If you suffered severe injuries or a close relative died because of a bus accident in or near Odessa, Texas, you can get the help you need from an Odessa bus accident lawyer. You do not have to take on a massive corporation or a billion-dollar insurance company by yourself.
You can recover compensation after a bus accident that another party caused. Domingo Garcia can be there with you every step of the way, fighting to hold the negligent parties accountable.
Services Domingo Garcia Can Provide After an Odessa Bus Crash
If you suffered severe injuries or a close relative met with an untimely death because of a bus accident in the Odessa, TX area, you do not have to go through this life-changing situation by yourself. Here at Domingo Garcia, you can put your legal matters into our hands so that you can worry about other things, like getting better from your injuries and losses.
You may rest assured that you will be treated with kindness and compassion by everyone at our office. Our Odessa personal injury lawyer will be tireless in working on your case and going after all the compensation that you deserve. When Domingo Garcia handles your bus accident case, we will:
Investigate The Details of Your Case
A successful personal injury case requires a thorough investigation. The facts of what led up to the accident, the parties involved, the damage to the vehicles, and the injuries of the people involved need to get explored thoroughly.
Keep You Updated About Your Case Status
We will keep you updated on all significant developments in your case. If any new developments occur, you will not feel left in the dark. When you contact us, we will respond promptly.
Answer Your Questions
If something is on your mind, feel free to ask us. We are always happy to answer our clients’ questions. Not knowing answers can lead to unnecessary worry. Part of our job is to reduce your stress, which means taking the time to respond to your questions and put your mind at ease.
Listen to You
On some days, you might just need to bounce your ideas off of someone or express your concerns. Our legal team is happy to talk to you and take the time to listen.
Provide Legal Guidance
We make sure that you know what to expect and understand your options. No one likes surprises when it comes to a personal injury or wrongful death case. We will explain any legal terms and make sure you know what to expect with your case.
Offer Bilingual Assistance
Our legal team offers assistance in Spanish and English for the convenience of our clients.
Handle the Injury or Wrongful Death Claim With the Defendant’s Insurance Company
We will likely make a demand for payment to the liability insurance carrier of the defendant. Putting together a demand letter requires massive work because the letter tells the at-fault party the legal grounds for your claim. A demand letter also states the amount of money you want to resolve the case without having to go to court. Gathering the information for that letter is vital.
Negotiate With the Insurer or Defendant
It sometimes takes several rounds of offers and counter offers to reach a settlement in a bus accident injury case. We will handle these negotiations and work directly with the defendant or their insurance company to try to settle the case for a fair amount. You will not have to handle the negotiations yourself.
File a Lawsuit on Your Behalf
If it appears that the defendant is not going to pay a fair settlement amount willingly, we will evaluate whether or not it is appropriate to file a lawsuit. Also, there could be other reasons why we need to file a lawsuit to preserve your right to compensation for your losses. We will draft all the documents the court requires and handle the other aspects of getting a lawsuit filed.
Handling Pretrial Motions and Court Appearances
There are often motions and hearings that happen in court during the months before the trial. The court might schedule settlement and pretrial conferences. The parties might fight over discovery issues and questions of the admissibility of evidence. We handle all of these issues for you.
Defend You in Trial
Only a small percentage of cases that get filed have to go to a full trial. Negotiations can continue during the entire pretrial process. If your case does have to go to trial, you will not be alone. We will be there with you every step of the way, fighting for justice on your behalf.
Recoverable Compensation for Odessa Bus Accidents
When a person gets injured because of someone else’s carelessness, they can usually seek economic damages and non-economic damages for their losses. Economic damages can help pay for your out-of-pocket losses. Non-economic damages can provide compensation for your intangible losses.
Some economic damages you may be able to recover include:
- Medical bills: If a bus accident left you with injuries, you may have high medical bills. You can recover compensation to pay for them.
- Property damage: Compensation can cover the cost of your damaged property. If you were driving a car during the bus accident, for example, you can get paid for your damaged vehicle.
- Lost income: Your bus accident may have left you with injuries that prevent you from working. Our team can help you seek compensation for your lost income.
- Loss of earning capacity: Your bus accident injuries may not allow you to continue working the same job. If this is the case, we can help you seek compensation for your lost earning capacity.
Recoverable non-economic damages include:
- Mental anguish: You might face declining mental health after a bus accident. Victims often face depression or anxiety because of their injuries. You can demand compensation for this.
- Pain and suffering: Bus accident victims may experience severe pain and suffering. We can help you receive compensation.
- Other non-economic damages: Scarring and disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium are other non-economic damages you can recover after a bus accident.
Does It Matter What Kind of Bus Crashed?
