If you are in a bus accident, the first thing you should do is seek medical treatment for your injuries. Once you take care of your health, consider your options for recovering crash-related damages.
You can take several steps to help you seek compensation, including contacting a Long Island bus accident lawyer and having a free, no-obligation case review Keep reading to learn more.
- Your Rights After a Bus Accident
- Steps to Take After You Have Suffered a Bus Accident Injury
- How Long Do You Have to File a Bus Accident Claim?
- Should You Call a Bus Accident Lawyer?
- Contact Friedman & Simon, L.L.P. About Your Long Island Bus Accident
Your Rights After a Bus Accident
If you suffered an injury in a bus accident, you have the right to seek compensation for medical expenses, lost income, and more. You also have the right to have a Long Island personal injury lawyer represent you in an insurance claim or lawsuit arising from the crash.
For a free legal consultation, call 516-932-0400
Steps to Take After You Have Suffered a Bus Accident Injury
If you are in a bus accident, you should do the following to safeguard your health and financial future:
Gather Evidence
If physically able, you should collect as much evidence as possible at the time of the accident. Take photographs or video footage of the crash site, vehicle damages, and your injuries. Note the date, time, and location of the collision, as well as current weather and road conditions.
You should also get the driver’s license, insurance, and contact information from the bus driver and other involved motorists. Record the license plate numbers of the bus and any other cars in the accident. Finally, get the names and contact information of witnesses and bus passengers.
Seek Medical Attention
If you were not treated at the scene or immediately following the collision, see a doctor right away. You could have undiagnosed or worsening injuries. Importantly treatment creates a medical record to substantiate the degree of your injuries for your case.
Once you see a physician, follow their orders and attend follow-up appointments. Avoid activities or work that could aggravate your condition.
Track Your Expenses
You should maintain a record of your medical bills and other accident-related losses. You should also keep a diary detailing your physical, mental, and emotional state and ways you notice your injury interfering with your daily life. In general, you could recover bus accident compensation for:
- Current and future medical costs
- Lost income and employment benefits
- Lost future earnings and lost earning capacity
- Vehicle or personal property damages
- Household services
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental anguish and emotional distress
- Diminished quality of life
- Wrongful death of a loved one who suffered fatal injuries in a bus accident
Be Careful What You Say to the Insurance Companies
You can file auto accident insurance claims with your personal injury protection (PIP) insurer. If you have severe injuries and significant losses, you may also qualify for a liability claim against the bus driver, the driver’s employer, another motorist, or other responsible party.
Whether dealing with your insurance company or that of a negligent party, it is important to remember that they have their profits, not your best interests, in mind. You need to be careful what you say and do. If an insurance agent contacts you:
- Be polite and provide basic information, like your name and address, but do not go into detail about the bus accident or its cause
- Do not discuss the value of your claim
- Do not admit fault
- Do not agree to give a recorded statement
- Do not accept an initial settlement offer
- Ask them to direct future communications through your attorney
How Long Do You Have to File a Bus Accident Claim?
You should notify your PIP insurer and involved liability insurers as soon as possible after your bus accident to protect your right to file a claim. If you must take legal action to recover appropriate compensation, New York Civil Practice Laws & Rules § 214 allows three years to file a personal injury lawsuit in most cases. (It is important to note that many case types, and bus accidents in particular, often have shorter statutes of limitation. It is best to have an experienced bus accident lawyer review the facts of your case so that you can be informed as to the specific deadlines applicable to your situation and to understand your various options for compensation. )
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Should You Call a Bus Accident Lawyer?
There is no law requiring you to obtain legal counsel to handle your bus accident case. However, working with an auto accident lawyer from our firm can give you an advocate and ally who will do the work needed to build a solid claim.
While we focus on seeking compensation, you can focus on healing from your injury or caring for your hurt loved one. Our team will:
- Investigate your bus accident
- Gather case evidence
- Identify and calculate your losses
- File claims with your PIP insurance and seek a settlement up to the policy limit
- Establish your right to step outside New York’s no-fault insurance system and seek compensation from a liable party
- Draft and file insurance and legal paperwork
- Track and manage deadlines
- Communicate with involved parties on your behalf
- Protect you from bad-faith insurance tactics or pressure to accept a hasty/lowball settlement
- Aggressively pursue the maximum compensation possible
- Prepare your case for civil court and represent you at trial if necessary
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Contact Friedman & Simon, L.L.P. About Your Long Island Bus Accident
Bus accidents can leave victims with catastrophic and fatal injuries that can upend their lives and the lives of those who love them. You deserve compensation for losses resulting from a crash, especially if the collision was the fault of a negligent party. A bus accident lawyer with our firm can provide the aggressive advocacy you need.
Friedman & Simon, L.L.P. has secured over $250 million for personal injury and wrongful death clients on Long Island. We know what it takes to get the money you deserve and are committed to providing the highest level of legal care. Contact us today for your free initial case review. Our team speaks Spanish, Greek, Bengali, Tamil, and Kannada. We can discuss your claim and tell you more about your options.
Call or text 516-932-0400 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form