Los Angeles Bus Accident Attorney
Buses serve as critical pieces of our transportation infrastructure in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. This includes the extensive metro bus services operated by LACMTA, as well as an extensive network of
intercity buses, school buses, airport shuttle buses, and party buses. Unfortunately, individuals can sustain severe injuries in accidents caused by bus drivers or bus companies. At ABDI & Associates, we are standing by the help if you need a Los
Angeles bus accident attorney to help you recover compensation. We have experience investigating complex injury claims throughout California, and our goal is to ensure that you recover full compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, property damage
expenses, and pain and suffering losses.
Turn to ABDI & Associates for Your Los Angeles Bus Accident Claim
At ABDI & Associates, we understand the importance of taking the time to get serious injury claims done right the first time. · Attorney Shawn Abdi will handle your case personally.
This means that you will have an attorney listening to your story and available to answer your questions and concerns. · Our team will not back down from aggressive insurance carriers, including those who work for government entities and major companies.
· We have a track record of success in recovering significant settlements on behalf of injury victims throughout Los Angeles and California.
Do You Need a Lawyer for a Bus Accident Claim?
Bus accident claims in Los Angeles are very difficult to handle for the average individual. Unfortunately, dealing with insurance carriers, bus companies, and government agencies can become overwhelming,
and this often leads to individuals settling for much less than they deserve. A skilled Los Angeles bus accident attorney will use their resources and dig into every aspect of the claim. This will include uncovering evidence such as photographs or video
surveillance, statements from eyewitnesses, police reports, inspection records from the bus company or agency, and more. Additionally, an attorney will handle all negotiations with the insurance carriers or other attorneys involved in order to recover
a fair settlement on behalf of their client. If needed, an attorney will file a civil personal injury lawsuit in court within the required deadlines and take the case in front of a jury.
Common Causes of Bus Accidents in Los Angeles
Everyone in Los Angeles is familiar with the Metro. Operated by LACMTA, there is an extensive network of bus routes throughout
the city. The Metro has around 1.3 million boardings each weekday. However, the Metro is not the only bus system operating in and around the city. LAX is one of the busiest airports in the world, and there are various public and private shuttle buses
that operate to transport passengers to and from the airport. Los Angeles also has plenty of intercity bus systems and services operated by major companies such as Greyhound, Megabus, FlixBus, and more. These buses not only take passengers to other major
cities in the state of California but also to areas throughout the country, including Las Vegas, Tucson, Phoenix, and more. Bus accidents occur in a wide variety of ways throughout the city of Los Angeles. These incidents range in severity, from minor
rear-end accidents to more severe T-bone collisions that lead to catastrophic injuries. These incidents can be caused by the careless or negligent actions of regular vehicle drivers, but they can also be caused by the bus driver or the bus agency. Some
of the most common bus driver-related causes of accidents include drivers: · Operating while fatigued · Operating while impaired by drugs or alcohol · Failing to abide by traffic laws · Speeding · Following others too closely · Failing to yield the right
of way · Not using a turn signal In addition to these bus driver causes of accidents, bus agencies or companies can also be the primary cause of incidents, or at least they could be partially responsible for the incident. This can include if the company:
· Fails to regularly inspect and maintain each bus · Fails to properly check the background of new hires · Fails to properly train drivers · Encourages drivers to operate long hours Ultimately, bus companies or agencies will likely be held liable for
the actions of the bus driver if the driver causes a crash. It is imperative for Los Angeles bus accident attorneys to dig into the incident and discover whether or not the company contributed to the incident in any way due to their actions or inactions.
Most Common Bus Accident Injuries
Bus accident injuries can range in severity. These injuries can occur to any party involved in the incident. This can include passengers on the bus, drivers and passengers inside other vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists,
and anyone else that may be impacted by the collision. Some of the most common bus accident injuries that the attorneys at ABDI & Associates help clients with include the following: · Fractured or dislocated bones · Traumatic brain injuries · Concussions
· Spinal cord trauma with paralysis · Whiplash · Other severe neck or back injury · Internal organ damage · Significant blood loss · Lacerations or puncture wounds · Crush injuries · Scarring and disfigurement We would be remiss if we did not discuss
the unseen injuries also caused by serious bus accidents in Los Angeles. These include the emotional and psychological traumas caused by the incident. Individuals often suffer from prolonged feelings of anxiety, fear, stress, sleeplessness, and other
types of emotional damage as a result of a bus accident. In fact, bus accident injury victims can suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after these incidents occur. It is imperative to understand how these injuries affect bus accident injury
victims because these unseen injuries can significantly impact a person’s life, much in the same way the physical trauma does.
