West Palm Beach Bus Accident Lawyer

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Were you or a loved one involved in a bus accident in West Palm Beach, FL? You may be entitled to seek compensation for your injuries. Contact an experienced West Palm Beach bus accident lawyer at Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers for help recovering the maximum compensation you deserve.

We’ve been committed to protecting the rights of accident victims since we opened our doors back in 1996. To date, we’ve recovered tens of millions of dollars in life-changing settlements and verdicts for our clients in South Florida.

You may be entitled to financial compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. To learn more, call our law offices in West Palm Beach, Florida at (561) 556-7873 to schedule a free consultation today.

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How Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Bus Accident in West Palm Beach

Most of the time, public transportation is a safe and convenient option. We rarely think about what would happen if we were involved in a bus wreck. Unfortunately, even a minor bus accident can have serious consequences.

Filing a personal injury claim or lawsuit can help you get the money you need. Hiring a personal injury lawyer in West Palm Beach, FL will greatly increase your chances of recovering the full amount you deserve.

At Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers, we can help by:

Investigating to identify all responsible parties and insurance coverage options
Standing up to insurance companies that will try to downplay the extent of your injuries
Hiring leading experts and specialists to offer expert testimony
Defending you if you’re blamed for causing the accident
Negotiating with the insurance companies on your behalf

Getting hurt is never easy. Our legal team has a long history of standing up for accident victims like you. We’ve been recognized as an AVVO top attorney with a perfect-10 rating. We’ve also earned a spot in the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

Our West Palm Beach personal injury lawyers would be proud to use our skills to your advantage. All you have to do is call us today for a free initial consultation.

How Common Are Bus Accidents in West Palm Beach, FL?

Buses offer a convenient way to get around Palm Beach County. Palm Tran operates 32 bus routes out of West Palm Beach. Approximately 35,000 passengers board Palm Tran buses each day. Countless parents rely on school buses to transport children to and from school.

Unfortunately, bus wrecks do happen. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), approximately 17,720 bus drivers and passengers were involved in bus accidents statewide in 2020.

In 2020, at least 223 bus passengers and drivers were injured in bus accidents across the state of Florida. Most of the injuries were sustained by passengers. Those figures don’t even begin to account for occupants in passenger vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists who may have sustained injuries in bus crashes.

Our lawyers at Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers handle all types of bus accident cases, including those involving:

Palm Tran buses
Charter buses
Shuttle buses
Greyhound buses
Tour buses
School buses

Sadly, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) research shows that about 40% of all bus crashes involve school buses.

What is My West Palm Beach Bus Accident Case Worth?

Factors that can play a role in calculating the fair value of your personal injury claim include:

The severity of your injuries
How the injury impacted your work, education, and quality of life
Your costs and expenses
The emotional trauma you’ve experienced
Your pain and suffering
The nature of the responsible party’s actions
Whether you’ve suffered a permanent or long-term impairment

In other words, your case is probably worth more than your past medical bills and lost income to date. That’s why we highly recommend that you have an experienced attorney review your case before taking a settlement offer.

What Types of Damages Are Available to Bus Accident Victims?

If you were injured in a bus crash, you may have sustained a variety of damages. You have the right to pursue compensation for all of your losses.

Our lawyers at Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers will pursue money to cover your economic damages, or financial expenses, including:

Past and future medical expenses
Lost wages
Lost earning potential
Rehabilitation
Nursing care
Property damage
Other out-of-pocket expenses

We’ll also pursue compensation for your more subjective, non-economic damages, including:

Pain and suffering
Mental anguish, anxiety, and PTSD
Diminished quality of life
Disfigurement
Scarring
Loss of consortium

If you lost a loved one in a fatal bus crash, you may be entitled to additional damages for funeral costs, loss of inheritance, and more.

Can I Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for a Bus Accident in Florida?

Unless you were injured as a bus passenger, there’s a good chance the insurance company might try to blame you for causing the accident.

Under Florida modified comparative fault law, you will lose your right to damages if your share of negligence exceeds 50%. If you’re held 50% or less responsible for the bus accident, your damages can be reduced in proportion to your share of fault.

We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Bus Accident Injuries

Buses have the ability to cause significant damage in an accident. Often, occupants in passenger vehicles suffer the most severe injuries in a crash.

Our West Palm Beach bus accident attorneys at Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers often represent accident victims who have sustained:

Traumatic brain injuries
Concussions
Broken bones
Whiplash injuries
Soft tissue damage, including sprains and sprains
Nerve damage
Spinal cord injuries
Head and neck injuries
Concussions
Back injuries
Internal organ damage
Burns and abrasions
Chest injuries
Amputations
Paralysis
Catastrophic injuries
Wrongful death of a loved one

The injuries you’ve sustained may also depend on the type of bus accident. Our lawyers handle all types of bus accident cases, including those involving rollovers, t-bone accidents, rear-end collisions, and even head-on crashes.

What Causes Most Bus Accidents in West Palm Beach, Florida?

Many of the same factors that can cause a typical car accident in West Palm Beach also play a role in bus accidents. The streets of West Palm Beach can be congested and difficult to navigate–especially during prime tourist season.

Overall, some of the most common causes of bus accidents include:

Distracted driving
Driver fatigue
Inexperienced bus drivers
Failure to yield the right-of-way
Speeding
Stopping in unsafe locations
Failure to account for longer stopping distances
Aggressive driving
Passing too closely to other vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians
Dangerous turns
Running a red light or stop sign
Drunk driving
Driving under the influence of drugs
Failure to regularly inspect and maintain the bus
Vehicle defects
Dangerous road conditions and poor visibility

Multiple factors can play a role in any bus crash. While the bus driver’s negligence is often a contributing factor, other parties may ultimately share financial liability. That makes it especially important to identify every factor that contributed to the cause of your accident.

Our lawyers in West Palm Beach have the tools to launch a full investigation into the crash. To get started, call to schedule a free case review today.

How Do I Prove Negligence After a Bus Accident in Florida?

Bus accident victims can seek compensation from anyone who contributed to the accident.

Responsible parties often include:

Bus drivers
Bus companies
Government agencies
Maintenance companies
Manufacturers of defective vehicle components
Third-party drivers, pedestrians, or bicyclists

To successfully recover damages, however, you’ll first have to establish liability. That usually requires proving negligence. Someone is negligent when they fail to exercise a reasonable level of caution.

More specifically, your lawyers will work to prove that:

The defendant owed you a legal duty of care
They violated, or breached, that duty
The breach directly caused the accident
You suffered damages

Bus drivers in Florida are common carriers. That means they’re held to a higher standard of care. Still, a detailed investigation will be necessary to prove your case–and that takes time and energy. While you focus on recovering, let our lawyers coordinate an investigation to find out who was responsible for your injuries.

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Bus Accident in Florida?

It’s always a good idea to speak with a lawyer relatively soon after an accident. It can take time to locate evidence to prove your personal injury case.

However, under the Florida statute of limitations, you usually have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit. After the two-year deadline passes, the court will refuse to hear your case. That means you’ll be barred from seeking damages.

Note that historically, under Florida law, you had four years to file a negligence claim. However, it was revised on March 24, 2023. So if the bus crash in West Palm Beach happened after that date, you’ll need to take action within two years.

In some bus accident cases, you may have less time to act. Before you can recover damages from a government agency, you’ll have to file a notice of claim. The deadline may only be a few months from the date of your injury.

Contact a West Palm Beach Bus Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation

Were you or a family member injured in a bus crash? Our lawyers at Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers know how to handle these complex cases. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced West Palm Beach bus accident lawyer.