Buses are a vital means of transportation not only in San Antonio but across the nation. Whether you use the services of a city bus, school bus, or tour bus, they can get you to where you need to go quickly and easily. Unfortunately, these buses are large, heavy vehicles that carry a considerable amount of risk. When these buses are involved in an accident, they can cause serious and devastating injuries that can forever impact a victim's life.
If you or a loved one has been harmed in a San Antonio bus accident, it can be essential to seek legal help to go after the justice and compensation you deserve for your losses. At Dolman Law Group, our San Antonio bus accident lawyers have represented bus accident victims.
Dolman Law Group – Who We Are and What We Do
Dolman Law Group was created to help those injured in an accident get the legal help they need and the legal services they deserve. As a result, when you retain our personal injury attorneys, we work directly with you to help ensure that your case is handled correctly and your specific needs are met.
Our legal team makes sure to act quickly as we pursue your financial recovery by investigating your accident and identifying all your potential payment sources.
Because of this drive and dedication, we have obtained millions of dollars for our clients through jury verdicts and settlement awards, with some of the most recent judgments including:
- $1,750,000 for a truck accident.
- $1,580,000 for a motor vehicle crash resulting in two herniated discs impinging on the spinal cord.
- $1,000,000 for a wrongful death.
- $939,000 for a rideshare accident.
- $3,200,000 for a semi-truck accident resulting in brain damage.
- $1,400,000 for a motorcycle accident resulting in multiple serious injuries.
While we can guarantee no result, contact us today to see what we can do for you.
Common Injuries Resulting from a San Antonio Bus Accident
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, every year, there are around 67,000 crashes that occur in the United States that involve a bus; that is, more than 183 bus collisions every day, which result in horrific injuries and significant property damage.
Even though these injuries can vary in both scope and severity depending on the circumstances of the incident, some of the more common injuries that result from a San Antonio bus accident include:
Head and Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries occur when an individual's head strikes another object or jolts forward and backward with such force that it causes the brain to hit the inside of the skull. Consequently, even mild traumatic brain injuries can result in debilitating symptoms and pain that can last for years.
Typically, the symptoms of a traumatic brain injury include nausea, depression, sleep problems, difficulty concentrating. Other issues can also prevent individuals from resuming their everyday activities, such as working, engaging with others, and performing activities they once loved.
If the bus accident resulted in a severe traumatic brain injury, victims of this injury can develop devastating physical problems and long-term cognitive issues that will require the use of mobility aids and around-the-clock medical care that can last for the rest of their lives.
Broken or Fractured Bones
Broken and fractured bones are a common occurrence when an individual is involved in a bus accident. These accidents can throw passengers against the bus's interior or even through windshields, causing severe injuries that can easily crush bones. Additionally, these bus accidents can involve smashing into other motorists or pedestrians on the road, often exposing victims to extreme forces that can cause crippling harm.
Broken bones are incredibly painful and can take a long time to heal fully. In some instances, these injuries may require significant medical care such as surgeries to correct the issue and still leave the victim with permanent complications such as disfigurement or scarring.
Burns
Burns result from overexposure to radiation, heat, chemicals, or electrical contact. Burns can result in a life-threatening emergency. When an individual is involved in a bus accident, the crash can cause an explosion or fire that causes serious burn injuries.
These burn injuries are often excruciating and usually include treatments that require victims to obtain medical assistance in specialized burn units for weeks at a time, such as skin graft surgeries. These injuries can not only leave victims with significant scars that will last the rest of their lives, but they can also result in serious infections that can be life-threatening.
Spinal Cord Injuries
A spinal cord injury involves damage to any part of the spinal cord or the nerves at the end of the spinal canal. These injuries often cause permanent changes in a person's sensations, strength, and other body functions below the injury site.
Generally, these injuries can cause tingling, numbness, and muscle weakness. However, if a bus accident completely severs the spinal cord or damages it where the brain cannot communicate with the rest of the body, it can cause complete paralysis. Sadly, no medical treatments can restore a person's function following a spinal cord injury. Still, certain therapies can allow those with a spinal cord injury to lead productive lives.
Mental Anguish
Bus accidents are like many other accident scenarios in that they can cause psychological suffering for victims. If you suffered a bus accident, you might require extensive and ongoing psychological therapy appointments and care.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) affirms that accident victims can experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This can include symptoms like:
- Flashbacks
- Avoiding feelings related to the accident
- Often feeling tense
- Angry outbursts
- Getting startled easily
- Avoiding the location of the accident
- Lack of memories of the accident
- Feelings of guilt
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Negative outlook
Your lawyer will speak with your mental healthcare providers about the kind of care you will need in the future. Their account will help us valuate your accident-related losses.