All the details of your case are important, including the type of bus that crashed. This information can affect who can get sued for injuries and other losses caused by a bus crash. Here are some of the more common types of buses in Odessa:
- Public school bus
- Private school bus
- Public transportation bus
- Charter bus
- Tour bus
Bus crashes can cause serious injuries for any party involved. If you were harmed because another party caused a bus accident, you can seek compensation.
Types of Bus Accidents in Odessa
Here are some of the common types of bus accidents a person might encounter in Odessa:
Left Roadway Accidents
A bus could leave the roadway for many reasons. The driver might be drowsy or distracted and not notice immediately that the set of wheels closest to the edge of the roadway drifted out of the lane. The bus driver might have to leave the roadway as an evasive action because another vehicle on the road created a hazard.
Another Vehicle Crashed Into the Rear End of the Bus
Sometimes, bus accidents happen because of the negligence of other vehicles. For example, if a driver in a car behind the bus is speeding, tailgating, or not paying attention, that vehicle might crash into the back of the bus when the bus slows down or comes to a stop because of traffic conditions.
Bus Struck Another Vehicle in the Rear
A bus could strike another vehicle in the rear because that car pulled in front of the bus sharply and then slowed down, not leaving the bus enough room to slow down and avoid a collision. Drivers of smaller vehicles are often unaware of the great distances that buses need to slow down and come to a stop.
Rollover Accidents
The center of gravity of a bus can sit higher than the center of gravity of a passenger car. As a result, a bus could be more likely to roll over in situations like uneven pavement or sharp curves.
Head-On Crashes
People tend to be impatient if they are driving behind a bus, particularly on two-lane roads like the ones around Odessa. It is difficult to see around buses, and frequently, they travel at a slower speed than cars.
Impatience can cause the driver of a car to try to pass the bus when it is not safe to do so. If the driver of the passing vehicle does not have enough time or distance to complete the passing maneuver, they could strike a vehicle in the other lane head-on.
Side-Impact Crashes
Side-impact crashes with buses are often the result of a driver running a stop sign or a red light. Either the bus driver or the person operating the other vehicle could be at fault in this type of collision.
Single-Vehicle Crashes
Buses can experience collisions without the presence of another vehicle. An animal could run in front of the bus, leading the driver to turn the wheel sharply to avoid striking the animal. The sudden steering movement could cause the bus driver to lose control of the vehicle and crash.
Other reasons for single-vehicle crashes with buses could include the driver having a medical emergency, being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, being distracted, or feeling fatigued.
Who Can Get Sued for a Bus Collision in Odessa
Whoever caused the bus crash can be liable for the harm that results. People who get injured can file a personal injury claim or a lawsuit against the negligent party responsible for the accident. Close relatives of people who lost their lives could pursue additional compensation for their losses.
Some of the people who might get sued after an Odessa bus collision include:
- Bus driver: If the accident was the result of driver error, injured people could turn to the bus driver for compensation for their losses.
- Employer: The party that employed the driver and owned or leased the bus could share some responsibility for losses resulting from a collision. The employer might have been negligent. For example, if the company required the driver to work very long shifts, the employer might have some fault.
- Bus manufacturer: A defective condition in the bus could be the cause of the crash. Motor vehicles get recalled for flaws in the design or manufacturing process. Buses are no exception. If a defect caused or contributed to the accident, the manufacturer could be liable.
- Mechanic: Companies that own buses often employ mechanics, either in-house or third parties, to maintain the vehicles in a roadworthy condition. If the bus company paid for vehicle maintenance that did not happen or that was not done up to standard, and that carelessness caused an accident, the vehicle maintenance company could be liable.
- Another driver: People driving other vehicles on the road might make mistakes that cause a collision involving a bus. Driving in a blind spot, cutting in front of the bus, running into the back of the bus, and other driver errors could be to blame for an accident with a bus.
You are not limited to pursuing one party for compensation. Often, more than one person made a mistake that combined to lead to a collision. In that situation, it is possible to seek damages from multiple parties.
Three Things to Do After a Bus Collision in Odessa
After a bus crash in Odessa, you might be seriously injured. You should:
Make Sure the Police Are on the Way
If someone has not already called for law enforcement to come to the scene, you will want to do so immediately.
It will be essential to get a police report to establish whose actions caused the collision. The police report will also provide a wealth of other information that will be valuable to your injury claim. When there is no police report, some parties might be tempted to fabricate stories about what happened and how much damage their cars sustained.
Get Medical Attention
You should get medical attention immediately after a bus accident. It is easier to prove that your injuries came from the collision if you go straight to a facility to get a medical evaluation.
