A bus accident has the potential to turn your life upside down. Get legal help if you’ve been involved in such an accident. Talk with a bus accident lawyer in Toledo, and they will describe your legal options.
Groth & Associates is an Ohio personal injury law firm with over 150 years of combined legal experience. If you or your family member has been injured in a bus crash, our Toledo personal injury lawyers want to help you pursue compensatory damages for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses from the incident.
Give us the opportunity to review your bus accident case. We will let you know if you have grounds for an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit against anyone at fault for your bus accident. If so, we will guide you through the process of requesting compensation for your accident losses. To get started, schedule a free case evaluation.
Why Hire a Lawyer for Your Bus Accident Case in Toledo, Ohio?
Hiring a bus accident attorney in Toledo will help protect you from dishonest insurance companies and give you an excellent chance of getting compensatory damages.
Some of the ways that your lawyer will help you with your case include:
- Investigating your bus crash and gathering evidence to support your compensation request
- Analyzing police reports, medical records, witness statements, traffic camera or dashcam footage of your accident, and other forms of evidence
- Determining if the bus driver, bus company, bus maintenance provider, or another party is liable for your accident
- Filing a claim with the appropriate insurance company
- Negotiating a fair settlement with an insurance company
- Explaining how personal injury settlements are paid out
- Taking your case to court if an insurer fails to offer a reasonable settlement
- Sharing FAQs and other legal resources with you
- Keeping you updated throughout your case and remaining accessible to answer any questions you have
Groth & Associates is committed to helping our clients achieve outstanding case results. Throughout your bus collision case, our personal injury attorneys will stand by your side and make sure that your legal needs are met. For more information, request a free case evaluation.
For a free legal consultation with a bus accident lawyer serving Toledo, call (419) 930-3030
Compensation Available to You in a Bus Accident Lawsuit in Toledo, Ohio
Under Ohio law, bus accident victims have a legal right to seek financial relief for the full value of their damages. Your Toledo bus accident lawyer will look at your economic and non-economic damages as they assess your case’s potential value.
Here are various reasons a judge or jury will award damages to bus accident victims and their families:
- Medical bills: Track what you spend on ambulance fees, emergency room care, rehabilitative treatment, physical therapy, surgeries, and other costs as you treat your concussion and other accident injuries. When you do, your lawyer will have evidence to use to strengthen your case for damages for your medical expenses.
- Lost wages: If a spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic brain injury (TBI), or another catastrophic injury from your accident keeps you from working, your lawyer will advise you to ask for damages for your loss of income.
- Diminished earning capacity: If your bus accident injuries prevent you from working the job you held previously, your lawyer wants to help you recover damages based on your diminished earning capacity.
- Vehicle repair or replacement costs: If your vehicle is damaged or destroyed in an accident involving a bus, your lawyer will work hard to get you compensation for the costs to repair or replace it.
- Pain and suffering: Your lawyer wants you to recover damages for your post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other emotional distress or physical discomfort that you experience because of your bus accident injuries.
- Burial and funeral expenses: Filing a lawsuit is sometimes an option for those who lose a family member in a fatal bus accident. If you are eligible to sue for a wrongful death in Ohio, it’s possible that proceeding with this option will allow you to recover damages for your loved one’s burial and funeral expenses and other losses.
Generally, the statute of limitations for a car accident claim in Ohio is two years. If you want to request damages after getting hurt in a bus accident caused by someone else, you typically have two years from the date of the incident to file your lawsuit. Those who want to file a wrongful death lawsuit have two years from the date of death to sue any liable parties.
Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me (419) 930-3030
What to Do if You Receive a Bus Crash Settlement Offer
Toledo bus accident lawyers will encourage you to weigh the pros and cons of a settlement offer carefully. Your attorney wants you to receive compensation for your property damage, the costs of treating your head injuries and other injuries from the incident, and other losses. At the same time, they are unafraid to go back and forth with an insurance company on your behalf.
Your attorney wants you to care for your internal organ damage and other injuries from your bus collision. As you do, they will give your personal injury claim the attention it deserves. Your lawyer will negotiate the terms of a settlement with an insurer for you. Any time an offer is made, you will have the opportunity to review the proposal before you decide on it.
Expect your lawyer to give you information about the average car accident settlement in Ohio and your potential recovery from your bus collision claim. If no settlement agreement is reached, your lawyer has no issue with taking your case to trial.
How to Identify Liable Parties in a Bus Accident Case
Your Toledo bus accident attorney will conduct an investigation to identify any liable parties. During the investigation, they will examine video footage of the incident, interview witnesses, review police reports, and do other things to find out who is at fault.
