Buses are a critical piece of Florida’s transportation infrastructure. They provide an accessible and affordable source of transportation for commuting, traveling, or running errands. Like all other motor vehicles you can find on the road, buses are susceptible to serious accidents that can inflict severe injuries upon bus passengers and other vehicles.
If you have been seriously injured in a bus accident caused by someone else’s negligence or reckless behavior, you have the right to seek compensation in a bus accident lawsuit with a personal injury attorney. The best way to protect your potential settlement from being diminished is by hiring an experienced and dedicated Boca Raton bus accident lawyer to handle your claim.
The lawyers of Keller, Melchiorre & Walsh take pride in helping our clients restore their lives after suffering severe injuries inflicted by motor vehicle collisions. At KMW Legal, we recognize that a fair settlement can alleviate more than the financial burdens of medical bills and lost wages. It can mean a fresh start for your family after a long road to recovery.
Our results-driven approach and tenacious attitude have helped us establish a record of recovering maxim compensation for injured bus accident clients. In addition to our award-winning negotiating skills, we have ample trial experience, making KMW Legal well-suited to take on powerful defendants in court when we have reason to believe your settlement is worth more than they’re offering.
When your world has been turned upside down by painful injuries and suffocating debt, you need a lawyer you can trust to have your best interests in mind while pursuing compensation for your losses. KMW Legal are respected experts when it comes to negotiating settlements for complex bus accident lawsuits.
We recognize that each bus accident claim is unique, and we will treat yours as such. You can have full confidence that we will put our decade of experience to good use, thoroughly detailing the damages you are eligible for and looking to the future to anticipate the ways in which your injury may continue to harm your health and financial stability.
We encourage you to schedule a free strategy session with our Boca Raton team to learn more about how our comprehensive services can benefit you as you seek damages in a bus accident lawsuit. Our team is prepared to go above and beyond to protect your rights and negotiate a settlement that covers your needs.
Bus drivers are entrusted with safely transporting passengers all over Boca Raton. Negligent bus drivers may become impaired or distracted, leading them to make costly mistakes that endanger the lives of the passengers they are responsible for. An attorney in Boca Raton could determine the cause and at-fault party of a bus wreck.
Bus drivers have to be hyper-aware of their surroundings at all times to avoid potential accidents, like merging into a bicyclist in the bike lane while making a stop. The operation of a bus is not conducive to allowing a bus driver to stay focused on the road.
Bus drivers must contend with unruly passengers, route detours caused by construction or accidents, and frequently merge in and out of traffic to make stops. These types of distractions, along with the typical temptations of sending a text or engaging in a conversation, may lead preoccupied drivers to cause an accident by disregarding signs to yield to those with the right of way or making other reckless mistakes.
When a bus driver’s BAC is over the legal limit of 0.08, their ability to identify people or vehicles in their path and safely maneuver out of the way is significantly impeded by the effects of alcohol. A drunk bus driver’s brain function is compromised, meaning they may have difficulty recognizing they need to slow down for red lights and stopped traffic or observe important road rules like speed limits. Failure to yield and speeding are commonly associated with fatal accidents.
Bus accidents involving drunk drivers too often result in tragedy, whether that be serious injuries, permanent disabilities, or even wrongful death. According to the NSC, 11,654 people lost their lives in crashes involving drunk drivers in 2020, and thousands more spent time in the hospital due to another driver’s negligence.
Drowsy driving is an issue that gets less attention than drunk driving, but it is just as dangerous and may be more common than we think. When a bus driver is sleep-deprived for 24 hours, their cognitive functioning and coordination are on par with a drunk driver with a BAC of 0.10, which is over the legal limit.
Drowsy bus drivers may convince themselves that the hustle and bustle of transporting passengers or a strong cup of coffee will keep them awake, but these are merely momentary fixes. Fatigued bus drivers may blow through stop signs, plow into cars or people, or run themselves or other vehicles off the road if they fall asleep at the wheel.
Buses require more space to come to a complete stop and make turns, so skilled drivers are critical to preventing bus accidents. Regular maintenance is another important piece of ensuring that a bus is safe to be on the road, a responsibility that falls on the bus owner.
In some cases, the fault may lie with a careless manufacturer who produced a bus part that was defective before it was ever used. When other unsafe conditions are present, even an experienced and attentive bus driver may be unable to avoid a collision. Some common causes and contributing factors include:
While the actions of negligent bus drivers do account for a significant number of accidents, there are many other factors that could be at play. A Boca Raton lawyer is the most knowledgeable source for accurately assigning liability in a bus crash lawsuit.
