Bus Sudden Stop Accident Lawyers

Were you or a loved one injured in a sudden stop bus accident? Bus accidents are, unfortunately, quite common. Sudden stop incidents are among the most common types of bus accidents. Although many are quick to disregard these incidents because they appear not to be as serious as crashes, sudden stop incidents can also result in significant injuries. In fact, these incidents can give victims grounds to take legal action. If you are interested in learning more about your right to file a lawsuit for the harm that you or a loved one suffered in a bus sudden stop incident, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts here at our law firm today.

Here at the Normandie Law Firm, our lawyers are more than ready to handle your claim effectively and fight for your rights. Our experts have decades of experience handling all sorts of claims, including bus accident claims. Our lawyers are not afraid to take on your claim and start fighting for your right to win the payout that you are owed. If you are ready to speak with our attorneys, contact us at your earliest convenience.

More about Sudden Stop and Abrupt Stop Bus Accidents

Sudden stop incidents are very common. They typically occur because of the recklessness of the bus drivers and even because of the recklessness of the bus company (for negligent hiring, supervising, and training). Bus drivers that are distracted behind the wheel can find themselves needing to suddenly brake to avoid collisions. Similar, inexperienced drivers might simply brake too hard every time. Whatever the specific cause of the sudden stop, passengers are likely to sustain injuries.

Unfortunately, injuries are likely because of the nature of these incidents. Buses typically are not equipped with seatbelts that can keep passengers in their seats in the case of sudden stops. Because of this, some passengers can actually be launched from their seats into other seats in front of them, the metal safety bars, windows, and even into other passengers nearby. The same applies to passengers who are standing in the aisles when no seats are available (which is very common in public transportation) and to passengers who are walking towards a seat when a sudden stop incident occurs. Although these passengers are typically holding on to the metal safety bars (including overhead bars), this is often not enough to prevent them from being thrown around in the bus as mentioned above.

Our experts have been approached by victims of bus accidents saying the following:

• I was injured when the bus made a sudden stop for no reason.
• I was injured when the bus made a sudden stop with no warning.

The fact of the matter is that if you were harmed in a sudden stop bus accident, you could sustain injuries, and you could have grounds to file a lawsuit.
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Understanding Possible Injuries

Without a doubt, bus passengers can potentially suffer a number of injuries in sudden stop bus accidents. Some of these possible injuries are listed below:

• Head injuries and traumatic brain injuries
• Neck injuries
• Back injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Shoulder injuries
• Knee injuries
• Nerve injuries
• Lacerations
• Scrapes and bruises

Although these injuries might seem only minor, they could definitely result in devastating harm, some of which could even be permanent. Regardless of the types of injuries that you or a love one suffered in a bus sudden stop accident, contact us today. Our lawyers can help you better understand your right to take legal action for the harm that you suffered.

Can I Sue after a Sudden Stop Bus Accident?

Yes, if you were injured in a bus accident resulting from a sudden stop incident, you could have grounds to file an injury lawsuit. If the incident resulted in the fatal injuries that a loved one suffered, you could actually file a wrongful death lawsuit. Of course, if your lawsuit is successful, you could be eligible to recover a significant compensation. However, you might be asking yourself who you can sue. Based on the details surrounding your incident, you could have grounds to sue the bus company (this could be a private bus company, chartered and/or tour bus line company), a business that operates or hires a bus (like a hotel or a casino, for instance), a school district (after a school bus accident), or a city bus agency (after an incident on a city bus).

