While some laws regarding transportation and personal vehicles may apply to buses, there is a specific set of laws that apply to public transportation. These are called common carrier laws and apply to any company that offers transportation services for a fee.
Nearly all busses in Chicago and throughout the region including Cook County, Kane County, Lake County, and DuPage County are affected by common carrier laws. Interestingly, common carrier laws are overseen on a federal level by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), which is responsible for all common carriers.
Common carrier laws are stricter than personal vehicle laws, mainly because they put more people at risk if something should go wrong. The statute outlining common carrier rights and responsibilities also makes it clear that the carrier is responsible for your safety while you are on one of its vehicles.
This is an important part of the law as it lays the responsibility on the carrier if you are hurt in an accident or another incident on the bus. There are few exceptions to the carrier’s responsibility too, so it is very likely that the carrier will be held responsible.
When Do You Need a Bus Accident Lawyer?
If you are injured in a bus accident, you need a Chicago bus accident lawyer. Transportation companies often try to offer people injured in a crash or their families settlements to quickly close cases. The faster a case can be closed, the less damage it does to the company’s reputation and profitability. While it may be tempting to accept a settlement, you should have a Chicago bus accident attorney examine it first.
Do Not Settle For Less
Settlement numbers can be in the millions of dollars, but they are often based on a value that people will agree to, not a value that will provide the level of medical and other support needed for the rest of the victims’ lives.
A bus accident lawyer in Chicago can examine the settlement, advise you, and negotiate with the transportation company to make sure that you get an amount that will help you as long as you need assistance especially if you’ve suffered serious injuries that could have a long term effect on your life.
How Common Are Bus Accidents
Despite the idea that accidents are common, bus accidents are actually not that common especially when compared to car accidents. In fact, they have a slightly better record than that of personal vehicles. Most of the time, bus drivers are able to get the vast majority of bus passengers to reach their destination safely.
Public Perception
While CTA bus accidents may be rare, they often become the focus of news reporting when they do happen. So, many people think that CTA bus accidents occur far more often than they actually do. But when an accident does happen on a CTA bus and you sustain injuries, be sure to discuss your case with a knowledgeable personal injury attorney.
Types of Bus Accident Injuries
Being a passenger in a bus crash can result in a variety of injuries. They are mostly the same kinds of injuries that often occur in accidents with personal vehicles like a car accident.
However, there is an overall higher chance of injury in a bus accident because there are few, if any, personal crash protection systems in buses. Most bus crashes result in bruising, concussions, and lacerations (cuts). Broken bones are also relatively common in more severe accidents.
Possibility of Fatality
In the rarest Chicago bus accidents where the structure of the bus is compromised, it is possible to receive fatal injuries upon impact. These often occur when buses are hit by other large vehicles, like trucks, and other buses.
It is also possible to be ejected from a bus in such a crash, although this is exceedingly rare. Because of the open structure of a bus, people are more likely to move around inside and receive blunt force injuries from hitting other people and hard surfaces.
The Compensation You Need
Experienced Chicago lawyers can discuss your injuries, how they occurred, and help you determine what kind of compensation you not only need but also deserve from your bus accident claim.
Past Bus Accidents
Chicago has had several bus crash incidents in the past few years. One of the most recent crashes where 4 people were hurt happened when a CTA bus driver had a medical emergency and lost control of the bus. It swerved out of its lane, across the other lanes, and hit a tree. Only four people were seriously injured. Another bus accident in Chicago involved a bus hitting an SUV that sent 11 people to the hospital.
Bus Accidents Are Still Unlikely
There are not many accidents involving buses, so elevated caution when riding the bus is not needed. Whether you’re riding in school buses or CTA busses or any other type of bus, you are still very unlikely to be involved in or seriously injured in a bus accident.
An Experienced Chicago Bus Accident Lawyer Can Help
If you’re in a bus accident, you need an experienced Chicago bus accident lawyer protecting your interests. Our Chicago personal injury attorneys can help you understand your rights after being involved in a bus accident.
