Bus Accident Attorney in Winter Park
Taking a bus can be a very economic and reasonable option when you are traveling between cities in Florida. However, you are putting your safety in the hands of a bus driver who is incentivized to complete their route in the scheduled time, and may cause them to drive in a manner that is unsafe or harmful to their passengers. If you have been involved in a bus accident, contact Abercrombie, P.A. today to discuss your options. Working with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Winter Park is an excellent decision that will help you recover any and all damages you are rightfully owed following an accident on a bus, and we will work to be sure your case is pursued to the full extent to get you what you deserve.
Schedule your free consultation today and get started on getting you the money you are entitled to, and read more below about bus accidents in Winter Park and the State of Florida. We look forward to working with you as soon as possible.
How Is a Bus Accident Different Than A Car Accident?
There are many things that make a bus accident different than a car accident. For starters, they are operating a significantly larger vehicle than a passenger vehicle, meaning they there is a greater risk to injury for the surrounding travelers. A collision between a bus and a sedan will cause significant damage to the sedan simply because of the size different, without even taking into account the speed or nature of the collision. There are many differences based on physical properties of buses, but there are legal differences as well:
CDL Licenses
Bus drivers are required to have a CDL license, meaning they are held to more stringent standards than a commercial operator, because of the greater responsibility they have for transporting up to, and sometimes more than, 75 passengers at a time, and all of their luggage. This means that the driver is responsible for the safety of each of these passengers individually, and the CDL license shows that they are capable of this responsibility. CDL drivers are required to keep extensive logs of their travels in order to ensure that they are compliant with regulations, which are all inspected during a claims process.
Insurance Policies
Since bus drivers are handling such precious (and expensive) cargo, the insurance policies that the drivers and/or bus companies carry are significantly larger than the insurance required for a passenger vehicle. Florida has extensive minimum insurance requirements for commercial bus drivers that greatly exceed passenger insurance policies, and therefore complicate the claims process. Because these insurance policies are so much more expensive, you can be certain that the legal team you will be dealing with are going to be a lot more aggressive in protecting the company’s financial assets, because they are handling a significantly-higher amount of money.
How Common Are Bus Accidents in the United States?
There are many different types of buses that travel across the United States each year, but we can use school buses as an example. School buses are actually one of the safest transportation methods in the country, which is a good indication that riding any type of bus is actually safer than driving yourself. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s report Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts, there were an estimated 475,000 crashes involving large trucks and buses in 2016, and only 0.8% (3,864) of those crashes were fatal. In comparison, there were 37,461 fatalities in all motor vehicle crashes in that year. Keep in mind that the 475,000 crashes reported include large trucks as well as buses, meaning that this number includes all 18-wheelers and semi-trucks, in addition to passenger buses.
Can I Sue After A Bus Accident?
There are a lot of factors that go into a lawsuit or settlement if you have been injured in a bus accident, but it is highly advised that you speak with a personal injury attorney who is experienced with bus accidents to determine exactly what your rights are. We will discuss the accident, your injuries, and the impact to your life that this accident has had, and will ultimately determine if, and for how much, we can seek damages from the bus company, their insurance provider, or both.
Schedule Your Consultation Now
The time to act is now in order to get your case started, and your life back on track as soon as possible. We look forward to discussing your options during our free initial consultation, and will work with you every step of the way to make this process simple, stress-free, and fair.