You might have injuries that are not yet showing symptoms but still are affecting your body. For example, broken bones do not always have immediate signs. A person could have a brain bleed or internal bleeding in the abdomen and not show obvious indications until it becomes a medical crisis. An examination by a trained medical professional is always a good idea after being involved in a bus collision.
Talk to a Personal Injury Attorney
In the aftermath of a bus crash, other matters will be foremost in your mind, like your injuries or the fate of a close relative who got severely injured. Unfortunately, certain steps should be taken right away to preserve your right to compensation for your losses.
If you talk to an Odessa bus accident lawyer at the beginning, we can take care of the legal matters so that you can focus on your health and your family’s well-being. We can get started on the investigation, collect evidence before it disappears, and talk to witnesses on your behalf.
What Can Cause an Odessa Bus Accident
Some people mistakenly think that buses are perfectly safe vehicles because of their size and that it is extremely rare for them to get into accidents. In reality, the same things that lead to car crashes can cause bus accidents. Some examples include:
Speeding
If either the bus driver or the driver of another vehicle exceeded the posted speed limit or drove too fast for the conditions at the time, speeding could be a factor in the accident. A person can lose control of a vehicle when traveling too fast. Also, the faster a vehicle is going, the more time and distance it needs to slow down and come to a stop to avoid a collision or road hazard.
Alcohol or Drugs
Alcohol or drugs can be a contributing factor to a bus accident. Some bus drivers might take illegal stimulants to stay awake and alert during long driving shifts, which can lead to accidents.
Distraction
Distracted driving is a huge problem. Drivers of buses and other vehicles could be looking for driving directions with an app on their dashboard or cell phone. With so many portable electronic devices, there is no end to the ways that a person could be distracted when behind the wheel.
Drowsy Driving
A person who is driving fatigued is putting other drivers on the road at a risk. Reaction time can be slower when a driver is tired, and their decision-making skills can be reduced. A person could have mental and physical impairment when trying to operate a motor vehicle while exhausted.
It is foreseeable that a bus driver would be too tired to drive safely if, for example, they have an early morning or late night shift and did not get adequate rest. Some bus drivers are responsible for long hours on the road. Not taking breaks to rest can lead to exhaustion which causes a wreck.
Poor Driving Decisions
Either the bus driver or someone operating another vehicle could cause a bus collision by making errors in judgment at the wheel. Some people think their driving skills are better than they are in reality. They take risks they should not, and other people can get hurt as a result.
Statute of Limitations for Bus Accident Injury or Wrongful Death Cases in Texas
You do not have an unlimited amount of time to take legal action for your injuries and losses from a bus accident in Texas. The state’s statute of limitations, in Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003, gives you only two years to file a lawsuit for personal injury or wrongful death. When dealing with catastrophic injuries or the loss of a loved one, this time can feel quite short.
Failure to file within the given timeframe could mean you are no longer able to recover compensation through a lawsuit. A bus accident lawyer from our firm can make sure you follow the state-mandated deadlines for filing a lawsuit.
Severe Physical Injuries in Bus Accidents in Odessa
Bus accidents can lead to devastating injuries that can change your life forever. These are some of the severe wounds a person could suffer in one of these collisions:
- Broken bones
- Paralysis
- Disfigurement
- Spinal cord damage
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Concussion
- Amputation
- Burns
- Significant damage to muscles or nerves
- Wrongful death
Depending on the type and severity of your wounds, you might never heal to the same level of function that you had before the crash. You should not have to pay the high medical expenses that these injuries can cause. While you recover, our lawyers can fight for your compensation.
What Contingency Fees Mean to Your Case
You can afford to hire a lawyer from our firm. We do not charge our clients any upfront legal fees to handle their personal injury or wrongful death bus accident cases. Instead, we work on a contingency-fee basis. This means we get paid a portion of the settlement proceeds or jury verdict. You won’t owe us any money until we win or settle your case.
Our Case Results for Our Clients
Claims involving buses and other large commercial vehicles can be more complicated than accidents that only involve passenger cars. Here are some of our case results
that we have won for our clients:
- Commercial vehicle accident: $1,000,000 settlement
- 18-Wheeler truck accident: $8,750,000 settlement
- Commercial motor vehicle accident: $2,750,000 settlement
Every case is different because they all have different facts. Still, you can count on us to work diligently to get you a fair settlement that helps your situation.
Contact Domingo Garcia for Help After an Odessa Bus Accident
If you or a loved one faced injuries in an Odessa bus accident, our firm can help you with your case. We can investigate your case and file your claim or lawsuit for compensation.
You can get a free, no-obligation consultation on your Odessa bus collision case today. Domingo Garcia is ready to help you.
