Gainesville Bus Accident Lawyer
Were you or a loved one injured in a bus accident in Gainesville, FL? You may be entitled to compensation for the losses you’ve sustained. An experienced Gainesville bus accident lawyer at Allen Law Firm, P.A. can help you recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and your pain and suffering.
Our lawyers have over 100 years of combined experience in personal injury law. We’ve helped our injured clients recover hundreds of millions of dollars since we opened our legal practice back in 2007.
Our team is prepared to do everything possible to maximize your financial recovery. Just contact us or call our law offices in Gainesville, Florida to schedule a free consultation today at (877) 255-3652.
How Allen Law Firm, P.A. Can Help After a Bus Accident in Gainesville
If you were injured through little to no fault of your own, you shouldn’t have to suffer the financial consequences. An experienced Gainesville personal injury lawyer can help you fight to hold the responsible parties accountable.
At Allen Law Firm, P.A., our lawyers have earned a Perfect-10 Avvo Rating and an AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell rating. Over the years, we’ve been recognized by the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and as National Trial Lawyers “Top 100 Trial Lawyers.”
Trusting us to protect your interests means you’ll have a lawyer to:
- Listen to your story and provide experienced legal advice
- Investigate to determine who and what caused the accident
- Calculate the fair value of your injury case
- Hire experts who can help prove your case
- Accurately assess your case value
- Negotiate with the insurance companies
The compensation that you recover in a personal injury case can change your life forever. To learn more about this area of law and how our Gainesville personal injury attorneys can help with your case, call for a free initial consultation.
How Common Are Bus Accidents in Gainesville?
The Gainesville Regional Transit System (RTS) provided more than 4 million rides to Gainesville-area residents and visitors in 2022. Currently, 55 RTS bus routes crisscross Alachua County to serve the residents of Gainesville, University of Florida, and Santa Fe College.
Most of the time, buses are perfectly safe. However, bus accidents do happen in Gainesville. Late in 2021, an RTS bus was involved in a multi-vehicle accident that put one driver in the hospital. Early in 2022, an RTS bus struck and killed a pedestrian.
However, RTS buses are far from the only types of buses that can be involved in accidents. According to data published by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), 156 buses were involved in fatal motor vehicle accidents across the U.S. in 2020. 46 school buses, 9 intercity buses, and 86 transit buses were involved in fatal crashes that year.
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), at least 50 bus drivers were injured statewide in 2020. Another 173 bus passengers sustained injuries that year.
Our lawyers handle all types of bus accident cases, including those involving:
- RTS buses
- School buses
- Greyhound buses
- Boltbus or Flixbus
- Private tour buses
- Shuttle buses
- Delivery vans
- And more
If you were injured in a car accident involving a bus, don’t hesitate to reach out to our lawyers in Gainesville to schedule a free consultation today.
What is My Gainesville Bus Accident Case Worth?
The most important factors that will influence your case value are:
- The severity of your injuries
- The cost of your medical treatment
- Any wages and income you lost because of the injury
- How the injury impacts your future earning potential
- Whether you’ll suffer a permanent or long-term disability
- How the injury impacts your quality of life and lifestyle
Insurance companies will try to focus on factors that can reduce your case value, including:
- Whether you share any blame for the accident
- Whether you had any pre-existing injuries
- Whether you failed to mitigate damages
- Whether any third party also shared blame for the crash
More than one party can share fault for your accident. Shared responsibility is often an issue in bus accident claims. Each party may try to point the finger at another potentially liable party, leaving the victims caught in the crossfire.
Our lawyers are here to stand up and protect you. To learn more about your legal options and rights, give us a call for a free case review today.
What Types of Damages Are Available To Bus Accident Victims in Florida?
Florida personal injury laws give accident victims the right to seek economic and non-economic damages.
Depending on the circumstances, you may be entitled to compensation for:
- Current medical expenses
- Future medical care
- Lost wages
- Lost future earning capacity
- Rehabilitation, nursing care, and in-home assistance
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Diminished quality of life
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Anxiety, depression, and PTSD
- Loss of consortium
Punitive damages are rare, but they may be available if the at-fault party’s actions were intentional or especially shocking.
Can I Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for a Bus Accident in Florida?
Florida is a modified comparative fault state with a 51% bar to recovery. Victims can recover damages even if they share blame for an accident, but only up to a point. If the insurance company can prove you were partly responsible, you’ll be assigned a percentage of fault. Your compensation will be reduced by that percentage. And if you are assigned 51% or more of the blame, you cannot recover compensation.
We’ll Fight To Recover Compensation for All of Your Bus Accident Injuries
Most of the time, bus passengers are not restrained by seat belts. That creates a significant risk of injury. At the same time, buses are large and heavy–meaning that occupants of smaller passenger vehicles are also at risk of serious injury.
At Allen Law Firm, P.A., our Gainesville bus accident attorneys often represent victims who have suffered:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken bones
- Concussions
- Facial injuries and cuts
- Whiplash injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Head and neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Serious burns
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
These are the types of injuries that can require ongoing medical care and rehabilitation. If you were injured, don’t let the insurance company tell you what your injuries are worth. Call our law firm to speak with an experienced lawyer today.
What Causes Most Bus Accidents in Gainesville, Florida?
Bus crashes can happen for any number of reasons. The streets of Gainesville can be congested, and drivers aren’t always paying attention. Most of the time, accidents happen because of human error.
More specifically, some of the most common causes of bus accidents include:
- Distracted driving
- Inexperienced bus drivers
- Speeding
- Stopping in dangerous or undesignated locations
- Failure to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians, bicyclists, and other motorists
- Tailgating
- Aggressive driving
- Dangerous turns
- Passing too closely
- Failure to account for longer stopping times
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Drunk driving
- Driving under the influence of drugs
- Failure to regularly inspect and maintain the bus
If you were injured in a bus accident in the Gainesville area, our lawyers will investigate to find out why.
How Do I Prove Negligence After a Bus Accident in Florida?
In Florida, bus accident victims can seek compensation from anyone whose negligent acts contributed to the cause of an accident. Someone is negligent when they fail to exercise the level of caution that is reasonable under the circumstances.
The elements of a negligence claim are:
- A legal duty of care
- A breach of duty
- Causation, or proof that the breach was the cause of the accident
- Damages, or physical, emotional, and/or financial losses
Buses are common carriers in the state of Florida. They’re held to a higher standard of care than ordinary drivers. That’s because they’re responsible for transporting passengers for a profit.
There are many different ways to establish the elements of negligence. Our attorneys will search for all available evidence.
Types of evidence that tend to be most relevant include:
- Video surveillance footage
- Eyewitness reports
- Police and accident reports
- Medical records
- Evidence from the accident scene
- Evidence about the bus driver’s qualifications and driving record
- The bus company’s inspection and maintenance reports
Do you have questions about how a lawyer can help with your case? Call our law firm in Gainesville for a free consultation today.
How Long Do I Have To File a Lawsuit After a Bus Accident in Florida?
The statute of limitations in Florida, the law that sets deadlines for when lawsuits must be filed, was recently changed. If your bus accident took place on 3/23/2023 or earlier, you’ll have four years to file your claim. If, instead, your accident occurred after that date, the deadline is two years.
If a government entity was ultimately responsible, you could have only a matter of months to file a notice of claim. Because of that, it’s important that you call an experienced lawyer soon after your accident to ensure your rights are protected.
Contact a Gainesville Bus Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If you or a loved one were injured in a bus accident, our lawyers at Allen Law Firm, P.A. are here to fight for every dollar you deserve. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation with an experienced Gainesville bus accident lawyer.
