New York Personal Injury Lawyers / Boston Bus Accident Lawyer

Boston Bus Accident Lawyer

The decision to take public transportation may seem easy in certain situations. Boston traffic congestion, lack of parking areas, and the high cost if you can even locate a parking spot means public transportation, including buses, constitute a simple, low-cost alternative that many residents and tourists choose over driving themselves. Several bus routes cover Boston and its suburbs, and this does not include the school buses, tour buses, and private coaches found on our roadways.

Unfortunately, everything that makes Boston a great place to live, work, and easy to get around by bus also contributes to a high risk of bus accidents. If you have suffered an injury due to a bus accident, you should contact Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, and find out what legal options you have to seek compensation for your injuries.

When You Want Results, Experience Matters

The split-second your life changes due to a bus accident is something that can never be undone. Your life may never return to the way it was before the accident. For this and other reasons, pursuing compensation is necessary for protecting your future needs, both medical and personal.

Results matter when dealing with personal injury claims. For this reason, many of our past clients refer their friends to Jacoby & Meyers, LLP. Our former clients know that we have decades of experience focused entirely on personal injury law. While a law firm’s track record may not translate into future success, a firm with a solid history of winning cases may give you a better chance of obtaining the compensation you need to recover from your injuries.

At Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, we keep the doors of communication open for our clients. We are happy to answer your questions and we provide free, secure online access to your case files. We collect no legal fees unless we win your case. Combined with our free case evaluation, reaching out to us leaves you nothing to lose. Do not let the fear of legal fees prevent you from seeking the help you need with your injury or wrongful death case.

Potential Bus Accident Injuries

Victims of Boston bus accidents can suffer injuries in many different ways. Passengers on a bus, drivers or passengers in a car, bicyclists, and pedestrians all face a risk of injury

Some of the injuries that a bus accident victim could sustain include:

• Broken bones: A broken bone takes time to heal, and victims of broken bones, particularly elderly individuals, face the risk of serious complications.
• Brain injuries: Concussions, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and other forms of brain injury can impact a bus accident victim for decades following an accident.
• Spinal cord injuries: Spinal cord injuries impact people’s lives permanently. Even when the outcome does not result in paralysis, victims often live with debilitating pain.
• Internal injuries: A bus’s speed when it collides with a car or other vehicle can result in the victim being thrust forward and striking the steering wheel. This can cause serious internal injuries.
• Loss of life: When someone dies in a Boston bus accident, the decedent’s family must pick up the pieces and move forward. Surviving family members qualify to pursue a wrongful death claim in these cases.

Every bus accident involves unique facts and circumstances. School buses transport our children during the school year, buses often run from our senior centers carrying some of the most vulnerable among us, and tour buses often bring private groups to Boston to sightsee. When these large vehicles cause an accident, injured victims often need immediate medical care and legal advice.

If you or someone you love suffered an injury in a Boston bus accident, Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, stands ready to help you understand your options and help you file a claim for compensation with the appropriate insurers.

Avoid Problems Identifying Responsible Parties

Victims of Boston bus accidents often struggle to determine who bears liability for their accidents and injuries. This can prove particularly true in the case of bus passenger victims.

Multiple parties may bear liability for injuries that result from a bus accident, including:

• Bus driver – the driver of a bus may have faced distraction from a passenger, a GPS signal, or something else. The bus driver’s distraction may constitute the primary cause of the accident that caused your injury.
• Bus company – when a private company owns a bus, the company bears responsibility for making sure that its drivers receive adequate training. If a driver’s behavior on the road demonstrates irresponsible behavior and stems from the employer providing inadequate training, then the bus company may bear liability due to its negligence.
• Municipalities – in some instances, if a municipality owned the bus, the municipality may bear partial liability for the injuries suffered by a Boston bus accident victim.
• Another motorist – just like other motorists, bus drivers have to contend with drivers who may not pay adequate attention, speed, or weave in and out of traffic. If another driver tailgates a bust or sits in its blind spot, that driver may bear liability for a victim’s injury.
• Bus maintenance company – let’s face it, with numerous daily stops, wear and tear from stop-and-go traffic, and hundreds of passengers a day, buses need regular maintenance. When the maintenance company fails to perform simple safety checks, it may bear liability for an accident as a result of that negligence.

As you can see, determining who caused an accident can prove complicated. At Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, we will leave no stone unturned in making sure we identify all who potentially share liability for your Boston bus accident.

