Bus collisions can cause catastrophic injuries and loss of life. If you suffered severe injuries in a bus crash in the Dallas, Texas, area or your close relative died because of one, a Dallas Bus Accident Lawyer could help you and your family go after the compensation you deserve. The personal injury lawyers from Domingo Garcia can be with you during every step of this challenging process.
Accident Statistics by Type of Bus
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) says that of all the buses involved in fatal crashes nationwide during the decade from 2009 to 2019:
- 12 percent were intercity buses
- 39 percent were school buses
- 34 percent were transit buses
The school bus fatal crash statistic could be even more alarming when you consider that some school buses do not drive far and seldom travel at highway speeds.
For a free legal consultation with a bus accidents lawyer serving Dallas, call (214) 941-8300
Contingency Fees in Dallas Bus Accident Cases
At Domingo Garcia, we do not want to add to the financial stress of our clients. We understand that you might have a pile of medical bills from your injuries. You might not have a paycheck coming in if you cannot work because of your wounds. We do not want to give you yet another bill to pay just to get legal help on your bus accident injury claim.
You will not have to pay upfront legal fees to Domingo Garcia to handle your case. Instead, we work diligently throughout the case and only get paid at the end if we win. We will receive a percentage of the settlement proceeds or jury verdict for our legal fees. We have a strict “no fee unless you win” policy.
Dallas Bus Accident Lawyer Near Me (214) 941-8300
Four Mistakes to Avoid After a Dallas Bus Collision
You might be surprised to learn that the value of your financial claim could get hurt by things that happen after the collision. Here are a few things you would want to avoid doing to protect the settlement value of your case:
Talking to Other People at the Scene of the Accident
You will not want to stand around chatting with other people at the bus accident site. They could twist your words of compassion into an admission of fault, something you never intended. It is best merely to exchange insurance and contact information with others at the scene and not engage in conversations.
Giving a Statement to the Press
Bus crashes are newsworthy events. A reporter might shove a microphone in front of your face and ask for a comment. It is best to politely decline an interview or comment. Anything you say could be used against you in your personal injury case.
It often takes weeks or months for the authorities to determine fault in these crashes. If the at-fault party has footage of you on camera making a statement that conflicts with what the investigation eventually finds, it could harm your injury claim.
Posting on Social Media
The defendant’s insurance company will likely get access to your social media accounts. Posting anything at all on social media can backfire on you in your personal injury case. We usually advise our clients to take a complete break from social media until after their claim gets resolved.
Trying to Handle Your Injury Claim by Yourself
You have more than enough things that you have to do after getting injured or losing a loved one in a Dallas bus crash. You do not have to take care of the injury or wrongful death claim on your own.
Instead, you can focus on healing from your wounds, rebuilding your life, and helping your family through this crisis when you have Domingo Garcia take care of your legal matters. You can count on us to be there for you.
Click to contact our Dallas Personal Injury Lawyers today
Types of Buses in Dallas Collisions
You can find various types of buses on the roadways in and around Dallas. The type of bus that gets involved in a crash will determine things like who can be liable and what remedies are available to victims of the accident. In Dallas, there are several types of buses on the streets, including:
- Public School Bus
- Private School Bus
- Public Transportation Bus
- Charter Bus
- Tour Bus
A Dallas bus accident attorney will explain who can be legally accountable in your situation, based on, among other things, the type of bus involved in your collision.
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Recoverable Damages After a Dallas Bus Accident
Every personal injury case is different because each one has a unique set of facts. One accident might involve only minor injuries, while another collision might have catastrophic injuries and fatalities.
Here are some of the categories of damages that people pursue after getting hurt in a bus accident in the Dallas area:
- Lost wages. If you did not get paid when you were away from the job recuperating from your wounds, you could have a claim for lost income.
- The value of your personal property that was on the bus, like your luggage, laptop, medication, or other items that got damaged or destroyed in the collision can get added to your claim. This category could include damaged or destroyed personal property if you were in another vehicle as well.
- The cost of the medical treatment you needed for your injuries can be a part of your personal injury claim from the bus accident. The ambulance, emergency room, doctors, hospital, physical therapy, and prescription drugs are a few examples of medical costs that can be recovered.
- You might have intangible losses like pain and suffering or disfigurement because of the bus accident. We can add these items to your injury claim.
Bus accidents can cause injuries that people do not survive. If your close relative died before their time due to a Dallas bus accident, we might be able to seek compensation for the legal beneficiaries in a wrongful death lawsuit.
Dallas Bus Collisions Can Cause Wrongful Death Claims
Texas law allows close relatives to file a wrongful death claim against a party who caused the untimely death of a loved one through negligence. Some of the money damages the family can pursue include:
- The final hospital and doctor bills.
- Funeral and burial expenses.
- Loss of the income the deceased person provided to the family.
