Philadelphia Bus Accident Attorney

Our Philadelphia Bus Accident Attorneys are Tireless Advocates for Justice

A bus accident can result in devastating injuries to passengers, pedestrians, and other drivers. The generally large size of buses makes them difficult to avoid or maneuver around after an initial impact. Oftentimes, a bus involved in an accident can block the roadway, causing traffic to come to a stop. This situation can be dangerous and lead to additional rear-end or side-swept collisions.

If you sustained an injury in a Philadelphia bus accident, you may require hospitalization or long-term medical treatment. Your injuries and damage to your property can cause unexpected financial hardship as you may be unable to work for an extended period of time, your continued treatment may cause medical bills to pile up quickly, and you could be facing long-term rehabilitation costs.

A Philadelphia Bus Accident Attorney with Quinn Law Group can help you navigate the complexities of filing a case against the liable party, protect your rights, and make sure that you receive the compensation you need. You do not have to navigate the personal injury claims process alone. Call us at our Philadelphia law office today to set up a free, no-commitment consultation with a top-rated Pennsylvania bus accident attorney. 

We Handle the Full Range of Bus Accident Claims in Pennsylvania and New Jersey 

With a commitment to protecting the legal rights and financial interests of injured victims, our Philadelphia bus accident lawyer handles the full range of cases. No matter how and why your bus accident happened, we are ready to review the case, investigate the accident, and take whatever action is required to help you get justice. Along with other types of bus accident, we have the professional skill to handle: 

• Private commuter bus accidents;
• Pedestrian accidents and bicycle accidents; 
• Public bus accidents, including SEPTA; 
• Slip and fall accidents on a bus; and
• Criminal attacks on a bus.  

Know the Steps to Take After a Bus Accident

After a bus accident, you can be sure that the bus company (or public bus network) and its insurer will spare no expense in protecting their own interests. You do not want to fall behind in the legal claims process. Here are four important steps that you should take after a bus accident: 

1. Get Medical Care from a Licensed Doctor: If you have been involved in a bus accident, it is important to seek medical attention from a licensed physician as soon as possible. Severe injuries always need to be checked out immediately. You cannot recover compensation through a personal injury claim without medical records. 
2. Ensure the Accident is Reported: Bus accidents should be promptly reported. If you were a passenger on the bus, you should report the accident to the bus driver. If you were in another vehicle involved in the accident, you should call the police to report the accident and file a report. Make sure the collision is reported. 
3. Document the Accident and Your Injuries: Bus accident injury claims are fault-based legal cases. The more documentation that you have related to the accident, the better position that you will be in to secure compensation for your injuries. 
4. Speak to a Lawyer—Before an Insurer: Do not give a statement to an insurer before speaking to an attorney. An experienced Philadelphia bus accident lawyer can help you navigate all aspects of the legal process, ensure that you receive the compensation you are entitled to, and represent your interests. 

Regulating Commercial Vehicles vs. Passenger Vehicles 

A bus accident injury claim is different from other personal injury claims because public policy dictates that large vehicles should be more closely regulated than smaller vehicles to ensure road safety. Most states have enacted trucking laws that impose stricter driving standards on anyone behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle, such as a bus or truck. 

Larger vehicles can inflict more damage in an accident because of their size, so legislation around commercial vehicles largely focuses on limiting their speed and restricting work hours for drivers. The laws can also be harsher on commercial drivers who engage in dangerous or negligent behavior while behind the wheel, such as texting or using a cell phone. 

The differences in the regulations between commercial vehicles and personal vehicles can make filing a claim feel more complicated for people who are not well versed in legal representation. 

Anatomy of a Bus Accident Injury Claim

Bus accident injury claims are one of the most complex injury cases. These cases require special investigative techniques to ascertain the cause of the accident, and they often require an understanding of both federal and state laws affecting public transportation, which can vary from city to city or state to state. 

To begin the claims process, you need to determine who is responsible for your injuries. Several parties can be considered liable in a bus accident, including: 

• The bus company
• The driver
• A governmental agency that may have been involved in maintaining or regulating the roadway where the accident occurred

You should also determine if anyone besides the bus driver might have contributed to your injuries, including a third party like the bus manufacturer or another vehicle involved in the accident. If you were a pedestrian at the time of your accident, for example, you would need to identify who was negligent in maintaining or repairing the roadway where the accident occurred. Vehicle maintenance records will need to be obtained and reviewed for all of these parties. 

