New York Bus Accident Lawyers
Buses are a common sight on New York streets. Between public transit buses, school buses, tour buses and trolleys, intercity buses, and charter buses, other motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians face frequent risks of being involved in an accident with a bus. Bus passengers can also suffer serious injuries in a crash because many buses lack safety features like seat belts or airbags for passengers. When you have been injured in a bus crash, let a New York personal injury lawyer from Harris Keenan & Goldfarb advocate for your interests.
Since 1996, our firm has relentlessly fought to secure fair and full financial recovery for our clients when they have been hurt in an accident due to someone else’s negligence.
We have built up extensive experience in dealing with insurance companies and those who have caused accidents and injuries. You can trust that we will be fully dedicated to you and your case from the moment you walk through our doors all the way to a settlement or verdict that gets you the financial recovery you deserve.
If you have been injured in a bus accident in New York, get the legal representation that can help you recover compensation for your expenses and losses. Reach out to Harris Keenan & Goldfarb for a free initial case evaluation. Let’s talk about how a bus accident lawyer from our firm can guide you through the process of obtaining financial recovery for the harm that you have suffered. We serve clients in the local, state, and federal courts of Brooklyn, the Bronx, and throughout the New York area. Call us today at 800-724-6529.
Why Choose Harris Keenan & Goldfarb after You’ve Been Injured in a Bus Accident?
When you have been injured in a bus accident, you might deserve to pursue financial recovery for injuries and losses that you have suffered. But pursuing a legal claim against public agencies or big corporations can be a complex and time-consuming task. You need experienced legal assistance to ensure that you have the best chance at securing a full financial recovery. But you shouldn’t have to choose just any law firm. The knowledge, track record, and compassionate approach of your attorney can make all the difference in your case. At Harris Keenan & Goldfarb, we believe we can help you after you have been injured in a bus accident because:
Our reputation among our clients and our peers in the legal community
Our firm is known for excellence, ethics, and compassion. Many of our attorneys have even been recognized for their skill and success obtained on behalf of our clients by publications and organizations such as Super Lawyers and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Our proven record of results
We have secured millions of dollars in compensation for our clients over the years. Our firm regularly represents clients in cases that rank on annual lists of the top verdicts in New York.
Our knowledge of the law
Our depth of knowledge allows our attorneys to offer innovative, tailored legal solutions aimed at getting you the results you want and need in your case. We will work diligently and aggressively to secure nothing less than a result that serves your best interests.
Our dedication and compassionate approach to representing you.
We are driven to secure a favorable result for you as quickly as possible so that you can work on getting back to your regular life after a devastating bus crash.
Types of Bus Accident Claims We Can Help With
At Harris Keenan & Goldfarb, we can help you pursue financial recovery for injuries and losses that you’ve incurred due to any kind of bus accident, including:
- Public transit bus accidents
- School bus accidents
- Intercity bus accidents
- Shuttle bus accidents
- Charter bus accidents
- Party bus accidents
- Trolley bus accidents
- Tour bus accidents
What Causes Bus Accidents?
Common causes of bus accidents in New York include:
- Speeding
- Tailgating
- Running red lights or stop signs
- Unsafe turns and lane changes
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Failure to yield to pedestrians
- Pulling out into traffic without checking mirrors
- Distracted driving, such as when using the dispatch radio, checking route maps, or talking to a passenger
- Intoxicated driving
- Drowsy or fatigued driving
- Driver inexperience
- Unfamiliarity with the bus route/getting lost
- Poor visibility due to bad weather or nighttime
- Negligent bus maintenance
- Bus or auto part defects
- Poor road conditions
When Do You Need to File a Bus Accident Claim?
Under New York’s statute of limitations, a lawsuit must be filed in a bus accident claim no later than three years after the date of the accident. A lawsuit that is untimely filed can be promptly and permanently dismissed by the trial court. If that happens, you will have lost the right to recover compensation from the party or parties at fault for the accident and the injuries and losses you have suffered.
In addition, if you are pursuing a bus accident claim against a public agency or public corporation, such as a public transit agency or a school district, state law requires you to provide the government or public agency with written notice of your claim within 90 days of the accident and to file a lawsuit within one year and ninety days of the accident. Failing to give timely notice of your claim against a public entity may also lead to the loss of your rights.
For these reasons, you need to speak with a bus accident lawyer as soon as possible after a crash to ensure that your claims are timely filed and that you preserve your rights to seek compensation.
Who Can Be Held Liable in a Bus Accident Claim?