- Loss of services the decedent performed for the benefit of the household.
- Loss of companionship, guidance, and education.
At Domingo Garcia, we can explore your individual situation to see how the loss of your loved one has harmed your family.
Types of Dallas Bus Accidents
Several different events can cause a bus crash. Here are some of the more common types of bus collisions in the Dallas area and what can lead to them:
Head-On Crashes
Wrong-way drivers can cause head-on collisions. The driver of a car can get confused or be under the influence of alcohol and drugs and be in the wrong lane as a result. Also, when a car tries to pass a bus on a two-lane road, there might not be enough space to complete the passing maneuver safely, and the car could strike oncoming traffic.
Side Impact Crashes
A car could strike the side of a truck, causing a side impact or T-bone collision because the car ran a red light or failed to stop at a stop sign. It can be difficult, if not impossible, for a large vehicle like a bus to stop in time to avoid a side impact accident in this situation.
Single-Vehicle Crashes
Single-vehicle bus crashes are often the result of the driver falling asleep at the wheel, being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or having a medical emergency. Single-vehicle accidents can also happen when an animal dashes across the street in the path of the bus or a pedestrian suddenly steps into the road without warning.
Bus Left Roadway
Buses are wide vehicles, filling much of the space of a traffic lane. It does not take much for the wheels on one side of a bus to veer from the lane and leave the roadway. When this happens, the difference in height and surface material can cause the bus to lose control, skid, spin around, and even flip.
Rear-End of the Bus Gets Struck
The vehicle behind a bus could crash into the back of the bus due to the driver of the car tailgating, speeding, or not paying attention.
Bus Rear-Ends Another Vehicle
The bus could rear-end another vehicle for the same reasons that a car could. For example, suppose the bus is following a vehicle too closely, driving too fast, or the driver is distracted. Also, large vehicles like buses need more time and distance to slow down. If a car cuts in front of the truck and then slows down, the truck might not be able to avoid a rear-end collision with the car.
Rollover Accidents
Rollover accidents tend to happen in areas of road construction where the pavement is uneven. A car might be able to navigate uneven pavement more easily. With the greater height of a bus, a rollover accident is more likely on uneven pavement.
Outcomes from Bus Crashes in Dallas
A bus accident only takes seconds to happen, yet the consequences can last months, years, or even a lifetime. After a bus collision, you might have to deal with:
Physical Injuries
Whether you were a passenger on the bus and got thrown around inside the compartment during the collision, you were in another vehicle that got hit by a bus, or you got struck by a bus when walking or riding a bicycle, you could suffer catastrophic injuries that will cause you to have limitations and chronic pain for the rest of your life.
Property Damage or Loss
A bus accident can damage or destroy other vehicles and the personal property of people involved in the crash. You might have massive repair bills on your car. Your personal property in your car or with you on the bus might have to be replaced or fixed. You might need to buy a new bicycle if yours cannot be repaired after a bus collision.
Intangible Losses
Intangible losses can include things like having extensive scars and disfigurement from your wounds. You might develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from the terrifying experience of the bus crash. You could experience physical discomfort and emotional distress, also called pain and suffering, from your injuries.
Dallas Bus Accidents Can Cause Severe Physical Injuries
Whether you were inside the bus, inside another vehicle, walking on the sidewalk or crosswalk, or riding a bike, a bus accident can cause life-changing wounds, including:
- Fractured arms, legs, joints, vertebrae, ribs, skull, and facial bones.
- Spinal cord damage that can lead to weakness, loss of function and sensation, and paralysis.
- Paralysis can also happen because of localized trauma not focused on the spinal cord.
- Disfigurement of extensive scars from wounds, surgical incisions, and other medical interventions.
- Head wounds, including traumatic brain injury (TBI) and concussions.
- Amputation of one or more of a person’s arms, legs, hands, or feet.
- Burns from explosions or fires during or after the crash.
- Significant damage to muscles or nerves, with or without fractures.
This is a small sample of the many types of devastating injuries a person can suffer because of a bus crash. Be sure to talk with your personal injury attorney about all of your injuries, how well you healed after the medical treatment, and how your wounds have affected your life.
Liable Parties After a Dallas Bus Crash
We will have to explore the facts of the accident to determine who might have legal liability for the collision. Every case is unique. The facts of your situation will determine the answers to the questions about liability.
Sometimes, only one party is legally responsible for the damages from the crash. In other situations, however, we might be able to pursue a personal injury claim against two or more parties.
- The bus driver could be liable if their negligence caused the crash. Driver negligence can include things like speeding, following too closely, driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, drowsy or distracted driving, or simple errors in judgment.
- The employer of the bus driver could have liability for negligent hiring practices or failing to have appropriate safety protocols for their drivers. The employer could be the school, school district, tour company, transportation company, or government agency.