Potential Settlement for Victims of Boston Bus Accidents

If you sustained injuries in a bus accident in Boston, you probably have a lot of questions. Our clients frequently ask us early on in their claims process what compensation they can seek for their injuries. While we can never guarantee a successful settlement, certain categories of compensation exist that most victims can pursue.

Some of these include:

• Medical Expenses: Keep in mind, insurance may not cover all of a bus accident victim’s medical expenses. Expenses from the date of the accident to treat an injury can accumulate quickly. A Boston bus accident victim may need long-term medical care, which means a settlement demand must also include an estimate of future medical costs.
• Wage Losses: Perhaps one of the most frustrating issues for victims of a bus accident involves the money they lose when they cannot work due to their injuries. While injured individuals miss work to recover, they may qualify to collect partial disability benefits, but typically, these benefits only cover a portion of their lost wages. Remember, you may qualify to include other expenses in your lost income demand, including losses suffered because of an inability to collect bonuses, funds not being placed in company-sponsored retirement plans, and matching funds offered for deposits to retirement plans. An experienced attorney will be able to explain the guidelines for wage losses.
• Property Damage: You may qualify to include the cost of damage done to a vehicle, electronic equipment, and other personal items when filing a bus accident injury claim.

When a bus accident victim seeks out the advice of a skilled accident injury lawyer, the attorney will make sure to explore all potential avenues of compensation. Injured individuals should also include specific items that they may need, such as home modification, medical devices like wheelchairs, and hiring service workers to perform tasks at home that the injured individuals can no longer do while recovering from their injuries.

Important to Hold Insurance Companies Responsible

Roadway accidents in Massachusetts often prove complicated due to the state’s no-fault insurance rules. Victims of any roadway accident must report the accident to their own insurer. Additionally, as previously mentioned, more than one party may bear responsibility for injuries resulting from a bus accident.

Never forget that the insurance company only cares about its own bottom line. Every insurance company strives to make as much money as possible on behalf of its shareholders. As you know, you pay a premium every month, or annually, for auto insurance. This constitutes the primary source of revenue for all insurers. When an insurance company has to pay a claim, it impacts the company’s bottom line. As a result, insurance rates increase following an accident by an at-fault driver. However, the insurance company will still work to pay out as little as possible for a claim.

Some of the common methods of reducing accident compensation include:

• Deny fault outright – in many cases that involve commercial coverage, which buses must purchase by law, the insurance company may simply deny the claim and state the accident resulted from another cause separate from the insured driver. This means as the victim of a Boston bus accident, you will need your attorney to fight back on your behalf and demonstrate that the insured driver caused the accident.
• Claim your injury stems from something other than the accident – sometimes, an insurer will send a bus accident victim a medical release to sign. Never sign these forms without first reviewing them with your attorney, because they likely include important waivers and legal information. Nearly always, the release will cover all of your medical records so that the insurance company can determine whether evidence exists of pre-existing injuries.
• Claim the initial, low offer is final – one tactic an insurer may take is to offer you a quick settlement. When the offer seems low, and you call the insurer out on that, it may tell you that this constitutes the final offer, and it will not go up. Do not believe this argument, which constitutes just another common tactic to get you to settle for far less than the true value of your claim. Insurers know that once you accept an offer, they face no further obligation to pay any costs associated with your claim.

All of these steps conform with the law, even if they treat you unfairly or try to take advantage of you. These constitute just a few of the reasons why we always encourage someone who suffered an injury caused by someone else’s negligence to talk to a personal injury attorney before making any decisions.

Victims should avoid answering questions posed by insurance adjusters, even innocent questions, and should also never provide a recorded statement or sign any paperwork without a thorough legal review. Any of these things could jeopardize an otherwise strong legal case following an accident.

If you sustained severe injuries in a Boston bus accident, before you try to work with the insurer, contact Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, and speak with an accident injury lawyer. Remember, you have rights, and you have legal options. Don’t expect the insurance company to advise you of either.

There’s No Cost to Hiring Our Bus Accident Attorneys

Injured individuals who must miss work to focus on their recovery often stressfully monitor their expenses as they mount. You also may not have an idea of how long your recovery will take, making it even more important to use caution when spending money.

You should understand these key factors when hiring a Boston bus accident attorney:

• Consultation and case review is free: When you contact us for a consultation regarding your case, we won’t charge you anything for the consultation. We will discuss the specifics of your case, and we will make sure you know what legal options you have available to receive compensation for your injuries.
• Payment of legal fees upon successful settlement: You will pay no legal fees unless we successfully obtain a settlement on your behalf. You can feel confident that we will do everything in our power to get you the best possible settlement.
• You remain in control of the settlement decision: You should know that you have the right to accept any settlement offer made to you, even if we represent you and recommend pursuing further negotiations. We cannot accept any settlement offer without your consent, nor can we refuse an offer without telling you about it first.