Types of Compensation Available in a Los Angeles Bus Accident Case
Individuals will typically be able to recover various types of compensation if their bus accident claim is successful. This may be compensation that comes through an insurance settlement
or as a result of a personal injury lawsuit against the bus driver or bus company. Competition should include a range of economic and non-economic damages, which can include: ·
Economic damages
. Economic damages that a person recovers after a bus accident revolve around the calculable expenses they incur as a result of the injuries and property damage involved. We say that these are calculable because we can actually gather
up receipts or bills that come in in the aftermath. Some of the most common types of economic damages for Los Angeles bus accident include: o Emergency medical expenses o Doctor’s office visits o Surgical treatment o Physical therapy or rehabilitation
bills o Medications o Medical devices o Lost income or lost earning capacity ·
Non-economic damages
. Non-economic damages are a bit different than the economic damages because they revolve around more immeasurable expenses that bus accident victims incur. There are not going to be bills or receipts that come in that can easily
be added up, and these non-economic damages include a victim’s: o Physical pain and suffering damages o Emotional and psychological distress o Loss of enjoyment of life damages o Loss of consortium for a spouse or a family member
How Much is Your Bus Accident Claim Worth?
There is no set amount of compensation paid out to bus accident victims in LA. Rather, there are a variety of factors that will need to be examined. Often, attorneys will work with trusted economic and financial
experts, in conjunction with medical professionals, to adequately calculate their client’s losses. A bus accident claim could range anywhere from $10,000 to hundreds of thousands of dollars, and it is entirely dependent on the factors related to each
particular claim. Some of the main factors that go into calculating compensation after a bus accident include: · The severity of the bus accident injuries · The level of property damage sustained · Whether or not an individual can work well recovering
· The length of the recovery time · How much pain and suffering an individual endures · Whether or not there was any shared fault for the bus accident Calculating bus accident compensation will involve gathering all of the bills and proceeds that come
in and adding them up, particularly for economic damages. When working to calculate the non-economic losses, the computations become more challenging. Often, an attorney will use a “multiplier method,” which involves taking the economic damage total and
then multiplying that by a set number (often the number ranging from 2 to 5) to reach the non-economic total. For example, if an individual sustains $300,000 worth of calculable economic expenses, an attorney could use a multiplier of “three” to reach
a non-economic total of $900,000. Overall, an attorney would seek $1.2 million on behalf of their client.
Who Can be Held Liable for a Los Angeles Bus Accident?
There may be various parties who could be held liable for a bus accident that occurs in Los Angeles. Just like any other type of vehicle accident on the roadway, drivers inside of traditional
vehicles could certainly be at fault for the incident. However, some other liable parties could include: · The bus driver (though the bus company may ultimately be responsible) · The bus agency or company · The manufacturer of the bus or individual bus
parts · Any maintenance crew responsible for the bus It is imperative for an attorney to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident in order to determine which party or parties may be held liable for the incident. It may be the case that there
is more than one party responsible, which could complicate the matter, but it could also help better ensure that a client receives complete compensation for their losses.
What if You Are Partially Responsible For a Bus Accident?
It is not uncommon for there to be more than one party responsible for an incident. In fact, an injury or property damage victim could even be partially responsible for causing their own damages.
Attorneys or insurance carriers regularly try to place the blame on the injury victim in order to limit how much money they pay out in a settlement. In California, however, this state operates under what is known as a “pure comparative negligence” system.
This means that an individual can receive compensation even if they are up to 99% at fault for the incident. Country, individuals are prohibited from recovering compensation if they are 50% or more at fault. But not here. However, if a person is found
to be partially responsible for causing their own injuries, they will receive reduced compensation. For example, suppose an individual sustains $100,000 worth of economic damages (medical bills, lost wages, property damage) in an accident with a bus.
However, let us also suppose that this individual was found to be 30% responsible for the incident because they were distracted by their phone at the time the crash occurred. In this case, a jury would likely award the individual $70,000 instead of the
full $100,000 to account for their percentage of fault. Because shared fault can indeed reduce the compensation a person receives, we encourage any bus accident victim in LA to work with a skilled attorney who can push back against allegations of fault.
Time Limit to File Your Los Angeles Bus Accident Lawsuit
Bus accident victims in California need to know that they have a limited amount of time to file these claims. The personal injury statute of limitations in this state is two years from the
date an injury occurs. This means that a bus accident victim in LA has a two-year window with which to file a lawsuit against the alleged negligent party. Failing to file a lawsuit within this timeframe will likely mean that the injury victim will be
unable to recover any compensation for their losses. However, bus crash victims also need to keep insurance carrier deadlines in mind. The insurance carriers involved in these claims will have their own deadlines, often within a few days after the crash
occurs. Failing to promptly report the incident to the insurance carriers could result in a claim delay or even denial. You do not have to go into much detail when you initially report the incident to an insurance carrier. In fact, all they need to know
early on is that the incident occurred, the names of other parties or companies involved, and that you are seeking medical treatment for your injuries.
