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Murrieta Bus Accidents Lawyer

People often speak of “getting hit by a bus” as a hypothetical example of a catastrophic or majorly disruptive event. In fact, getting hit by a bus is at least that bad, and bus accidents are often much worse than car accidents. Passenger buses are much bigger than cars, and driving them requires so much more skill than driving a car that bus drivers are required to hold a special category of driver’s license before they can legally transport passengers. Because of the size of a bus, it has much more potential than a car to cause a chain reaction collision or multi-vehicle pileup. Likewise, if the bus is full of passengers, then dozens of people could be injured, even if the bus is the only vehicle involved in the collision. The Murrieta vehicle accident lawyers at Gibbs & Fuerst, LLP can help you if you have suffered serious injuries in a bus accident.

Who is Liable for a Bus Accident?

In an accident involving two cars being driven for personal use, the driver who caused the accident is the one liable; therefore, it is usually the drivers’ liability insurance or uninsured motorist insurance that covers accident-related expenses, including medical bills. When one of the vehicles in a collision belongs to a company, the company is legally responsible for damage caused by that vehicle. Most buses belong to companies or to cities.

If a bus driver causes an accident that results in you getting injured, you may have a case against the bus company. This is true whether you were a passenger on the bus or a passenger in a car struck by the bus.

Collecting Damages in a Bus Accident Lawsuit

Bus accident lawsuits are just one of many kinds of personal injury lawsuits. That means that, if you get injured in a bus accident, you can sue the legally responsible party for economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages are the financial losses you suffered because of the accident, including medical bills and lost income from the time that you were unable to work because of your injuries. Noneconomic damages are compensation for pain and suffering, in other words, the harm that the defendant caused which does not have a dollar value. California is a comparative negligence state, and this means that if you bear some of the fault for the accident, such as if your car collided with the bus and the insurance company determined that the accident was 20% your fault, you can still win your lawsuit, but the court lowers the amount it awards you in proportion to your share of fault for the accident.

Contact a Murrieta Bus Accident Lawyer

Bus accidents can be physically, emotionally, and financially devastating, but a bus accident lawyer can help. Contact Gibbs & Fuerst LLP in Murrieta, California to set up a consultation about your bus accident case.