Bus/Limo Accidents | Personal Injury Attorneys
Whether as a passenger, a driver, or a pedestrian, if you are involved in a bus accident or limousine accident, it can be one of the scariest, and oftentimes deadliest types of motor vehicle crashes. Operators of buses and limos have a responsibility to protect their passengers, fellow motorists, and pedestrians. Keeping you and your loved ones safe and adhering to the rules of the road must be a top priority for any driver or owner of a party bus, city bus, charter bus, shuttle bus, stretch limousine, school bus or hired car. Bus and limousine accident cases are often complex as they involve numerous individuals who have been hurt and numerous possible defendants. Pursuing a bus accident or limousine accident case for injuries you or your loved one sustained requires a personal injury lawyer with in-depth knowledge of New York State laws and regulations.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bus/Limo Accidents
Our personal injury lawyers provide answers to some important questions below.
Bus accidents can occur in a variety of ways. Some common types of bus accidents include:
- Bus Rollovers
- Head-on Collisions
- Rear-end Collisions
- Pedestrian Accidents
In New York, the operators of passenger vehicles such as buses and limousines must comply with state specific registration requirements. These vehicles often have several passengers who do not have access to seatbelts, are not wearing a seatbelt, and are without the protection of an airbag, making any collision particularly dangerous. The weight and size of these vehicles makes any collision extremely serious. Strict registration requirements including inspections ensure that the vehicle is road worthy and safe. There are also special licensing requirements for drivers so that both the passengers inside the vehicles and others on the roadways are safe and protected from harm. A driver or company that fails to abide by these requirements can be held liable if an accident and injuries occur.
When a tragedy occurs in a bus or a limousine it is important for a personal injury lawyer who handles limousine or bus crash cases to examine all theories of liability against any potential defendant. There are many entities that may be responsible for your injuries including:
- The company that owned and operated the bus or limousine
- The driver of the bus or limousine
- Any business that serviced the bus or limousine
- The manufacturer of any defective product that may have caused the crash
- The state or municipality responsible for the road if the design or condition of the road caused the crash
To receive compensation for personal injuries or wrongful death, the plaintiff has the burden of proving that the defendant was negligent or failed to act in a reasonably prudent manner. Your bus or limousine crash attorney will build a case that shows how the defendant’s conduct was a substantial factor in causing your injuries or the death of your loved one. Once your accident lawyer shows that the defendant was at fault, the defendant must pay the full and fair money damages for the injuries suffered. A lawsuit can either be resolved through settlement before a trial, or by successfully prevailing at a trial.
Compensation can be provided for medical bills, lost wages, pain, and suffering, and in extreme cases punitive damages. These categories include both past and future medical expenses, past and future lost earnings, and past and future pain and suffering. Punitive damages are only allowed in the most extreme of cases where the injury was caused by someone’s reckless conduct. The purpose of punitive damages is to dissuade the defendant and others from acting with that level of recklessness again.
If you were injured on a bus, your own automobile insurance carrier will pay for your no-fault benefits which include medical expenses, lost earnings and reasonable and necessary expenses incurred, up to $25 dollars per day. If you were not insured, the insurance carrier for a relative you live with will pay. If neither you nor a resident relative has an automobile insurance policy, then the bus’s insurance carrier must pay for these benefits.
Generally, in New York, the time to bring a claim against a privately owned bus or limousine company is 3 years from the date of the accident. However, modes of public transportation are different than other common carriers because they are often run by government entities like a transit authority or school district, rather than a private company. In New York there are shorter time frames to file a claim against a governmental entity which may require that a claim be filed as early as 90 days after the accident occurs. Missing a deadline could result in the victim’s claim being lost forever. Therefore, it is extremely important to contact an experienced bus accident or limo accident lawyer who can ensure your rights are protected.
Yes. It is always in your best interests to retain a personal injury lawyer who has experience handling claims similar to yours.
Yes. Effective January 2020 a law took effect which increases the coverage requirement for certain for-hire motor vehicles including stretch limousines. The combined single limit of insurance coverage available for an injury in a limousine crash where the limousine involves seating 8 or more passengers for hire is now $1,500,000. This type of policy covers bodily injury and death to one or more persons because of injury to or destruction of property in any one accident.