Wrongful Death
If you lost a family member to a bus accident, you have our complete sympathy. We want you to be able to pay for the following losses after such a tragedy, so let us help you fight for compensation.
- Funeral and burial costs
- Your loved one's accident-related medical costs in life
- Loss of support
- Loss of counsel
- Lost consortium
- Mental anguish
Even though these are often the most frequent injuries that occur following a bus accident, they are not the only ones. Other injuries that can result include deep lacerations, back injuries, soft-tissue injuries, internal organ damage, bruising, and internal bleeding.
Common Causes of Bus Accidents in San Antonio
Determining the cause of a bus accident is critical for your injury claim, as it can help you identify who should be legally responsible for the accident and your damages. Generally, the most common causes of a San Antonio bus accident include:
Bus Driver Negligence
There are many laws in place that regulate bus drivers, and they should not be ignored. They include regulations related to the hours of service these drivers can be on the road and also specify how many required breaks they must take. They touch on the speed that a bus can travel and how these buses need to pass other vehicles on the road. Unfortunately, these rules are often disregarded by bus drivers.
When a bus driver continues to operate a bus while they are fatigued, it can lead to devastating accidents on the road. These accidents can also result when a bus driver is not paying attention to the road because they are texting and driving, or they are impaired because of alcohol or drugs.
Company Negligence
Unfortunately, bus company negligence is a frequent cause of bus accidents. Even though this industry is regulated, the record-keeping and bus inspection protocols are not as strict as those in other sectors.
As a result, many companies have buses on the road that do not have the proper safety equipment, are not adequately maintained, or include aging vehicles that require a great deal of upkeep. Consequently, because these bus companies choose to sacrifice public safety, it increases the risk of injury or even death when these buses are involved in an accident.
Poor Weather Conditions
Bus drivers are supposed to receive proper training to operate their vehicles in all types of weather or know which precautions they need to take when conditions are poor (such as reducing their speed). However, even with this training, bus accidents can still result from poor road conditions due to hazardous weather such as rain, fog, winds, or slick pavement.
Other Motorists
These bus crashes can also be caused by another motorist's reckless or negligent actions, including distracted driving, aggressive driving, and motorists failing to obey traffic regulations.
Blind Spots
Blind spots are typically defined as the area surrounding an automobile that a driver cannot see while operating their motor vehicle. Generally, blind spot accidents occur when motorists or bus drivers fail to check for another vehicle in this area, and severe accidents occur.
Although buses do have mirrors to help eliminate these blind spots, they are often not powerful enough or extend the entire length of the bus; making them useless for seeing all the traffic behind them.
Bus accidents can occur for many reasons. Consequently, it can be incredibly difficult to figure out precisely what caused the bus accident that led to your harm. That is why you should reach out to Dolman Law Group as soon as possible. Our San Antonio bus accident lawyers can promptly get to work investigating your accident and figuring out what happened and who caused the bus crash that led to your losses and damages.
Actions to Take After a San Antonio Bus Accident
Bus accidents can be incredibly stressful for passengers and other motorists on the road who expect a bus to be driven safely and professionally. Unfortunately, these accidents do happen, and when they do, victims of this type of accident should understand what actions they need to take after the crash to help ensure that they stay safe and their legal rights remain protected.
You should consider doing the following:
Contact the Police
Following a bus accident, you must contact 9-1-1 immediately. This is the fastest way to let emergency medical services know you need an ambulance at the scene and get your accident on record.
When the police arrive, they will investigate the bus accident and write down everything in their police report. If you decide to pursue an injury claim, this police report can provide you with vital evidence regarding who was at fault and what happened.
Gather Evidence From the Scene
If the area is safe, make sure you take as many photos and videos of the accident scene as you can. Include pictures of your visible injuries, the vehicles involved in the crash, the location of these vehicles, skid marks on the road, traffic signs near the accident scene, the weather conditions at the time of the accident, and any other details that help show what happened.
Get Driver Information
Make sure you get information from all the drivers involved in the crash, including their name, contact information, insurance information, and driver's license numbers.
Obtain Witness Details
If there were people at the accident scene who saw what happened, make sure to get their name and contact details. These witness statements can provide you with critical information regarding the accident and help back up your claims.
However, if these witnesses do not want to talk to you, do not force them. When you work with a bus accident lawyer, these attorneys can try to obtain this information for you and get the testimony you need.
Be Careful of What You Say
As you talk to people at the scene, make sure you watch what you say. Avoid making any definite statements about the accident, apologizing for anything that happened, or indicating that any of it was your fault. These types of accounts can come back later and hurt you, impacting the value of your claim.
