The Dayton Daily News reported that early in 2020, a nine-year-old girl from Dayton died in a bus crash. Two children in Columbus were seriously injured while waiting for a bus in October 2019, according to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Whether you are an Ohio bus rider, somebody in another vehicle, or a person waiting to get on or exit a bus, you may be the victim of negligence that results in serious injury or death. When such injuries or death occurs, you may consider civil court as a way to pursue financial coverage for your losses.
Call us at Bressman Law today at (614) 538-1116 to speak with our team about your eligibility to file a lawsuit which—if successful—could result in compensation for you and your family.
Buses Present a Unique Set of Dangers
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a bus is a vehicle that can transport nine or more people by design. Each individual bus is different, but there are common characteristics of buses that make them a danger to their passengers as well as others on the roads of Cincinnati.
Some of the most dangerous characteristics common in buses include:
- A lack of seatbelts, or only the most minimal versions of seatbelts
- Hard, metal-framed seats that can result in serious injury to body parts that strike the seats during a crash, especially the head
- A sizable clearance from the ground, which may make a bus more susceptible to rolling over
- A lack of airbags
- A significant weight, which makes it more difficult for buses to stop quickly
- Poor maneuverability, which generally diminishes a bus driver’s ability to swerve and avoid a collision
The amount and sort of safety features that are present on a given bus may depend on the bus type, model, make, and year of manufacture. Some of the most common bus types on the road are:
- School buses
- Greyhound buses and other long-distance passenger buses
- Public transportation buses
- Tour buses
- Shuttle buses
- Streetcars
This is not an exhaustive list, and you may have been struck by or riding on a form of bus other than those listed above when you sustained an injury. Regardless of the bus type involved in your accident, you should take the necessary steps to ensure your own safety and health. You have the right to work with a Cincinnati bus lawyer to inquire about your right to compensation.
For a free legal consultation with a bus accidents lawyer serving Cincinnati, call (614) 538-1116
The Steps to Take After a Bus Accident
If you are a passenger in a bus involved in a collision or are in another vehicle struck by a bus, you must ensure that your safety is first. This means that you should:
- Find a safe location
- Call 9-1-1 to alert authorities to the accident
- Speak with medical professionals on the scene to receive treatment for any apparent injuries
- If necessary, take an ambulance to receive further care at a medical facility
Once you are in a safe location, you should also take a number of important steps if you were in a vehicle struck by a bus. These include:
- Calling your insurance company and alerting them to the accident
- Meeting with the driver who caused your accident and requesting their insurance and contact information
- Speaking with police officers on the scene to give your account of events
Once you have done these things, you may reach out to a Cincinnati bus lawyer. They can provide more specific advice based on the unique details of your accident. More specifically, call our team at Bressman Law today at (614) 538-1116 for free advice regarding your case.
Cincinnati Bus Accidents Lawyer Near Me (614) 538-1116
A Cincinnati Bus Lawyer Can Help with Your Lawsuit
The nature of many buses means that a lawsuit involving a bus may have a number of considerations that are not generally applicable when two smaller vehicles collide. There may be multiple defendants in your case, for instance. They may possibly include:
- The individual bus driver
- A municipality (if the bus was government-owned and operated)
- A private business
When one passenger vehicle collides with another, the owner and operator of the vehicle may be the same person—leading to fairly straightforward litigation. When a bus is involved in an accident, often the owner of the bus (who may also be the employer of the bus driver) is a different person than the driver.
Your Cincinnati bus lawyer will help you understand who is liable for your accident. A non-driver defendant may be liable if they:
- Employed a bus driver who was unqualified, due to their skill level
- Employed a bus driver with behavior problems
- Failed to screen drivers for drug and alcohol use
- Did not maintain the bus according to industry safety standards
Your lawyer will take these possibilities into consideration while also analyzing the actions of the bus driver to determine whether they were negligent in their driving practices.
Services That a Lawyer Can Provide
Within the overarching goal of obtaining compensation on your behalf, there are several individual duties that a Cincinnati lawyer may fulfill for you. These may include:
- Gathering available evidence
- Conducting investigations in order to obtain currently undiscovered evidence
- Filing the necessary paperwork to begin your case in court
- Employing relevant experts to provide testimony for your case
- Serving as your legal advisor through trial or in settlement negotiations
- Protecting your rights
There is no need to try to provide these services for yourself—a lawyer is ready and more than willing to help you in your time of need.
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Call Our Team at Bressman Law Today
David Bressman and his team have a genuine stake in the Cincinnati community and take a personal approach to every client’s case. Let us help if you have been the victim of a bus accident. Call our team at Bressman Law today at (614) 538-1116 to start your case.
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