Many locals and visitors alike rely upon bus transportation to get from place to place in the Columbia area. The buses that individuals rely upon often include municipal buses, commuter buses, tour buses, and school buses.
However, when bus operators and other drivers fail to drive in accordance with all the traffic laws, serious accidents may occur, which lead to devastating injuries. Bus passengers are especially susceptible to serious injuries because many buses do not have seatbelts and other restraints to keep passengers in place.
If a passenger falls out of their seat and strikes the floor of the bus with a significant amount of force, they may suffer a bone fracture, traumatic head injury, or other serious medical complications.
If you or a person you love recently sustained injuries in a Columbia bus accident, you need to have a skilled team of attorneys in your corner, aggressively representing your legal interests and fighting for your legal rights.
The knowledgeable legal team at Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers understands the frustration, anger, and pain that frequently accompany bus accident injuries. Our legal team can immediately investigate the circumstances of your bus accident and determine how it occurred and who was responsible.
We can then file a personal injury claim with the appropriate insurance company on your behalf or pursue litigation options so that the insurance company will compensate you fairly.
For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a knowledgeable Columbia bus accident attorney, please call us or contact us online today.
- Why Choose Us for Your Columbia Bus Accident Case?
- What Is My Columbia Bus Accident Case Worth?
- Where Do Bus Accidents Frequently Happen in Columbia?
- Types of Bus Accidents in Columbia
- Common Injuries in Bus Accidents
- Fighting the Insurance Company After a Bus Accident
- Steps to Take After a Bus Accident in Columbia
- Speak With a Bus Accident Attorney in Columbia Today
Why Choose Us for Your Columbia Bus Accident Case?
If you sustained injuries in a bus accident that resulted from a bus driver’s or third-party driver's negligence, you need to have legal representation in your case from beginning to end.
When accident victims do not have legal counsel representing them, insurance companies will likely take advantage of them and attempt to undervalue their case as much as possible.
The compassionate Columbia bus accident lawyers at Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers can aggressively advocate on your behalf throughout every stage of the legal proceedings.
Our legal team has a strong track record of successfully settling and litigating bus accident cases through the state court system, and we have recovered favorable compensation on behalf of our clients.
Also, we are not afraid to take on the insurance company directly and pursue a bus accident case in the court system. The insurance companies know our strong results and are more likely to offer our clients favorable monetary compensation from the onset.
The sooner you retain legal counsel in your case, the better your chances of securing a favorable monetary offer from the insurance company. Our office has a convenient location at 1201 Main Street, Suite 1919, Columbia, SC 29201. Let us help you maximize the monetary recovery you deserve for your bus accident injuries.
What Is My Columbia Bus Accident Case Worth?
There is no disputing that bus accidents can lead to traumatic and serious injuries, some of which may affect the accident victim for the rest of their life.
Fortunately, bus accident victims who can satisfy their legal burden of proof may receive various types of monetary damages, either through a favorable settlement offer from the insurance company or a favorable litigation result in the state court system.
To secure monetary damages in a personal injury case, a bus accident victim must first establish that the bus accident and/or the at-fault third-party driver owed them a legal duty of reasonable care.
All motor vehicle operators have a duty to obey traffic laws and regulations and drive carefully and responsibly under the circumstances.
Next, a bus accident victim must show that the bus driver or third-party driver negligently violated their legal duty of care, such as by engaging in distracted driving or road rage.
Additionally, the accident victim must show that as a direct result of the at-fault party's negligent behavior, both the bus accident and their physical injuries occurred.
Financial recovery in a bus accident claim or lawsuit may vary considerably depending upon the circumstances. In general, a bus accident victim who suffers a permanent or debilitating injury will receive greater monetary damages than an accident victim who has suffered less serious injuries.
Other factors that may affect the size and scope of a bus accident victim's monetary damage award include the force of the collision, the number of collisions that occurred, the number of vehicles involved, the specific injuries that the accident victim suffered, and the cost of the accident victim's medical treatment.
Potential items of monetary damage that bus accident victims may receive include compensation for inconvenience, emotional anguish and mental distress, related past and future medical expenses, loss of earning capacity, lost income, loss of spousal companionship and consortium, permanent disability or disfigurement, lifetime or long-term care costs, past and future pain and suffering, lost quality of life, and loss of use of a body part.
Depending upon the nature and extent of your injuries, our legal team can ballpark the likely settlement or verdict value of your bus accident case. We can then set about securing the financial compensation you deserve and maximizing that compensation.
Where Do Bus Accidents Frequently Happen in Columbia?
Bus accidents in Columbia can occur virtually anywhere where buses and other motor vehicles are present.
Some of the most common Columbia bus accident locations include roadways and traffic intersections in the downtown area, parking lots, schools, bus depots, and interstate highways, including Interstate 126.
These accidents are also more likely to occur during rush hour, given the higher traffic volume on the area roadways.
If you sustained injuries in a Columbia bus accident that occurred in one of these locations, our legal team can begin advocating for you right away and protecting your legal interests.
