Surprise Bus Accident Attorneys

Representation After a Surprise Bus Collision

Mass transportation has done many good things for the state of Arizona, but if you've been involved in a Surprise bus accident, then you already know that the good also comes with a significant sacrifice on the part of the victims. Individuals who are involved in collisions of any sort with a bus face serious injuries and property damages, and these issues that arise from a traffic collision can cause long term damage and trauma physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially. For some people, the stress of these types of problems is too much to bear alone. A skilled Surprise personal injury lawyer can help you get your life back together, but only if you are willing to reach out for help and go after the compensation that you deserve from the at-fault bus driver and bus company.

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Why Some Victims Never Seek Appropriate Recompense

When you're involved in a bus crash that was caused by a negligent driver, you deserve recompense for the damages to your vehicle, your injuries, and other losses. But just because you are entitled to receive compensation doesn't mean you're going to get it. The number one reason people are not treated fairly when a bus driver causes a collision and they are injured is because they do not understand that they deserve better than they receive, or that they are entitled to any sort of compensation for what has happened to them. So, the most important thing that can be said to victims at this point is that if you were injured in a traffic crash that was caused by a bus driver or another motorist, you deserve compensation that covers your expenses and proper medical treatment.

But what if the insurance company, the bus company, the bus company's attorneys, or the bus driver tells you that their offer is the best deal you're going to get? The truth is that the opposing side has their best interests in mind. You may be told that the amount being offered to you is a one-time offer and that if you do not accept it you will lose everything or be offered a much lower sum down the road. You may also be told that your injuries and expenses are not worth more than what you are being offered. This is simply not true, and is a tactic used to bully you or scare you into accepting an offer that isn't fair.

So, what if you accept the offer and then later find out that you could have gotten more money for your injuries? Unfortunately, if you accept the offer from the negligent bus company, you'll probably sign a piece of paper stating that you agree that this is the final debt owed to you. That means that you will not be able to pursue additional damages.

That's why it is so important to never to sign any documents, talk to anyone from the other party, make any statements, or accept any money for your accident without speaking to an attorney. A skilled personal injury attorney can help you determine a fair compensatory amount for your injuries and losses and negotiate with the negligent bus driver's company to reach a settlement that is fair to you.

Another major reason that some victims never seek or get the recompense they deserve is that they wait too long. Likely, you file the insurance claim right away. But if you're unaware of your rights as a victim or you are nervous about contacting an attorney, you may wait much longer to file a lawsuit. The trouble is that the statute of limitations in Arizona is only two years. While this may seem like a lot of time, building a strong lawsuit and taking it through the motions of being filed in court takes a lot of time. If you call an attorney the week before the statute of limitations expires on your case, the likelihood that your attorney will be able to file on your behalf and win your case is slim, if there is any chance at all.

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How Bus Accidents Happen

Whether or not you've ever been involved in a Surprise bus collision, you may wonder how an accident like this could even happen. Bus drivers should be, and in many cases are, some of the safest and most defensive drivers around Arizona. But that doesn't mean that these drivers and the companies they work for don't ever make mistakes.

Here are some of the most common reasons that bus accidents happen in Surprise. Knowing these hazards on the road may help you can avoid becoming a victim yourself.

• Tired drivers. Some buses start early and run late. Although bus drivers are sitting down the majority of the day, and certainly throughout their entire shift, this can become tiresome and can cause severe fatigue. Bus drivers who do not get up and stretch their legs or grab a cup of coffee every once in a while are likely to become easily fatigued. Drivers who work long shifts, and work either the very early morning shift, or the late night shift are also likely to become fatigued. It is important to note that if a driver coming off the late night shift causes a collision with you while driving their own vehicle, there may still be ways to hold the bus company accountable for keeping the driver on too long of a shift, if that contributed to the accident.
• Distracted drivers. Driving a bus is not always the most exciting task in the world. Distracted drivers, especially in a bus, are dangerous to drivers on every road in Surprise and throughout Arizona. It is easy for bus drivers to become distracted and not be able to keep their focus on the road since they must also keep their eyes on the passengers in the bus.
• Poor maintenance on the bus. Bus companies are responsible for ensuring the safety of passengers on board, the safety of the drivers, and the safety of other drivers on the road by ensuring that they do proper maintenance on their vehicles. In some serious cases, the maintenance logs are falsified and buses may not receive proper maintenance for years. This can cause the bus to falter in many different ways on the road, leading to an accident, and injuries to you.

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Injuries That Result from Surprise Bus Accidents

Surprise bus accidents involve motorists, motorcycle riders, bicycle riders, and pedestrians alike. And there are many different injuries that you can sustain when you are involved in an accident with a bus. Think about it. A bus is even larger than a passenger vehicle and this means that you are likely to sustain injuries on an even grander and more serious scale than if you are involved in a collision with a passenger vehicle. Some of the most common injuries that are sustained by individuals who are involved in a collision with a bus include:

• Broken bones - Broken bones can take months, if not years, to heal, and if they become infected, can cause serious injuries for you that lead to surgeries and even loss of use of some of your broken bones.
• Internal injuries - Internal injuries include bleeding, damage to internal organs, and other problems. Individuals on motorcycles, bicycles, or their own two feet are more likely than those riding in cars to sustain these types of injuries as they will be hit directly by the bus and likely slammed into the ground or another surface.
• Traumatic brain injuries - When you are hit by a bus, the impact of the bus against your vehicle, your motorcycle, or your body can cause your brain to shift and hit against your skull. If your head hits a window, or hits the ground, there will be additional trauma. Individuals who sustain traumatic brain injuries (TBI) as a result of being involved in a car accident may fall into a coma either temporarily or indefinitely, and may also lose cognitive abilities and physical abilities that could be permanent.

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Why You Might Need a Surprise Bus Accident Attorney

A skilled Surprise auto accident attorney is more than just a voice for you in the courtroom. When you hire an experienced attorney he or she will be able to assist you in getting the medical care you need, gathering evidence and finding witnesses, and negotiating on your behalf so that you can focus on healing and not have to worry about your medical bills or other issues. If you were involved in a traffic collision with a bus and the driver of that bus was at fault for your collision, contact The Husband & Wife Law Team at (623) 930-8064 for help.

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