San Antonio Bus Accident FAQs
Bus accidents often result in debilitating injuries that include traumatic brain trauma, significant disfigurement, and other harm and losses that will forever impact a victim's life as well as their family's. If you were injured in a San Antonio bus accident, you deserve answers regarding your injuries and the legal remedies you could pursue for the devastating harm you had to endure.
To better help you understand these options, Dolman Law Group has prepared some answers to common questions our bus accident victims have. We hope with this information, you have a better understanding of the legal action you can take and the financial recovery you may be entitled to.
However, if you need further information regarding any of these questions, or would like to discuss your case in more detail, feel free to reach out to us and go over your claim with one of our bus accident lawyers.
1. Who Is Responsible If I Get Hit by a Bus In San Antonio?
Every bus accident is unique. As a result, you could hold numerous parties liable for your injuries.
However, in general, the parties most often responsible for a bus accident in San Antonio include:
- Bus drivers or other motorists: If a bus driver or another motorist contributed to the accident through their reckless or negligent actions, they could be held liable for any resulting injuries and losses.
- Bus companies: If a bus company failed to regulate the limit a bus driver was on the road or hired an unqualified driver, they could be held accountable for any bus accidents.
- Bus manufacturers: If a defective product such as a broken engine component, faulty braking system, or a defective tire caused a bus accident, the manufacturers of this defective product could be liable for the injuries that resulted.
- Bus maintenance companies: Companies that perform regular maintenance on a bus could be held responsible if they were negligent in inspection or maintenance of the vehicle, and this negligence caused a bus accident.
- State government: If the bus driver was an employee of a governmental agency, the agency may be held responsible for any accidents their employees caused.
It is often very difficult to determine exactly which party was at fault for the bus crash that caused your harm. In truth, many times, these accidents can involve many liable parties.
That is why if you have been injured in a San Antonio bus accident, you should contact Dolman Law Group as soon as possible. Our legal team can perform a thorough investigation into your bus crash, figure out which parties should be held responsible for your damages, and go after fair compensation.
2. If I Was a Passenger in Another Vehicle And Was Injured in a San Antonio Bus Collision, Who Can I Sue?
If you were involved in a San Antonio bus collision as a passenger in another motor vehicle, you could sue whoever was potentially at fault for the accident. This can include the driver of the car you were in, other motorists involved in the crash, the bus driver, the bus company, and any other parties or organizations that may have contributed to the collision.
3. If I Was a Pedestrian and Got Hit by a Bus In San Antonio, What Legal Remedies do I Have?
You could pursue legal action against any individual or organization that was responsible for your injuries. This may include the bus driver, the bus company, or any other person who contributed to the crash that caused your injuries.
However, to help ensure you receive the full compensation you are entitled to, these accidents require a thorough investigation to determine what happened and who was at fault for your injuries. That is why you should reach out to Dolman Law Group. Our bus accident lawyers can promptly investigate your accident and help determine what went wrong.
4. When do I Need to File a Claim for a Bus Accident in San Antonio?
The statute of limitations is a law that dictates the amount of time you have to file a claim following an alleged offense. If you do not bring this claim within the allotted time, you can be barred from collecting compensation for your injuries.
In Texas, the statute of limitations for a civil claim is two years from the date of the injury. However, there are numerous exceptions to this rule that can extend or shorten the amount of time you have to file. As a result, if you want to help ensure your legal rights are protected, consider hiring Dolman Law Group to take on your case.
Our legal team can help determine not only how much time you have to file your cause, but we can also help ensure that all your legal motions and documents are filed promptly and before the statute of limitations expires.
5. As A Bus Passenger, Do I Have Any Special Protection in San Antonio?
Yes, as a bus passenger, you are owed special protection that other people who are harmed by a bus accident do not have. In Texas, a bus is considered a “common carrier” and owes the utmost duty of care to its passengers.
A common carrier is a service that transports individuals from one place to another in exchange for compensation. Generally, these common carriers, including bus drivers, bus companies, and employers, have a heightened duty of care. This can make it easier for a passenger to recover compensation from a common carrier if they were involved in a San Antonio bus accident.
Under this heightened duty of care, buses must exercise a high degree of foresight regarding possible dangers and prudence to guard against them, as would be used by an extremely cautious, competent, and prudent individual under the same or similar circumstances. Simply put, this means that buses have to use a high degree of caution and care, helping to ensure their passengers are protected while they are riding the bus.
6. In San Antonio, do Bus Companies Owe a Special Duty of Care?
In Texas, bus companies are a common carrier, meaning that they must:
- Provide their employees and bus drivers with proper training and adequate instructions.
- Hire competent and qualified bus drivers.
- Make sure that buses and their parts are inspected regularly and properly maintained.