An experienced Philadelphia Bus Accident Attorney can assist you with this process. The capable attorneys at Quinn Law Group have extensive knowledge and a firm understanding of Pennsylvania’s bus laws and can help guide you in your claims process.

Bus Accident Liability Laws

Bus operators may feel forced to ignore traffic regulations to adhere to strict timetables and pick-up schedules, driving recklessly or at unsafe speeds while overwhelmed with multiple tasks. Although most bus drivers exercise safe practices, their demanding work schedules can lead to situational stress, resulting in poor judgment while behind the wheel.

A typical personal injury case involving a commercial vehicle is based on negligence. For negligence law to apply, the defendant driver must have failed to take proper care during the accident — which may include speeding, distracted driving, fatigued/drowsy, etc. However, many states impose strict regulations on large vehicles that make it easier for injured parties to prove liability in court, even if their lawyers cannot explicitly prove the driver was engaging in negligent behavior. 

In some cases, both parties can be found liable for one accident — this is called comparative negligence. In most jurisdictions where comparative negligence is applied, a plaintiff’s damages will be reduced by their degree of fault. In this instance, it is possible that an injured party who is partially responsible for causing an accident can recover nothing from the defendant.

Bus Accidents Legal Ramifications

Laws governing bus accidents vary by state. Generally, the commercial vehicle operator is subject to stricter driving standards than the average driver in a passenger vehicle. Most laws regulating commercial vehicles are directed toward bus drivers — including school buses, city transportation services, and tour buses. Under most circumstances, if you are involved in an accident with an improperly regulated bus, there may be several liable parties who will be responsible for your compensation.

As a general rule, if the bus driver acted negligently and was responsible for causing your injuries, you can recover damages from the driver through a personal injury lawsuit. However, strict regulations on commercial vehicles can reduce the liability of any negligent parties.

What Compensation Can You Recover in a Bus Accident Injury Claim?

Following a serious bus accident, injured victims need financial compensation to pay bills and support their loved ones. In both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, bus accident victims have a right to pursue compensation for both out-of-pocket losses and intangible damages. Unfortunately, you cannot rely on bus operators or their commercial insurers to look out for your interests. They want to pay out as little as possible. Our Philadelphia bus accident lawyers fight tirelessly to help our clients secure the full compensation that they deserve. You may be entitled to recover for: 

• Property damage, including vehicle repairs; 
• Ambulance costs and emergency medical care; 
• Hospital bills and other health care costs;
• Physical therapy and mental health counseling; 
• Lost wages and loss of earning potential; 
• Pain and suffering & mental anguish; 
• Disability & disfigurement; 
• Loss of lifestyle enjoyment; and
• Wrongful death of a family member. 

How Philadelphia Bus Accident Lawyer Sean E. Quinn Can Help

Bus accident claims are notoriously complex. Whether you were hurt in a public bus accident or a private bus accident, it is imperative that you have top-quality representation. Our founder Sean E. Quinn is a nationally recognized trial lawyer with a proven record of success representing injured victims and their families. When you get in touch with us at our Philadelphia law office, you will a chance to consult with a Pennsylvania bus accident lawyer who is ready to: 

• Hear your story, answer your questions, and explain the next steps in the claims process; 
• Carefully investigate the bus accident, helping you gather documents and records; 
• Represent you in correspondence and settlement negotiations with insurance carriers; and
• Develop a legal strategy to help you secure justice and the full compensation you need. 

Every bus accident injury claim is different. You and your family deserve far better than cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all legal representation. We put in the time and resources to handle your claim with personalized attention. As we represent injured victims on a contingency fee basis, you can always afford to retain our top-rated Philadelphia bus accident lawyer. There is never any fee unless we help you recover financial compensation. 

Contact Our Philadelphia Bus Accident Attorney Today

If you sustained an injury in a Philadelphia bus accident, contact a Quinn Law Group attorney to help you file a personal injury claim. Your lawyer will gather evidence and build a case to prove the liable party was negligent. Whether the driver’s negligence caused your injuries by speeding, driving under the influence or texting and talking on the phone or the bus company supervisors failed to properly hire, train, and monitor their drivers, an experienced attorney will ensure you get the compensation you need to fully recover. 
Call Quinn Law Group today to schedule a free initial consultation with a Philadelphia Bus Accident Attorney who will help you understand your legal rights and guide you in taking the next steps in the claims process. With an office in Philadelphia and an office in Cherry Hill, we are well-positioned to represent bus accident victims in Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey.