Since they are carrying children, you expect school buses to be the safest vehicles on the road. However, crashes involving them still occur. Both children and adults can sustain serious injuries in such a collision. If it occurred due to someone’s negligent actions, they can seek compensation.
If you were hurt in a school bus crash, you can file an injury claim. Knowing the legal nuances of school bus accidents in San Antonio can help you get the money you deserve. Our bus crash attorneys are ready to help.
Bus accidents are especially frightening because they involve students. If you are involved in a school bus accident, your first impulse may be to help any children, regardless of your own injuries or who is responsible for the accident. If you can do so safely and without making any injuries worse, you should do what you can, but remember that police and fire personnel are better trained and can do the job without making anyone’s injuries worse. Your best bet is to stay put and do what you can for yourself.
You should get as much evidence from the accident scene as possible, such as photos of the vehicles, witness contact information, and a police report or incident number. Your attorney may be able to obtain some of these things later.
School bus accidents are rare in San Antonio, but they still occur several times a year. While many such crashes result in minor injuries, some cause serious damage to everyone involved. The first step to claiming compensation is determining liability.
An experienced personal injury attorney can help the victim identify liable parties and file claims accordingly. If several parties are responsible for the accident, each one is liable for paying damages according to their contribution to the crash.
Liable parties have to cover damages sustained by injured people in San Antonio school bus crashes. Several types of damages exist:
Economic damages include all the direct expenses related to the crash. For example, the bus crashed into another vehicle, and a child passenger sustained fractures and internal organ injuries. All medical bills, recovery expenses, and rehabilitation costs are part of the economic damages.
Non-economic damages are damages that cannot always be backed by tangible evidence. They are related to the reduction of the injured person’s quality of life.
For example, if the child who got hurt faces PTSD, suffers from pain, or has to deal with long-term and painful rehabilitation, they can recover non-economic damages. In many cases, the financial equivalent of such damages is higher than for economic damages.
If the case goes to court, the judge may also award punitive damages. This usually happens when the at-fault party’s behavior is extremely reckless.
If you file a claim against a public school district through the TTCA, punitive (“exemplary”) damages are not available.
School bus accidents can be difficult cases because they may involve government entities. Public schools are considered government agencies, so the TTCA applies. This means that you cannot simply file an insurance claim and wait for the insurance company to investigate. To file a claim against a public school, you must send a Notice of Claim to the correct legal department and then provide certain information within 180 days of the accident. Some cities have a shorter time period, as short as 30-90 days.
Having a skilled personal injury attorney like those with Felix Gonzalez Law can help you meet those deadlines and avoid having your claim dismissed. Without a Notice of Claim, the school district will not accept your claim. We can make sure that your case is filed promptly with the right office so you do not waste valuable time.
If the school bus is operated by a private company that contracts with the district, you still need to be sure that it does not have a contract that guarantees they are covered by the district in the event of an accident. Our attorneys will review the bus company’s contract and make certain that you are filing a claim against everyone you are entitled to.
If you or your child were hurt in a school bus accident in San Antonio, you can file an injury lawsuit. A seasoned attorney can help identify liable parties, prove their negligence, collect evidence, and much more.
When you hire an attorney to take your case, be sure that they have the experience to handle your claim and the staff to take it personally. Some national personal injury firms may hand off your case to a paralegal, and you may never see the attorney who is managing your case. At Felix Gonzalez Law Firm, we take your case, and you can call us whenever you have questions or concerns about how your claim is going.
At Felix Gonzalez Law Firm, we have years of experience handling claims and helping people recover damages related to school bus crashes. To schedule a consultation, call us at any time. We are here 24/7.
