Santa Monica Bus Accident Lawyer

Santa Monica Bus Accident Attorney

Thousands of people in the Santa Monica area rely on bus transportation every day, including public transportation, as well as school buses for local children to get to and from school every day. While most bus passengers reach their destinations safely, bus accidents do happen in various ways. If you recently experienced such an accident, it’s essential to know the value of hiring an experienced Santa Monica bus accident lawyer to help you recover.

Legal Counsel for Bus Accident Victims in Santa Monica, CA

While it is technically possible to pursue compensation for a vehicle accident without hiring an attorney, this is inadvisable for many reasons. First, you could overlook crucial evidence you will need to correctly identify the party responsible for your damages, missing your chance to recover. Second, even if you managed to prove liability on your own, you would be unlikely to recover as much compensation as an attorney could obtain for you.

The team at Heimanson & Wolf, LLP, has years of professional experience representing clients in all types of personal injury claims in Santa Monica, including those arising from bus accidents. Whether you suffered injuries while riding as a bus passenger or you were hurt while driving your own vehicle when a bus crashed into you, our firm can help determine liability and secure compensation for the damages you suffered.

How to Prove Fault for a Bus Accident

The first legal challenge you face in the aftermath of a bus accident is proving the exact cause of the accident. Before you can recover compensation for your damages, you will need to identify the person or party responsible for causing your damages.

Any privately owned business that provides transportation to the public as a paid service is known as a common carrier, and all common carriers have strict legal guidelines they must follow to ensure they provide safe services. These include training drivers and maintaining compliance with applicable regulations. Common carriers have a higher duty of care compared to other drivers on the road when it comes to preventing accidents.

It is also possible for the driver of another vehicle to have caused your recent bus accident. In this case, proving fault will follow a similar process to what you would expect after most other vehicle accidents. Distracted driving, speeding, reckless driving, moving violations, and driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs are all potential causes of bus accidents in Santa Monica.

You may need a combination of various forms of evidence to successfully establish liability for your damages. Evidence you may need could include physical evidence from the scene of the accident, testimony from witnesses who saw the accident happen and others involved in the crash, and digital evidence like vehicle computer data or drivers’ cell phone records.

Claiming Compensation for Your Bus Accident

Your recovery process following a bus accident in Santa Monica is likely to begin with an auto insurance claim followed by a personal injury suit if insurance alone can’t compensate your damages. Your Santa Monica bus accident attorney can help determine whether auto insurance is available in your situation and, if so, assist you in filing your claim. Your attorney can resolve any disputes raised by the insurance carrier and help you secure a fair settlement.

When you have grounds to pursue a personal injury claim, you have the right to seek full repayment of all economic damages the defendant inflicted in the accident. These economic damages are likely to include:

• Property damage. If the defendant’s actions damaged or destroyed any of your personal property, you can seek compensation for all associated repair and replacement costs in your personal injury claim.
• Medical treatment costs. Most personal injury claims filed pertain to physical injuries. The defendant in your claim is liable for all medical expenses you incur from their actions, including the cost of any future rehabilitative care you may need to reach maximum medical improvement from your injuries.
• Lost income. When you have been left unable to work due to your injuries, the defendant who inflicted those injuries is liable for the income you are unable to earn during this time.
• Lost future income. If your bus accident resulted in permanent disability, you may not be able to work again in the future, or you may have severely diminished earning capacity. Your Santa Monica bus accident attorney can help you secure compensation for the future income you are no longer able to earn because of the defendant’s actions.

Once you have the right attorney handling your case, you may discover that you can claim more economic damages than you initially expected. California’s personal injury laws also enable you to seek pain and suffering compensation from the defendant. The state does not limit pain and suffering compensation in most personal injury cases, so this could form the bulk of your total case award if you suffered any catastrophic harm from the defendant’s actions.

Your Santa Monica bus accident attorney can help determine a suitable amount of pain and suffering compensation that reflects the severity of the harm you suffered. Plaintiffs who have sustained life-changing injuries resulting in permanent disabilities typically recover more pain and suffering compensation than plaintiffs expected to make full recoveries.

What to Expect From Your Santa Monica Bus Accident Attorney

When you choose Heimanson & Wolf, LLP, to represent your bus accident claim, you will have a responsive legal advocate readily available to provide guidance and support through every stage of your bus accident case. Our team has helped many past clients secure compensation for their damages in all types of complex civil suits, and we are ready to put this experience to work for you in your recovery efforts.

We typically seek to settle our clients’ cases outside of court whenever possible to reduce the time it takes for them to recover compensation for their losses. However, if litigation is necessary to resolve your case, you can rely on us to provide ongoing support through all your courtroom proceedings.

FAQs About Santa Monica, CA Bus Accident Lawyer

What Are Common Injuries From Bus Accidents in Santa Monica?

It is possible for a bus accident to result in serious injuries to multiple victims. Commonly reported injuries from bus accidents throughout the state include soft tissue injuries like whiplash, broken bones, facial and dental injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and more. It’s imperative to seek medical care as soon as possible after a bus accident, even if you think you sustained only minor injuries.

How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim for a Bus Accident?

Under California’s personal injury laws, the standard statute of limitations for personal injury claims is two years, starting on the date an injury occurs. However, if you are planning to file a civil claim for damages against any government-controlled entity, you face a much shorter time limit. Consult with an attorney as soon as possible so you can be sure to meet whatever statute of limitations applies to your specific case.

Who Is Liable for a School Bus Accident?

Liability for a school bus accident could fall to one or more parties depending on how the accident happened. The bus driver, bus company, and school district may all face liability, and it is also possible for a third party to have caused the accident and face responsibility for the damages suffered by all victims of the accident. A Santa Monica bus accident attorney can help determine fault for your damages.

How Much Compensation Can I Claim for a Bus Accident in Santa Monica?

After you have proven fault for your recent bus accident, you have the right to seek full repayment of all economic damages you suffered. You also have the right to claim compensation for your pain and suffering, and there is no limit to this aspect of your recovery in most types of personal injury claims. Punitive damages could come into play if the defendant caused the accident through any illegal misconduct.

What Does It Cost to Hire a Santa Monica Bus Accident Attorney?

The majority of personal injury attorneys in Santa Monica and throughout the state accept clients on a contingency fee basis. When you have a contingency fee agreement with your attorney, you will only pay them a fee if and when they win your case, and your fee will be a percentage of the total compensation they recover for you. There is no fee at all if the attorney is unable to obtain a case award.

Contact Our Team

The team at Heimanson & Wolf, LLP, has years of professional experience helping our clients in Santa Monica and surrounding communities with all types of vehicle accident claims, including bus accident cases. You have a limited time in which to pursue compensation for your damages, and the sooner you connect with our team, the sooner we can begin guiding you through your case. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with a Santa Monica bus accident attorney.