We can quickly investigate the circumstances of your accident and determine your eligibility for filing a personal injury claim. We can then gather the necessary documents, file a claim with the appropriate insurance company on your behalf, and begin negotiating for the fair monetary compensation you need and deserve.
Types of Bus Accidents in Columbia
Bus accidents in Columbia, South Carolina, typically happen when bus drivers and third-party drivers violate standard traffic laws, such as by failing to yield the right-of-way at the appropriate time, speeding, failing to use turn signals, and failing to use rear view and side view mirrors.
Bus accidents may also happen when bus drivers and other people drive distractedly. For example, instead of watching the road, a driver might be looking at a cellular device, such as a phone or tablet, or programming a GPS navigation system. They may also eat or drink, comb their hair, apply makeup, or take part in some other activity besides watching the road.
Another unfortunate cause of bus accidents is intoxicated vehicle operation. When people drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they may lose their focus and their ability to operate a vehicle safely and carefully.
Alcohol and other drugs can significantly slow down a driver's brain functioning, resulting in various symptoms, including limited concentration, impaired judgment, blurred vision, delayed reflexes, delayed reaction time, and poor muscular coordination.
As a result, an impaired bus driver or third-party driver may be unable to see another vehicle approaching, or they may be unable to stop their vehicle in time to avoid a traffic accident.
Finally, some bus accidents happen when bus drivers and others exhibit road rage or reckless driving maneuvers. Reckless driving can take a variety of forms, but it typically involves tailgating other vehicles, cutting off other vehicles in traffic, and weaving around slower-moving vehicles without using a turn signal.
Unfortunately, these aggressive and reckless driving maneuvers can inadvertently lead to traffic accidents, including collisions that involve large buses.
When bus drivers and others exhibit these various types of negligence, several different types of bus accidents may happen.
Some of the most common types of motor vehicle collisions that involve buses include:
- Tailgate accidents, where one vehicle strikes the back of another vehicle
- Rollover accidents, where a large vehicle overturns in the middle of the road
- Sideswipe accidents, where the sides of two vehicles strike one another
- Head-on collisions, where two vehicles traveling in opposite directions strike one another
- Broadside collisions, where the front of one vehicle contacts the side panel of another vehicle.
If you sustained injuries in a bus accident that resulted from driver negligence, you are not alone.
The experienced Columbia bus accident lawyers at Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers can immediately begin to investigate your accident circumstances and develop a plan of action for your case.
We can aggressively negotiate with insurance company representatives on your behalf and pursue the compensation you truly deserve for your bus accident injuries.
Common Injuries in Bus Accidents
Bus accidents may cause passengers to suffer extremely serious and sometimes permanent injuries, depending upon the circumstances. This is especially true if the bus passenger falls out of their seat due to the force of the collision.
Common injuries that bus accident victims may suffer include rib fractures, soft tissue injuries, bone fractures, traumatic brain injuries, permanent cognitive impairments, spinal cord damage, full and partial paralysis, internal bleeding, internal organ damage, mouth and teeth injuries, facial contusions, bruises, open lacerations, and death.
Our legal team can handle the various components of your case while you focus on achieving a full medical recovery from your bus accident injuries.
Fighting the Insurance Company After a Bus Accident
After a bus accident, our legal team can handle all oral and written communications with insurance company adjusters.
In any motor vehicle accident claim or lawsuit, the insurance company is never on your side. In fact, they are your direct adversary, and they will do everything possible to derail your case and offer you as little financial compensation as possible.
Our legal team can aggressively fight for your legal interests by retaining an accident reconstructionist and pointing to favorable expert reports and medical records. Moreover, if the insurance company still does not make you a reasonable settlement offer in your case, we can pursue litigation in the court system on your behalf.
Steps to Take After a Bus Accident in Columbia
Following a bus accident that occurs in Columbia, there are several steps that you can take on your own to secure your legal rights and ensure your eligibility for recovering monetary compensation.
Those steps include:
- Seeking prompt medical treatment after her accident
- Following through with all recommended medical treatments, such as consulting with medical specialists or undergoing a prescribed medical procedure or physical therapy
- Gathering all pertinent documents in your case, including witness reports, police reports, medical treatment records, and medical bills
- Forwarding those documents to us so that we may assemble them into a settlement demand package for the insurance company to review in your case.
Speak With a Bus Accident Attorney in Columbia Today
If you recently suffered injuries in a Columbia bus accident, time is of the essence. This is because, according to the state statute of limitations, a bus accident victim must file a personal injury lawsuit within three years, beginning on their accident date. If they fail to do so, they will forever waive their right to receive any monetary recovery for their bus accident injuries.
The experienced legal team at Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers can meet with you right away to discuss your bus accident circumstances, the injuries that you suffered, and the medical treatment that you underwent. We can then develop a plan of action to resolve your case favorably through settlement or litigation.
Our legal team will do everything possible to maximize the total monetary award that you receive in your case, either through a favorable insurance company settlement offer or litigation result in court.
For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a skilled Columbia personal injury lawyer, please call us at (803) 500-3454 or contact us online.
