While traveling by bus is typically safer than traveling by car, plenty of serious crashes involving buses and other common carriers still happen around Texas every single year. Even worse, the legal rules and restrictions on civil lawsuits built around these sorts of accidents can change significantly depending on who owns and operates the bus involved.
Whether you want to pursue a case against a private bus operator, or a public transit service overseen by a local or state government, proceeding without a capable personal injury attorney on your side can be a unique challenge. No matter what circumstances led to you being hurt or what losses you need to recover for, a seasoned Hutto bus accident lawyer can help you seek the best possible case resolution.
Just like anyone else driving a motor vehicle, commercial and public bus drivers have a “duty of care” under state law which requires them to follow all applicable traffic laws and watch out for other people around them. On top of that, their status as common carriers transporting people imposes an even greater obligation to make sure their passengers are safe at all times.
This means that a plaintiff could file a claim even for injuries that are not directly caused by a collision. For instance, if a bus driver accelerates away from a stop too quickly and causes a boarding passenger to fall and get hurt, that driver would have caused that injury through their own negligence.
Likewise, a bus driver’s employer may hold vicarious liability for their employee’s misconduct or be directly liable for negligence of their own, such as subpar hiring practices or failure to provide appropriate training for new hires. Including a larger company or government organization in a claim can substantially increase the total amount of compensation available to an injured plaintiff, as any experienced Hutto bus wreck attorney can affirm during a consultation.
The typical deadline to file a claim after an accident is two years after the date of the crash in question, as established under Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code §16.003. However, while this standard time limit applies to claims against private bus companies, the Texas Tort Claims Act establishes that different effective deadlines apply to cases against government entities. For instance, people intending to sue the City of Austin must submit formal notice of their intentions within 45 days of their accident.
There are sometimes also caps on the maximum compensation a successful plaintiff may receive from a government entity, whereas there are no such limitations enshrined in state law for cases against private individuals and companies. A bus accident lawyer in Hutto can provide vital guidance regarding how these sorts of laws might impact the outcome of a particular claim.
Accidents involving public or private buses can be traumatic to go through and exceptionally difficult to recover from, in both physical and financial terms. Fortunately, support is available from professional legal representatives with experience fighting and winning on behalf of people in need.
Contacting a Hutto bus accident lawyer should be a priority for anyone dealing with injuries caused by a bus driver or bus company’s negligence. Schedule a meeting by calling today.