Further information about the legal action that you could take against these entities can be found below:

• Private bus companies (e.g., Greyhound Bus Lines) – private bus companies, like Greyhound, continue to be popular methods of transportation. These companies often have convenient stations connecting major cities. Greyhound buses remain a popular bus option in the Southern California area. Undeniably, however, sudden stop incidents can occur even on these buses, and Greyhound and other private bus companies could be found liable.
• Chartered bus and tour bus lines (e.g., buses chartered for casinos, churches, resorts, etc.) – it is common for private businesses, like casinos and resorts, for instance, to book charter buses or tour buses for specific events. Of course, the companies providing the buses could be found liable for harm resulting from bus incidents. However, it is also important to note that the businesses hiring these buses could also be liable for harm under some circumstances.
• School districts (specifically for school bus incidents) – all school districts have a duty to keep their students safe at all times, including while being transported on school buses. These buses are often driven by district employees as well. In some cases, however, school districts charter buses through other companies. Although usually the school district would be liable for any harm on their buses, it is also possible for charter bus companies to be liable for these incidents.
• City agencies (e.g., city transportation agencies like Metro) – many people depend on public transportation. In Los Angeles, California, for example, the largest public transit (specifically public bus systems) include the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA – or just Metro for short). Some of the other major public bus lines in the state include the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, the Sacramento Regional Transit, The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, the Bay Area Rapid Transit, and the SF Bay Area Transportation Directory. Regardless of the specific public bus system that the incident occurs on, the city could be liable for resulting harm because they are city owners and operated bus lines.

Sudden stop bus accident on casino buses, school buses, public city buses, etc. can all leave you with grounds to file a lawsuit for resulting injuries. No matter the type of bus that the incident occurred on, it is essential that you seek legal assistance as soon as possible for more information about your right to sue.

Understanding Common Carrier Laws and Why Bus Companies are Liable

In general, liability for auto accidents is based the negligent party that caused the incident. However, liability for buses on accidents is a bit different. Liability is based on common carrier laws. Firstly, a common carrier is any company or business that transports passengers (or goods) for a fee. Therefore, all the bus companies previously mentioned are considered common carriers.

What does this mean? Based on California’s Common Carrier laws (civil code 2100), common carriers owe their passengers the highest level of care. This means that they must use the highest degree of skill, care, and diligence to keep their passengers safe. Additionally, common carriers are typically strictly liable for any harm that their passengers suffer on their buses (with very few exceptions0).

For more information about common carrier laws and your right to sue after an incident on a common carrier, do not hesitate to contact our sudden stop accident attorneys as soon as possible.

Recovering Monetary Compensation

With the help of a bus abrupt stop accident attorney, you could sue and fight for your right to monetary compensation. What could you recover? Based on the details surrounding your bus accident claim, you could be entitled compensation for some of the following:

• Medical expenses
• Lost earnings
• Pain and suffering
• Punitive damages
• Legal fees
• Wrongful death benefits: these can include both funeral/burial expenses and loss of consortium – reserved for wrongful death claims

The Average Value of Sudden Stop Bus Accident Claims

You might be asking yourself many questions including what is the average value of compensation if I file a lawsuit for injuries after a bus sudden stop incident? Without a doubt, it is normal to have questions surrounding the possible value of your claim. Unfortunately, average values can often be difficult to determine; in addition, average values can often be misleading. The truth is that the value of these claims can vary significantly depending on the case. For instance, a case with only minor to moderate injuries can be worth about $200,000. On the contrary, a case with severe injuries can be worth $1 million or more. If you would like to learn more about the possible value of our sudden stop bus accident claim, contact us today. Our bus abrupt accident attorneys can help you get a better understanding of what your claim could be worth.

Contact Normandie Law Firm Today

If you are looking for a sudden stop bus accident lawyer, contact the Normandie Law Firm today. Here at our law firm, our experts have decades of experience representing victims and their families after different accidents, including bus accidents, and can help you with your claim. Our bus accident lawyers are ready to handle your claim and fight for your right to the highest recovery available.

Here at our firm, we offer free legal services. More specifically, we offer free consultations and free second opinions. During these free legal services, our lawyers will be available to answer all of your questions and address all of your concerns. Our sudden stop bus accident lawyers will be able to give you all the information that you need to pursue your claim. We also offer a Zero-Fee guarantee, so you can rest assured that you will never be required to pay upfront legal costs for any of our legal services. In addition, we work on contingency; therefore, you will not be responsible for legal fees until after winning your claim. This means that you will not pay unless you win.

If you are ready to speak with our lawyers, do not hesitate to contact us at your earliest convenience.

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