While most accident claims do settle out of court, remember that your attorney will always remain prepared to take your case to court if we cannot secure a reasonable settlement with the insurance company.

Boston Bus Accident FAQ

Dealing with the aftermath of serious bus accident injuries leaves many people with many questions about their rights and their next steps, especially after a severe injury. Take a look at the FAQ below or contact a personal injury attorney to learn more about your next steps or your right to compensation.

1. Can I file a claim against a Boston school bus company if my child suffers an injury?

If your child suffers an injury due to an accident with a Boston school bus, you may need us to carefully look at how your specific school district handles transportation. The Boston Public School system has a specific transportation department that handles busing needs for students. However, the Boston Public School system may need to outsource busing needs in some cases.

When your child suffers an injury due to the negligence of a government entity or employee, you may have a more challenging time seeking compensation for your child’s injuries. Having a lawyer on your side can make it much easier to manage the claim and increase the odds that you will recover the compensation your child deserves for those injuries.

A lawyer can also help you understand the potential complications of a child injury claim, including how you may need to manage compensation given to your child following a severe injury.

2. How long do I have to file a claim after a bus accident in Boston?

According to Massachusetts law, you must file a claim against the entity that caused your injuries before the statute of limitations runs out. In general, that means that you have three years from the date of the accident to file a claim; however, if you suffered injuries in a bus accident with a government-held bus company, including a school bus, you may have only two years to file your claim.

Working with a Jacoby & Meyers LLP attorney can help you determine whether any exemptions to the statute of limitations may apply to your claim and help you move forward quickly so that you do not miss out on your right to compensation.

3. Who has to pay my medical bills after a Boston bus accident?

Following a bus accident in Boston, you may have significant medical bills related to your injuries. You may have to visit one of the many hospitals in the Boston area, including Massachusetts General Hospital or Boston Medical Center. However, wherever you go, you will likely discover that you may face substantial bills for your treatment.

As the injured party, and the one receiving medical treatment, you will need to make arrangements to pay your medical bills directly. However, you may have some options for covering the high cost of medical treatment.

PIP Insurance

Under Massachusetts law, every driver who carries an auto policy must also receive personal injury protection coverage that will offer compensation and coverage if they suffer serious injuries in an accident. If you have a PIP policy and suffer injuries in an accident with a bus, it does not matter which driver caused the collision.

You must use your PIP coverage to handle the immediate cost of medical bills related to your accident. Remember that your PIP insurance may cover a limited amount of your medical costs, depending on the coverage you selected when you chose your policy.

Medical Insurance

Many Boston residents carry medical insurance, which may help provide coverage and protection in various injury scenarios. Your medical insurance can prove essential for covering the long-term cost of treating serious injuries sustained in a Boston bus accident.

You may want to contact your medical insurance provider and ask about your coverage for specific types of medical care, especially if you have long-term medical needs related to your accident. You may, for example, want to ask about your coverage for physical therapy, durable medical equipment, or a stay in a long-term care facility.

Knowing what medical coverage you have can make it much easier to handle the cost of medical treatment.

A Personal Injury Claim

In many cases, you may file a claim for bus accident injuries in Boston.

A bus accident claim can provide much-needed compensation that may make it easier for you to handle many of the expenses that may go along with a serious accident, including the cost of your medical bills. Talk to a lawyer about whether you have grounds for a personal injury claim and, if you do have grounds for a claim, how much compensation you should expect for the injuries you suffered.

4. When do I have grounds to file a Boston bus accident claim?

You have grounds to file a bus accident claim in Boston when the bus driver or bus company’s negligent actions cause you to suffer an injury. That may mean, for example, that you have grounds for a claim when the driver drives distracted and collides with your vehicle or with you as a pedestrian. You may also file a claim if, as a passenger on a bus, you suffer slip and fall injuries or damages in a collision the bus driver caused.

To file a bus accident claim, you must suffer an injury in the bus accident. Bus accident injuries can range from broken bones and lacerations to more severe injuries, including brain injuries or spinal cord injuries. Working with a lawyer can identify the condition that led to your accident and give you a better idea of whether you may have grounds to file an injury claim.

