What Can I Do After a Bus Accident?

Personal Injury Law Firm in Philadelphia

Everyone uses buses for different means of transportation. Some people take the bus every day for years to commute to and from work so you don’t have to pay for gas or a car. Perhaps you use it every once in a while to get into the city to spend the day there. For others, your children use the bus to get to school every day. While there are many reasons a person might use the bus, one image typically comes to mind: a vehicle that is used to transport a group of people. While it can be a cost-effective way to get from point a to point b, it can also be a cause for concern because you are not in control of driving. The bus driver is. If you or a loved one has been injured in a bus accident you might not be sure of what to do next.

Who Is Responsible For the Bus Accident?

Although it might seem obvious who is responsible for a bus accident, there are actually multiple reasons an accident can occur. These are because of:

• The driver of the bus
• The bus equipment manufacturers or designers
• If it is a public bus, government entities
• The bus management company
• Other negligent drivers on the road

Now that you know who might be responsible for bus accidents, the next issue to tackle is how bus accidents happen. Some reasons an accident might occur are:

• Dangerous weather conditions and poor visibility
• Poor bus maintenance
• Recklessly driving
• The driver or another driver being under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Defective equipment
• Poorly maintained roadways

What To Do After a Bus Accident

Obtaining compensation after a bus accident is not always easy. There are a few steps you can take if you have been involved in a bus accident to help protect your legal rights. These are:

1. Seek Medical Care Immediately. This is imperative to help get your injuries treated as soon as possible and to properly document your injuries with a medical expert. This will be important when you make an insurance claim.
2. Call the Police. Although you might assume the bus driver or his superiors called the local law enforcement, you can never be sure. Call the police as soon as you are able to if they have not arrived within a few minutes of the accident.
3. Preserve Evidence. Keep evidence that could be important from the day of the accident, like articles of clothing.
4. Get Information From the Scene. It is important to document the scene of the accident. This could include getting information and contact numbers from witnesses, getting names and contact information from others involved in the accident, and taking pictures from multiple angles of the scene of the accident.
5. Contact an Attorney. Contacting a bus accident attorney after an accident can be particularly helpful when fighting for compensation after the event.

Getting into a bus accident can be extremely traumatic and cause emotional or physical injuries. If you have been the victim in a bus accident and have further questions, schedule a consultation with the personal injury law firm in Philadelphia at Wieand Law Firm, LLC today.