Ultimately, the facts of your bus crash will dictate who is liable. Below are potential defendants in bus accident lawsuits:
- Bus driver: A bus driver is speeding, driving while distracted, or committing other careless or reckless acts behind the wheel. If this driver causes an accident, it’s likely that they will be held responsible.
- Bus company or transit authority: Under the principle of vicarious liability, an employer will be held responsible for the actions of negligent workers on the job. As a result, a bus company or transit authority will usually be held liable for a collision if one of its employees acts negligently or fails to exercise a duty of care.
- Motorists: A motorist changes lanes unsafely or fails to yield the right of way to a bus, leading to a crash involving multiple vehicles. In this scenario, the driver will often be held accountable for the losses of those involved in the incident.
- Bus manufacturer: If faulty brakes or another mechanical failure is a factor in a bus collision, those harmed during the incident will potentially have grounds for suing the vehicle manufacturer for damages.
Your lawyer will give you information about negligence as it relates to your bus collision. Along with this, they will provide insights into what is considered a personal injury in Ohio and the things to do to prove negligence in your case.
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What Negligence Means in a Bus Crash Case
Similar to other motor vehicle accident cases, bus crash lawsuits are frequently brought under Ohio’s negligence standard. To prevail in your lawsuit, you will have to prove the following to a judge or jury:
- The defendant owed a duty of care to you.
- They failed to live up to that duty.
- There is a connection between the breach of duty and your accident.
- You sustained tangible or intangible losses in the accident.
Per Ohio Revised Code § 2315.33, you are subject to modified comparative negligence in your bus accident lawsuit. If you sue for a bus crash and are found to be 1-50% liable, your damages will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
On the other hand, if the court rules that you’re 51% or more to blame, you are barred from recovering damages.
Legal Complexities in Bus Accident Cases
Just because you say that someone is responsible for your bus collision doesn’t guarantee that a judge or jury will rule in your favor. Bus accident lawyers in Toledo know the challenges that come with proving liability and negligence. They will address these challenges and position you to recover compensation through a bus crash claim or lawsuit.
If you file a claim, a liable party’s insurance company is likely to dispute fault or say that you’re partly or primarily responsible for the accident. Often, the business will offer a lowball settlement.
Your attorney knows your case’s worth and they will handle insurance settlement negotiations. However, if you don’t get an adequate settlement offer, your attorney is ready to go to trial.
With a bus crash lawsuit, your lawyer will argue how the defendant acted negligently. They want the court to see that the defendant put you in danger and caused your accident, injuries, and damages.
Your attorney will use a bus’s event data recorder (EDR) or black box data, crash scene photos, and other proof as they detail why your damages request is warranted.
Common Causes of Bus Accidents in Toledo, Ohio
In Toledo and other Ohio communities, transportation accidents involving buses and other vehicles occur for many reasons. Bus accident attorneys in Toledo will account for the specifics of your crash to assess the root cause of the incident.
Some of the reasons why bus collisions are reported in Ohio cities and towns include:
- Driver error: A bus driver who engages in distracted driving or is prone to driver fatigue is increasingly likely to make a mistake that results in an accident.
- Mechanical failures: Brake defects, tire blowouts, broken steering components, and other vehicle failures have been linked to bus collisions.
- Poor road or weather conditions: Potholes and other road hazards make it tough to drive a bus safely and, in certain instances, contribute to accidents. Meanwhile, rain, sleet, snow, and other inclement weather conditions lead to slick roads and sometimes make it difficult to avoid bus crashes.
- Blind spots: Ignoring blind spots, particularly at intersections and in high-traffic areas, will raise the likelihood of bus collisions.
- Improper maintenance: A lack of proper maintenance will affect a bus’s performance to the point where the vehicle becomes unsafe to operate due to a high risk of a crash.
Remember, if you are involved in a bus collision due to these or other reasons, personal injury attorneys are prepared to help you recover damages through a legal claim or lawsuit.
Partner with Our Toledo Bus Accident Attorneys
Leave nothing to chance in the aftermath of a bus collision caused by someone else. Speak with bus crash lawyers in Toledo who have a track record of success in cases like yours. This allows you to get insights into what personal injury cases entail and make an informed decision whether to move forward with a bus collision claim or lawsuit.
Groth & Associates is committed to providing our clients with personalized, compassionate, and results–driven legal representation. Our personal injury lawyers will protect your legal rights and best interests throughout your bus collision case.
If you are interested in filing a bus collision claim or lawsuit, we are here to assist you. Our personal injury attorneys will prioritize your case as you focus on your recovery from your bus crash. Contact us to learn more.
Call or text (419) 930-3030 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
