Motor vehicle accidents can lead to a wide range of catastrophic injuries. That said, the accidents involving buses can prove the most devastating. That danger stems from two factors: the size of the buses and the number of passengers a bus can carry.
Contending with the aftermath of a bus accident can prove difficult for even the most prepared survivors. Your recovery can get all the harder if you don’t have someone to help you communicate with insurance companies. You deserve to have someone help you fight for your right to an accident settlement from an at-fault driver.
Fortunately, the bus accident attorneys in Fort Collins, CO, are here to help. You can meet with Zinda Law Group’s Fort Collins Truck Accident Lawyers to learn more about your right to a fair settlement.
Understanding Your Route to Compensation with Fort Collins Bus Accident Attorneys
Bus accident cases tend to be more legally complex than cases involving commonplace collisions with smaller vehicles. Liability for a bus accident can fall onto a range of actors, including a motorcoach company and even government entities. Even bus manufacturers can assume liability for your recent crash.
If there are so many parties that can assume responsibility for your losses, how can you determine who to name liable for your property damage, medical expenses, and non-economic damages?
Successfully litigating against these various defendants requires the attention of a skilled personal injury attorney. Our Fort Collins bus crash injury attorneys are well-trained, equipped with resources, and ready to help you strategize your path toward maximum compensation.
Communicating With Insurance Adjusters After a Bus Crash
It’s in your best interest to reach out to an at-fault driver’s insurance provider shortly after your initial crash. The sooner you connect with an insurance claims adjuster, the sooner you can discuss what support you might receive from the driver’s active insurance policies.
That said, insurance providers have a track record of protecting their own finances over yours. Even if you present extensive evidence of losses, including bus accident injuries, related medical bills, and non-economic damages, an insurance provider may still undervalue your claim.
Fortunately, the legal counsel with Zinda Law Group has extensive experience challenging insurance providers’ bad-faith settlement offers. We can even appeal a denied bus accident insurance claim on your behalf.
What’s more, we can help you determine which company to reach out to following a crash. City bus and school bus drivers may benefit from coverage through their employers. You can work with legal counsel to determine whether you need to reach out to an institution for insurance coverage or if you need to work within an individual’s policy.
Working With Denver and Boulder County Civil Courts
If you don’t receive the support you need from an insurance provider, you can file a personal injury claim outlining your right to action after a bus collision. So long as you submit your claim before your statute of limitations expires, you can demand monetary damages from a negligent party. Note, however, that you have an obligation to meet a civil court’s burden of proof before you can move your case forward.
It’s also in your best interest to estimate the value of your case alongside experienced counsel. Our team can bring forward evidence to establish your right to economic and non-economic damages, including coverage for the following:
- Accident-related medical attention and long-term medical care
- Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and/or permanent disability
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish
- Stress
- Loss of enjoyment
- Fatal injuries, if applicable
What’s more, you get a say in how your bus wreck case progresses should you take an initial claim to civil court. So long as your case moves forward, you can arrange out-of-court settlement negotiations before you go to trial.
John (Jack) Zinda
Founder / CEO
Over 100 years of combined experience representing injured victims across the country.
Available 24 / 7|Free ConsultationHow to Fight for a Bus Crash Settlement
Before initiating a bus accident lawsuit, you must prove that you have the right to legal action. You and a Fort Collins personal injury lawyer can do this by:
Assessing Bus Crash Negligence
Negligence is easily the most common cause of action brought in personal injury cases. Successfully arguing negligence requires that your injury attorney prove four elements. If any element is missing, the plaintiff’s case fails. The elements are:
- Duty: the obligation to protect others from unreasonable risk of injury
- Breach: the failure to meet that obligation
- Causation: a close causal connection between the action and the injury
- Damages: the loss suffered
In most cases, the first element, duty, refers to the duty to use reasonable care. Reasonable care is generally defined as “that degree of care which a reasonably careful person would use under the same or similar circumstances.”
In other words, what constitutes “reasonable care” varies according to the degree of risk associated with different activities. The greater the risk, the greater the amount of care required to avoid injury to others.
However, in cases involving common carriers, bus drivers are held to an even higher standard. They must exercise “the highest degree of care.” Put simply, common-carrier drivers must be extra careful when driving. This duty is a powerful tool in a bus injury victim’s arsenal. You can refer to a negligent bus driver’s failed duty when you’re filing an insurance claim or pursuing a personal injury case.
Respondeat Superior
The doctrine of respondeat superior is another powerful tool in a bus accident plaintiff’s arsenal. This doctrine allows employers to be held liable for the negligence of their employees. It only applies to your bus accident claim, however, when:
- The negligent driver was acting “in the course and scope” of their employment, and
- When their employer retained a “right of control” over the employee’s actions.
Further, the doctrine does not apply to independent contractors, only to employees. Was the driver of the bus that hit you an employee or an independent contractor? Again, if you were injured in an accident involving a bus, our Fort Collins bus accident attorneys can determine whether this doctrine impacts your personal injury claim.
Statute of Limitations
The governing statute of limitations is simultaneously one of the simplest and most consequential elements of all personal injury cases. Statutes of limitations set deadlines after which plaintiffs may no longer bring their cases seeking compensation.
In most cases, the Colorado statute of limitations is set at two years. Once two years elapse, you may no longer bring your case forward.
However, cases involving a “public entity or an employee thereof while in the course of such employment” are subject to an extra requirement in Colorado law. Plaintiffs in these cases must file a written notice to the defending entity after the date of the discovery of the injury within 182 days.
In all cases, time is of the essence. However, because so many buses are operated by “public entities,” it is even more important that you consult with an attorney as soon as possible after your accident. Contact our Fort Collins bus accident lawyers today for a 100% free consultation.
CASE RESULTS
Neil Solomon
Partner
Real results matter. We do not get paid unless we win your case.
Available 24 / 7|Free ConsultationA Fort Collins Bus Accident Lawyer Can Help
Bus accidents can have devastating consequences on a survivor’s life. Because liability may flow from many parties, including large corporations, government administrative offices, and irresponsible motorists, the path toward compensation is often legally complicated. Victims in these accidents should not hesitate to speak with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible.
At Zinda Law Group, we firmly believe that every personal injury victim deserves excellent legal representation. Our personal injury lawyers are proud to provide that representation. We’ve secured several multi-million dollar settlements for our clients and are ready to put that experience to work for you.
If you or a loved one was injured in a bus accident in Fort Collins, call Zinda Law Group for a 100% free case evaluation with one of our accident attorneys today. Our No Win, No Fee Guarantee ensures you won’t pay anything unless we win your case.
Meetings with attorneys are available by appointment only.
Jason Aldridge
Attorney
We have successfully represented clients in a wide variety of cases across the country.
Available 24 / 7|Free Consultation