The force of a 35,000-pound bus is more than capable of shattering bone, crushing organs, and causing brain injuries that result in permanent deficits. Bus accident victims have been known to need amputations, organ transplants, and other life-altering procedures after an act of negligence resulted in situations like a multi-car pile-up or pedestrian accident.
Serious physical injuries are often accompanied by related emotional injuries. You may struggle with depression or anxiety after becoming disfigured in a bus accident, or after enduring months of isolating recovery. Injured bus accident victims could work with a Boca Raton attorney to seek damages against the negligent party to cover the costs of their injuries, both physical and mental.
We advise an injured person to preemptively protect their right to recover damages in the future by mitigating their losses. In the case of a bus accident, that means getting evaluated by a medical professional as soon as you are out of immediate danger. Not only will they be able to intervene before your injuries spiral, but they will also provide medical records that your lawyer can reference to support your claim for compensation. By seeking prompt treatment, you thwart any attempt by the defendant to suggest that you have exaggerated your injuries.
Many people incorrectly assume that bus accident lawsuits are only for recovering the costs of medical treatment and the lost paychecks accumulated during physical recovery. As experienced bus accident lawyers in Boca Raton, we are knowledgeable of the various ways bus accident injuries can cause damages beyond financial losses. In a bus accident lawsuit, you can also seek compensation for a variety of non-economic losses, such as pain and suffering.
The value of the settlement you receive will be influenced by your lawyer’s ability to demonstrate how your injuries have affected your life. For example, you may have sustained extensive crush injuries after being rear-ended by a bus. Of course, it is reasonable to expect compensation for economic damages like the cost of surgery, medication, and lost wages.
A thorough attorney will also try to persuade the plaintiff to recognize that your job as a construction worker and role as a single parent means that the organ damage and broken bones you suffered have had a greater impact on your life than an average office worker’s. KMW Legal can help you calculate the value of your future expenses, both economic and non-economic.
If you have sustained injuries in a bus accident, you can usually take advantage of your Florida no-fault Personal Injury Protection insurance. This is meant to cover the majority of your medical bills and lost wages up to a certain point, but bus accidents can often inflict severe injuries that inflict damages beyond the capabilities of PIP coverage.
An attorney in Boca Raton can help you determine if a bus accident lawsuit would be beneficial, and, if so, which party is liable for your damages. Additionally, a lawyer will conduct their own investigation of the accident, compile evidence such as medical records and expert testimony, draft statements, and negotiate on your behalf in mediation and in court.
The lawyer you choose to represent you signals to the defendant how serious you are about recovering your losses. That is why you need a relentless advocate who will not be intimidated by powerful defendants or complicated claims. KMW Legal is the best option for an injured person looking for a bus accident lawyer to unwaveringly pursue the damages you are entitled to.
It can be difficult to recover damages in bus accident claims because they typically involve filing a claim against the local or state government, as the majority of buses are owned and operated by the state. Injury lawsuits filed against the government have to meet a high standard and often come with limits on the compensation you can receive in a settlement.
Having a bus accident lawyer in Boca Raton who has successfully faced off against the government can give you a much better chance of recovering the maximum amount of compensation you are eligible for to go toward your bills. KMW Legal is uniquely equipped for this job among other lawyers. As former State Attorneys, our founding partners are familiar with the expectations of taking on the government in a bus accident lawsuit, and they are well-equipped to meet them.
Boca Raton is a beachside city of 97,422 residents located in Palm Beach County. Tourists and locals appreciate Boca Raton for its upscale shopping districts, business opportunities, and stunning beaches. KMW Legal values the trust our Boca Raton clients have placed in us over the course of our decade in business.
We strive to provide the highest quality service to our injured clients, which means that you can expect our team to keep in close contact with you throughout the process to strategize and provide updates on your bus accident claim. KMW Legal will work tirelessly to achieve a fair settlement outcome that compensates you for your damages in a bus accident lawsuit.
With so much at stake, you need to be sure that your Boca Raton bus accident lawyer is both capable and trusted by their clients. KMW Legal has earned our outstanding reputation by respecting their needs and delivering on our promises.
The lawyers of Keller, Melchiorre & Walsh have over thirty years of combined experience handling bus crash lawsuits. We have been able to consistently leverage our expertise and resources to reach fair settlements that properly acknowledge our clients’ suffering.
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a bus collision caused by someone else’s negligence, you have the right to seek compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, mental anguish, and other associated losses like pain and suffering. Contact our office to set up a free strategy session with our team.