Even if a bus accident doesn’t result in fatalities, the size and momentum of a bus can cause severe injuries and/or damage to personal property. Bus accidents can be complex to litigate due a variety of factors. So be sure to have an experienced Chicago bus accident attorney on your side to guide you through the complexities of the legal process of a bus accident claim.
Determining Fault in a Bus Crash
Determining who is at fault for a bus accident is one of the more important aspects of a bus accident claim. Responsibility for a bus accident could fall one or many parties ranging from the bus driver themselves to the company or organization that employs them. Any of the following parties could be held responsible after a bus accident:
Bus driver
Other negligent drivers
Bus management company
Bus equipment manufacturers
Government organizations, if a public bus
The Kryder Law Group, LLC Has The Experience You Need
Our lawyers are familiar with the different kind of bus accidents you might experience. Whether it’s a charter bus, a Chicago Transit Authority bus, a private bus company such as Greyhound and Megabus, or a school bus, our lawyers have the experience to investigate your case and win you the compensation you deserve.
We have helped thousands of accident victims, like you, to recover millions of dollars. Some examples of our previous personal injury cases include:
$2 million dollar recovery for a man struck by a speeding vehicle as he waited for the CTA bus.
$3 million dollar recovery for the family of a man killed by a truck making an illegal turn.
As with any vehicle accident, it’s important to make sure anyone injured in the accident receives prompt medical care. This should always be your priority.
Documentation
It’s also important to document the scene and take down contact information for everyone involved in the crash. Gathering any all documentation about the accident and how it might have happened could be a significant determining factor in how successful your claim can be.
Collect Witness Accounts
Gathering witness contact information is also critical especially in cases where there is no video documentation of the accident itself.
When bus accidents occur, our attorneys in Chicago can shepherd you through the legal side of things, so that you can focus on recovering from your trauma or caring for a suffering loved one.
Common Carrier Law
The “common carrier law” can also influence how your case goes after a bus accident. This law applies to any form of public transportation, such as buses or trolleys, and holds the carrier to a higher standard for ensuring passenger safety than the average person. However, it is still the responsibility of the injured party to prove negligence on the part of the driver or government entity in charge.
We Can Help You Determine Negligence
The Chicago attorneys at The Kryder Law Group, LLC are ready to help you discover if there is an issue of negligence in your bus accident case. We’ll conduct a thorough investigation to make sure you receive compensation for any injury, death of a loved one, or property damage caused by the accident.
Our Bus Accident Attorneys Are Ready to Help You
The experienced lawyers at The Kryder Law Group, LLC have the knowledge and experience to handle your bus accident case and fight for you to get the compensation you need to help you recover from your injuries and help lift some of the financial burden from medical bills and lost wages.
Free Consultation
Do not hesitate to get in touch with us. We can examine your situation and help you determine if you have a personal injury claim and what kind of compensation you may be entitled to. We can do this at no cost to you. Call today for a free consultation.
What will I get in my free consultation?
The Kryder Law Group is ready to talk to you about your injuries and discuss the strength of your case. This call is completely free with no obligations. You will be able to speak to an experienced CTA bus accident lawyer to ask all the questions you may have about your case like how long it will take and how much your case is worth.
We make sure we understand the goals and expectations of each and every personal injury client before we begin a CTA bus crash case and we are here to listen to you. This is why it is so important to us to provide a free consultation to every client.
This is what you can find out from the call:
The strengths and weaknesses of your case.
How much compensation you may be able to recover for your mass transit accident.
What insurance coverage from which insurance companies may be available for your case.
Will expert testimony, such as an accident reconstructionist, be needed for your case.
How long bus accident cases generally take to complete and how long your case may take.
A CTA bus accident attorney will answer any other questions about Illinois bus accidents or personal injury claims that you may have.
There is no obligation. There is no cost. There is no reason not to call to find out from an experienced CTA bus accident lawyer what your case may be worth.
(312) 223-1700