- The bus manufacturers could be liable if a design or manufacturing defect of the vehicle caused or contributed to the accident.
- A mechanic or fleet maintenance company could have liability for the failure to perform maintenance or performing substandard work on the vehicle that led to the collision.
- When another driver’s actions caused a bus accident, like cutting in front of a bus or tailgating, that driver could be responsible for the harm caused in the collision.
When we investigate the bus accident, we will do our utmost to find all the possible grounds for liability.
Texas Statute of Limitations for Bus Accident Injury or Wrongful Death
We understand that you will have a multitude of things to take care of after a severe injury or the loss of a loved one from a bus accident. Still, we caution you that you do not want to wait very long to take legal action for your losses. Evidence you need for your case can disappear if not preserved right away.
Also, Texas only gives you two years to file a lawsuit for personal injury or wrongful death, according to Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003. Even if you are negotiating with the insurance company and trying to settle your claim, you can lose all legal rights to compensation if you miss the lawsuit filing deadline.
What Domingo Garcia Can Do for You After a Dallas Bus Crash
People usually do not realize how much work goes into handling injury claims after a Dallas bus accident. If they try to handle these things for themselves, they can easily become overwhelmed and accept a lowball settlement offer out of desperation.
We want you to get all the money you deserve for your injuries and losses. When you work with us from the beginning on your claim, we can handle all of these things for you:
Investigate the Accident
We perform an extensive investigation on the injury claims we handle. We do not treat our clients like numbers. We will look into what caused the wreck and how the crash impacted your life.
Communicating, Listening, and Answering
When you have an ongoing legal claim, you deserve to know what is happening in your case. Also, your lawyer should take the time to listen to you and answer your questions.
At Domingo Garcia, we will communicate with you to let you know about developments in your case. Also, you can count on us to respond to your telephone calls and emails. We consider thoughtful communication and interaction with our clients to be a matter of respect.
Legal Guidance
When we handle your bus collision claim, you will have the benefit of our years of experience and our legal knowledge. We can help to guide you through this challenging process of a personal injury or wrongful death claim, explain your legal options, and make sure that you understand what to expect.
Insurance Claim
If you have ever had an insurance claim before, you will know about the mountains of paperwork these things can involve. We can handle the heavy lifting for you so that you can focus on getting well and rebuilding your life. You will not have to deal directly with the insurance company when we handle your case for you.
We can provide the information the insurer needs to evaluate your claim, and we can negotiate with them to try to settle your case. You will, of course, know what is going on throughout this process, even though you will not have to speak to the claims adjuster yourself. We will take care of all of that for you.
Litigation
Some cases do not settle, so we might have to file a lawsuit to go after the compensation you deserve. If this happens, please realize that we can continue to negotiate with the defendant or the insurance company after filing the case.
We will conduct discovery to gather the evidence we need for your case. Also, we perform the trial work for you.
Our Case Results for Our Clients
Bus accident injury claims present more challenges than the new standard fender bender car crash. Here are some of our case results so you can see the settlements we have gotten for our clients:
- Commercial vehicle accident – lumbar fracture – non-paraplegia $1 million settlement
- 18-Wheeler truck accident $8,750,000 settlement
- Commercial motor vehicle accident $2,750,000 settlement
You can find many more great results on our webpage.
Factors That Can Cause a Dallas Bus Accident
Sometimes the bus driver is at fault when there is a bus crash. In some other accidents, another driver caused the collision.
Drowsy Driving
Bus drivers are often sleepy when behind the wheel. They might have to get up extremely early to pick up school children. They might have to drive back for several hours from a day-long event after an early start.
Poor Driving Decisions
Drivers of cars and buses can be guilty of simple errors of judgment, like thinking that they can pass another vehicle safely when there is not enough time to do so.
Speeding
Speeding could either be exceeding the posted speed limit or driving too fast for the road or weather conditions.
Alcohol or Drugs
One should never get behind the wheel after consuming alcoholic beverages or taking drugs that could impair a person’s physical or mental driving abilities.
Distraction
There have always been sources of distraction for drivers. Talking with passengers, eating, drinking, or daydreaming could take a person’s eyes or mind off of the road.
Now, there are even more distractions with multiple electronic features built into cars in the form of gadgets, touchscreens, and infotainment. Also, portable electronic devices like tablets, notebooks, and cell phones, have many tempting apps and functions. Anything that takes a person’s eyes or attention off of the road could cause a bus accident.
We can pursue the negligent party or parties responsible for the accident and help you hold them accountable for how their actions affected your life.
How to Get Started After a Dallas Bus Accident
All that you need to do to get started with Domingo Garcia is to click here for a free consultation. There is no obligation. We are happy to provide bilingual assistance for our clients. You will not have any upfront legal fees. You will only have to pay legal fees if you win.
Call or text (214) 941-8300 or complete
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