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Dalton residents rely on buses as a form of transportation to go to school, work, and run various errands. If you live on the Dalton College campus, you may have booked a ride on the Whitfield County Transit Service bus to get to a doctor’s appointment or grocery shop. You may have hopped on the Greyhound bus to Atlanta, or maybe your children ride a school bus. All of these vehicles are usually safe because they are so much larger than almost anything that might crash into them. However, when bus accidents do occur, they are often extremely serious because several passengers are involved.
When you are injured in a bus collision and wish to seek damages, whether the vehicle is government-owned or a private carrier is critical information. When someone was negligent—like the driver or bus company—you could be entitled to compensation for your injuries. A Dalton bus accident lawyer is prepared to discuss your experience and explain what our skilled personal injury attorneys can do for you.
Bus drivers must carry a commercial driver’s license with an endorsement to carry passengers. A bus company that hires an unqualified driver could be held responsible for a crash along with the reckless driver who causes one.
To prove negligence, plaintiffs must show a defendant had a duty to them and breached the duty, causing an accident with injuries to plaintiffs. A bus driver talking to passengers and being inattentive to the road is breaching the duty to ensure passengers reach their destination safely. If the driver crashes into a concrete barrier, scattering passengers and injuring them, the elements of negligence are met. Other parties who could be plausible defendants for a bus accident include:
A determined attorney would consider all possible defendants when investigating negligence after a bus accident in Dalton.
Minimum insurance requirements for large carriers have been set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Buses transporting more than 15 people must carry at least $5,000,000 in liability insurance, while those transporting fewer than 15 are subject to carry a minimum of $1,500,000.
In most cases, bringing a lawsuit against the government is difficult or impossible because of sovereign immunity; however, children injured in Whitfield County school bus accidents can be compensated. Georgia allows lawsuits to be brought against school districts, holding them liable up to the amount of insurance the county carries for such situations.
An experienced Dalton lawyer can explain how to hold school and other public transportation systems liable after a bus crash.
Bus collisions and other accidents resulting in injuries because of someone’s negligent acts or inaction are known as personal injuries. Compensation from the perpetrator or an insurance company is meant to restore the person to the condition enjoyed before the injury through a financial settlement.
Compensatory damages include economic losses that provide payments for expenses the injured party incurred—such as medical bills, property loss, and lost wages—as well as non-economic damages which assign a dollar amount to an injured person’s subjective losses—such as disfigurement, emotional trauma, and pain and suffering.
A dedicated bus injury lawyer will aggressively seek the maximum compensation possible for an injured individual and their family after a bus accident in Dalton.
As a person injured in a bus accident, you have limited time to prove your case in court. Do not wait. Evidence and witnesses’ memories fade with time. The procedure for suing the government for a school bus accident is also different than for a private carrier. Insurers may be involved, and you need a skilled negotiator to handle that process. Multiple defendants will make the situation more complex.
After your injuries are treated and your health is stable, seek legal counsel to explore your options. A Dalton bus accident lawyer is a competent negotiator and litigator who could seek justice on your behalf. Call today to schedule an initial consultation.