Timeline of a Personal Injury Case
- If injured, when ready, contact a personal injury lawyer to determine if a claim can be pursued on your behalf
- Meet with a lawyer to discuss the incident
- Bring medical records or other relevant documents including an accident report if available
- Your lawyer will help you understand the process of a personal injury case
- Follow the doctors’ advice
- Go to all medical appointments
- Report all symptoms to doctors
- Take photos of injuries
- Tell lawyer anytime a new doctor is seen
- Determine how and why the injury occurred
- Speak with witnesses
- Obtain any investigative reports
- Obtain scene, vehicle and product photos, as applicable
- Obtain medical records and bills
- Consider all possible claims and theories of liability against any potential defendant
- Consult with experts
- Communicate and negotiate with the insurance company
- Obtain a settlement or pursue a lawsuit
- File a summons and complaint prior to the statute of limitations
- Serve the legal documents on the defendants
- Prepare and exchange evidence with the other lawyers in the case
- Conduct depositions of all relevant parties (also called EBTs)
- Defense medical examination conducted
- File motions (written applications) to the court if necessary
- Participate in arbitration or mediation if appropriate
- Determine liens if any
- Settle the case or proceed to trial
- You have the right to a trial by jury or by the judge who will act as both judge and jury
- At a trial, the injured person must prove it was more likely than not that the defendant was negligent and caused injuries
- The judge or jury will listen to all the evidence presented and the arguments by the lawyers, apply the facts to the law, and render a decision
Recent Verdicts & Settlements
Automobile Accident
Plaintiff was a passenger in a vehicle which went off the road and rolled over, causing him to suffer significant permanent injuries, including skull fracture; fractured mandible requiring surgical placement of plates and screws; facial fractures and lacerations; sternal fracture; spinal fractures; lacerations to spleen, liver and lung; multiple rib and toe fractures; tinnitus and hearing loss; post-traumatic stress disorder; facial scarring and numbness.
Worksite Injury
Plaintiff was injured when a fork from a forklift truck fell on top of his left leg, severely fracturing the tibia and fibula, requiring numerous surgeries and resulting in a permanent, partial loss of use of his leg.
Nursing Home Negligence
An 87-year-old man was discharged from a local hospital on the afternoon of his death and returned to his assisted living facility. His health began to deteriorate throughout that evening; a nurse was told to check on him but never did. Facility staff found him unconscious on the floor in his room later that evening; paramedics were unable to revive him. It was claimed that the facility failed to obtain appropriate medical advice, assistance and treatment.
Negligent Assault
Plaintiff was assaulted outside of a bar in Saratoga and as a result suffered a traumatic brain injury, a fractured skull, brain swelling and brain bleeding, facial contusions and bleeding, as well as lacerations and bruises on his body. He also suffered from short and long term memory deficits and other cognitive deficits.
Wrongful Death
Plaintiff, a 49-year-old man, was discharged from the hospital with critically low levels of potassium, which precipitated a fatal arrhythmia at home and subsequently caused his death. His family brought a claim against the hospital for medical negligence and wrongful death.
Bicycle Accident
Plaintiff suffered two dislocated shoulders and a dislocated elbow after he was struck by a vehicle, which negligently swerved onto the shoulder and into the bike lane.
Farm/Tractor Accident
The infant plaintiff fell from a tractor being operated by a farm employee and was run over by the tractor. The 10-year-old boy suffered a femur fracture requiring surgery, multiple facial fractures requiring surgery, foot and toe fractures and loss of consciousness.
Worksite Injury
Plaintiff was an ironworker who was injured when he fell from a ladder, suffering fractures to both elbows resulting in permanent loss of strength and loss of range of motion in both arms. His impairment limited the number and types of employment opportunities and limited his future earning potential.
Federal Employers Liability Act/FELA
Plaintiff suffered a significant back injury while working for CSX.
Medical Negligence
Plaintiff suffered injuries as a result of negligent monitoring of prescription medication.
Worksite Injury
Plaintiff, a roofing contractor, suffered a fractured skull, cervical spine fracture and fractured ribs after falling from a roof. The injuries left him with chronic pain and fatigue, limited tolerance for walking, lifting, or carrying and limitations in his hearing and vision.
* Prior results do not guarantee future outcomes.
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