5. What should I do if the bus driver’s insurance company offers me a settlement after a Boston bus accident?

A settlement offer may sound like a good thing. Getting a settlement may mean that you have funds in hand to take care of the immediate cost related to bus accident injuries, including the cost of your medical treatment. However, in many cases, you may find that an early settlement offer from the bus driver or bus company’s insurance does not reflect the full extent of your needs following a collision.

Sometimes, insurance companies will try to issue settlement offers that do not reflect the actual needs of the injured party. Even though you may deserve considerably more compensation than the company offers, the company may pressure you to accept that low settlement offer.

In some cases, that offer may contain only a small percentage of the compensation you deserve, not to mention only a small percentage of the funds you need to address the financial challenges you may have faced after your Boston bus accident.

Talk to a lawyer before you accept any settlement offer that seems to come very early in the process or does not reflect your long-term financial needs after the accident.

Our lawyers can go over the settlement and the losses you may have faced to explain the full extent of your rights after a bus accident.

Do not let the insurance company pressure you into accepting an immediate settlement offer. The adjuster may try to convince you that you have a limited time to respond. However, you have adequate time to consult a lawyer and learn more about your rights before agreeing to any settlement, particularly one offered early after your accident.

6. How long does it usually take to settle a bus accident claim in Boston?

Nobody can tell you how long it will take to settle your bus accident claim. A fast settlement may prove difficult if you suffered severe injuries in the bus accident. However, that time provides you with everything you need to ensure that your claim gets handled correctly and that you do not miss out on the compensation you need for your bus accident injuries.

You may need time to recover.

Bus accident injuries often mean a long road to recovery. Sometimes, that road may include several setbacks and complications that may increase the financial cost of your recovery and extend the time you remain out of work.

Your lawyer may recommend that you wait until you have progressed reasonably through your recovery to file a bus accident claim. You may not know what those long-term expenses will look like or how your accident will continue to affect your life until some time after the incident.

However, that does not mean you should wait until you have recovered to start your bus accident claim. Instead, contact a lawyer as soon as possible to start the ball rolling on your claim.

Your lawyer, and the insurance company, will need time to investigate the claim.

Bus accident investigations can quickly turn complicated. Not only does your lawyer need to investigate the accident itself to determine which driver likely caused the accident, but your lawyer may also want to look into the bus company directly.

An investigation might, for example, uncover that the bus company encouraged its drivers to spend too long behind the wheel, or that it instituted tight routes that bus drivers might struggle to meet on time. The bus company might also have failed to perform much-needed maintenance on its buses, which may increase the risk of serious accidents.

However, investigating the bus company and the other elements related to the accident may take time. Your lawyer may not want to put together an injury claim until determining all the elements that may play into your accident claim.

You may have to go through several rounds of negotiation to arrive at a reasonable settlement agreement.

Early in the negotiation process, it may seem as though both sides have started at extremes and have little chance of meeting in the middle. While the insurance company may push to minimize the compensation it has to pay out, your lawyer may push to maximize the compensation you can recover so that you can take care of your bills, manage your expenses, and handle needed medical treatments related to your injuries.

You may need to go through several rounds of negotiation as you attempt to come to an agreement that fits your needs and the insurance company’s policies and preferences.

Going to court may further extend the duration of your claim.

Sometimes, bus accident claims have to go to court. If you have to go to court to settle your claim, it may take longer to receive an acceptable settlement. You may need to wait for a court date, go through mediation before going into the courtroom, and present your case to the court. However, going to court usually means reaching a final settlement agreement regarding your bus accident.

7. Will my Boston bus accident claim have to go to court?

You will not have to go to court to settle a Boston bus accident claim in most cases. Most of the time, the insurance company does not want to go to court any more than you do. The insurance company knows that an in-court battle may mean substantially increased legal expenses. In many cases, it may not decrease the compensation the insurance company ultimately has to pay out, either.

You have greater odds of taking your bus accident claim to court if you suffered severe injuries that will require expensive, extensive, and long-term medical treatment or if you find yourself dealing with a case of disputed liability. Your lawyer can help you determine your likelihood of needing to go to court as you manage your claim.

Contact Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, for Help

If you or your loved one suffered an injury in a bus accident, contact our office today for a free consultation. Let us help you understand what legal options you have and make sure that you protect your rights.

We will work tirelessly to make sure you get the best possible settlement for your injuries and help you get your financial house in order following a Boston bus accident.

Reach out to Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, for your free consultation. Contact us or call us at any time at (877) 472-3061, and we’ll get started right away.

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Finkelstein & Partners, LLP
50 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02109