooms into the room in front of his face.

Nora, Zuri, and Jordan looked on curiously as the flowers floated toward them. Then, the man lowered the bouquet and took the newsboy cap off his head.

“Hello, Ms. Nora,” he said with a shy smile.

Nora’s smile spread from ear to ear and the entire room seemed to brighten.

“Why, hello, Mr. Lewis.”

Nora was satisfied with what she learned in her free legal consultation. She retained Christian & Christian, and Attorney Matt Christian won her claim, getting her seven times the amount the insurance company initially offered her.

Call Our Greenville Bus Accident Lawyers Today

We hope you’ve gotten helpful insight from this page. Every bus accident claim is unique in many ways, so please reach out to schedule your free legal consultation as soon as possible. We want to answer your bus accident claim questions and show you how we can help you recover maximum compensation for your damages. Call the Greenville bus accident lawyers at Christian & Christian, today.