- The bus driver
- A public transit agency, such as the New York City Transit Authority
- A school district
- Charter bus operators
- Tour bus operators
- Intercity bus companies
- Shuttle bus operators, such as hotels, airports, hospitals, or corporate office parks
- Third-party garages or auto shops that perform maintenance on the bus
- The bus’s manufacturer, or manufacturer of a defective part used on the bus
Financial Recovery after a Bus Accident
After a bus accident, you may be entitled to recover compensation for expenses and losses that you incur. A bus accident lawyer from Harris Keenan & Goldfarb will fight on your behalf to make sure you receive financial recovery for:
- Repair costs for your vehicle that was involved in a collision with a bus, or the cash value of your vehicle if it was totaled in the accident, along with repair or replacement expenses for any other damaged property of yours
- Medical expenses, including for emergency care, hospital stays, surgeries and other medical procedures, physical/occupational therapy, prescriptions, or purchased medical/mobility devices or equipment
- Lost wages or income if you miss time from work or are temporarily disabled from working after the bus accident
- Lost future earnings and employment benefits if you become permanently disabled due to the injuries you suffered in the accident
- Physical pain
- Emotional trauma and distress
- Scarring or disfigurement
What Actions Should You Take to Preserve Your Rights Following a Bus Accident?
- Document the accident scene by taking photos or videos as soon as possible after the accident, including documenting details such as vehicle damage, skid marks on the road, traffic controls, and visual obstructions.
- See a doctor or other medical professional for a physical exam to diagnose injuries you sustained in the accident.
- Follow your medical provider’s treatment instructions. Do not put off treatment or rehabilitation of your injuries.
- Keep any bills or invoices for expenses related to the accident, as well as copies of your paystubs or tax returns if you’ve suffered lost income due to your injuries.
- Keep a journal to document the pain and physical difficulties that you experience during your recovery.
- Avoid discussing the accident or your injuries on social media or posting photos and videos of yourself while you are still treating your injuries from the accident. Insurance companies have been known to use accident victims’ own social media to argue against the credibility of their injury claims.
Finally, make time to talk to a bus accident lawyer from Harris Keenan & Goldfarb to discuss the next actions you and our firm can take to pursue financial recovery in your case.
How a Lawyer Can Help
When you have a bus accident claim, you should not have to handle preparing and pursuing your case against the bus operator, other corporations, or the insurance companies on your own. Let a New York bus accident attorney from Harris Keenan & Goldfarb take on the work involved with your legal claim. Our firm can help give you the best chance at financial recovery for your injuries by:
- Thoroughly investigating the accident and recovering critical evidence, such as police accident reports, traffic or surveillance camera footage, accident scene photos and video, and witness statements
- Hiring accident reconstruction and engineering experts when necessary to persuasively explain who was at fault for the accident
- Gathering documentation of your injuries and losses to determine how much compensation can provide you with fair value in your claim
- Ensuring that your claims against liable parties are timely filed
- Aggressively pursuing a settlement with at-fault parties and insurers that pays your fair compensation
- Going to court and trial if necessary to demand the financial recovery you need and the justice you deserve for your injuries
Contact Us for Help When You’ve Been Hurt in a New York Bus Accident
After you have been involved in a bus accident, don’t delay starting your legal claim for financial compensation for your injuries and losses. Call Harris Keenan & Goldfarb at 800-724-6529 for a free, no-obligation consultation with a New York bus accident lawyer from our team. We can help you understand your legal options for demanding accountability and justice from those at fault for causing the accident and your injuries. You can also fill out our intake form and a member of our team will call you.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions that clients ask us about bus accident claims include:
At Harris Keenan & Goldfarb, we represent injured victims of bus accidents on a contingency basis. That means you will never have to pay legal fees upfront to retain our firm for your case. We get paid only if we can recover compensation for you in a negotiated settlement or by winning a trial verdict and judgment in your favor. You won’t need to worry about paying a lawyer when you are already dealing with financial burdens from medical expenses and lost wages from missed work.
If you have been injured in a bus accident, the bus operator or their insurer may contact you soon after to offer a settlement. You should have this settlement offer reviewed by a bus accident attorney from Harris Keenan & Goldfarb before you agree to accept money. In many cases, an initial settlement offer will pay you far less than the fair value of your claim. If you settle, you may give up your right to seek compensation if you need additional treatment or suffer further losses from your injuries. An attorney can advise you as to whether a settlement provides fair compensation. If it doesn’t, they can negotiate on your behalf to try to secure a better offer.
No one can predict at the outset of your case whether you will need to go to court or to trial to resolve your bus accident claim. While most bus accident cases are resolved through a negotiated settlement before a lawsuit is filed or before the case goes to trial, some cases will end up in court. Factors that can affect whether your bus accident claim will go to trial include the severity of your injuries, the length of your treatment and rehabilitation period, the extent of your expenses and losses, the number of liable parties, and whether fault or apportionment of liability is being contested by one or more at-fault parties. While we will work to quickly resolve your case and get you fair compensation, we will also provide you with straightforward advice when litigation becomes necessary to pursue your rights.