Steps to Take After Being Involved in a Bus Accident
There are various steps that individuals can take to help ensure that they recover maximum compensation after a bus accident occurs in Los Angeles. We know that these steps may not be able to happen
in this exact order, but we strongly encourage individuals to do as much as they can to ensure their well-being. 1.
Check for injuries
. Right after a bus accident occurs, the number one priority is to check for any injuries. Whether or not you are a passenger on the bus or in another vehicle involved, you need to assess injuries immediately. You may not be able
to assess the injuries of every other party involved in a bus accident, but do what you can to see if other people need assistance. Render aid only if it is safe to do so. 2.
Call 911
. Someone needs to call 911 and report the bus accident, even if the incident seems relatively minor. The dispatcher can get EMS, fire, and law enforcement personnel on the way to the scene to control the incident. 3.
Seek medical treatment
. We encourage all bus accident victims in Los Angeles to go to an emergency room or the doctor immediately. This can include taking an ambulance to the hospital or having a friend or family member drive them there. Even if
injuries do not seem severe, a doctor needs to conduct an evaluation. This helps establish a link between the accident and any injuries that do arise while also ensuring that a person receives medical care quickly. 4.
Gather evidence
. It may or may not be possible to gather evidence at the scene of the incident, depending on how severe the crash was and how severe the injuries are. At the scene, individuals can use their cell phones to take photographs and video
footage of the entire area. This includes causes of the crash, traffic and weather conditions, vehicle damage, injuries, and more. Additionally, it is crucial to get the names and contact information of as many eyewitnesses if possible, because their
testimony could provide valuable evidence to insurance carriers or during a personal injury trial. 5.
Call an attorney
. An attorney needs to get involved relatively quickly after a bus accident occurs. That is because there are so many parties involved in these claims that evidence could disappear, get destroyed, or get discarded before the claim
even gets going. An attorney can step in and begin their investigation, which will include sending a letter of spoliation to all parties involved informing them not to destroy or discard any evidence. An attorney will also help ensure a person receives
adequate medical care and that their losses are adequately calculated. 6.
Continue medical treatment
. President injury victims must continue all medical treatment prescribed by their doctor until they either fully recover or reach the point where continued medical care is unlikely to improve their condition. If a bus accident
injury victim discontinues their care before they have fully recovered or against the advice of a medical professional, this could be used as evidence by the insurance carriers to say that the injuries were not as severe as initially claimed. 7.
Stay off social media
. Bus accident injury victims need to stay off of social media. It can seem like second nature to post about an incident on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, but this could end up jeopardizing a claim. Even posting something as
seemingly innocuous as going to a baseball game with your kid could be used as evidence by the insurance carrier to say you have not really been harmed as a result of the incident. Do not think that just because your social media is private that an insurance
carrier or legal team won’t see it. They will.
Affording a Bus Accident Attorney in Los Angeles
Affording a bus accident lawyer in Los Angeles can seem incredibly challenging. Most people wrongfully assume that there is no way they will be able to afford an attorney to help with their claim,
but that is not the case. At ABDI & Associates, we handle Los Angeles bus accident claims on a contingency fee basis. This means that clients do not have to worry about paying out-of-pocket or upfront costs related to their case. Our team will only
collect legal fees after the case is over and we have successfully recovered the compensation that our clients need. If we do not win your case, you pay nothing. We believe that a contingency fee arrangement is the best way for individuals to stand up
to well-funded bus companies or agencies and their legal teams. Most individuals do not have the ability to take on these teams without the money upfront, and we want to make sure that happens.
Call a Los Angeles Bus Accident Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one has sustained an injury or property damage as a result of an accident involving a bus in the Los Angeles area, reach out to an attorney as soon as possible. At ABDI & Associates,
our team has the resources necessary to fully investigate every aspect of your bus accident claim. You deserve compensation, and we will help determine the liability of other parties involved, stand up to aggressive insurance carriers, and fully represent
you in court if needed. Let us help you recover compensation for your medical bills and lost wages, as well as any pain and suffering damages you sustain. When you need a Los Angeles bus accident lawyer, you can contact us for a free consultation by filling out the contact form at the bottom of this page, or you can call us at (888) 772-2529.