- Buy safe equipment and ensure that it is reliable.
- Take care of any known issues on the bus or its fleet of buses.
- Provide oversight to ensure that their bus drivers drive safely and comply with safety laws in the state.
If the bus company or a bus driver fails to live up to this heightened duty of care, the consequences can be horrific, and these parties can be held responsible for the losses. Working with the bus accident lawyers at Dolman Law Group can help you pursue the justice you want against these liable parties and go after the financial recovery you deserve.
7. What Types of Damages Can I Seek After a Bus Accident in San Antonio?
If you were harmed in a bus accident in San Antonio due to the wrongful actions of another party, you may seek compensation for your injuries.
This compensation often includes:
- Economic damages: These damages are the actual and verifiable losses that result from an accident and may include:
- Medical bills such as past, present, and future medical expenses (doctor visits, hospital stay, emergency room treatment, prescription medication, and surgeries)
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Personal property repair or replacement
- Rehabilitative services such as occupational and physical therapy
- At-home replacement services such as cleaning services or child care services
- At-home nursing care
- Other out-of-pocket expenses
- Non-economic damages: These damages involve rather subjective losses that are not easy to quantify
They may include:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of reputation
- Scarring
- Disfigurement
- Punitive damages: Unlike the other compensatory damages, which compensate the victim for their losses, punitive damages punish the wrongful party for their egregious actions and deter them and others from committing these acts again in the future.
In Texas, punitive damages could only apply when the victim shows with clear and convincing evidence that the defendant's actions were grossly negligent or their harm resulted from malice or fraud. Consequently, these damages are only awarded in exceptional cases.
8. Will My San Antonio Bus Accident Lawyer Deal with the Insurance Companies for Me?
Following a bus accident, the insurance companies will likely be calling. Yet, even though most people assume that the insurance company is there for them and will want to help them get the money they need after an accident, this is not often the case.
Insurance companies are businesses, and like other businesses, they want to make a profit. This may mean offering you less money. That is why insurance adjusters might try any tactic they can to get you to admit fault for an accident so that they can deny your claim or reduce your claim payout.
In many instances, if you speak with an insurance agent before discussing your case with an attorney, these insurance adjusters may try to get you to:
- Provide them with a recorded statement regarding the incident
- Indicate that your injuries are not that severe
- Admit that you were at fault for the bus accident
- Accept a meager settlement that will not fully cover all of your injuries or future medical care
Fortunately, you do not have to deal with these unethical insurance practices on your own. When you retain Dolman Law Group, our bus accident attorneys can take over these conversations with the insurance company and help ensure that you do not say anything that can impact your claim.
9. How Can Dolman Law Group Help Following My San Antonio Bus Accident?
Bus accident claims are confusing, demanding, and complicated to prove. They not only require a thorough understanding of the state's laws, but you also need to provide sound legal arguments and detailed evidence that can help show what happened and who was at fault. However, as a bus accident victim, gathering this evidence is probably the last thing on your mind.
Thankfully, when you work with Dolman Law Group, our bus accident lawyers can handle this challenging legal process for you while you focus on what matters most: your healing and recovery.
Once retained, our legal team can help ensure you get the legal help you need by:
- Going over your bus accident in detail, answering any questions or concerns you may have, and figuring out the legal options you can pursue
- Investigating your accident and securing the vital evidence needed to prove fault and damages so that we can prepare the strongest case on your behalf
- Bringing in the experts such as accident reconstructionists, doctors, engineers, and economists to help substantiate your claim
- Working to hold all the negligent parties accountable for the harm you sustained
- Handling all the negotiations and discussions with the insurance company, making sure to fight for a fair settlement
- Taking your case to trial, if needed, and working to bring your bus accident claim to a successful resolution
10. What Could Go Wrong If I Handle My Own San Antonio Bus Accident Case?
You have every right under the law to self-representation. However, you risk a lot when you do so. You might not have the mental or physical energy to tackle a legal case or insurance claim after a bus accident.
You might have to take time off work to heal from your injuries. Chasing down paperwork and waiting on hold for hours with the insurance company are not things you should prioritize at this time. Additionally, you could make choices that threaten your chance at compensation when representing yourself. You:
- Might not have a complete understanding of the claims process
- Think that your medical bills are the only compensable losses you have
- Take a settlement from the insurance company that does not cover your future care
- Fill out paperwork incorrectly
- Miss important deadlines
- Fail to provide sufficient evidence to prove your claim
Allow our team to utilize our experience to your benefit. We can also lean on our support network of medical expert witnesses, accident reconstructionists, and more. These professionals can lend their knowledge and authority to your case for fair damages.
11. What do Past Clients Say About Dolman Law Group?
We devote all our time and attention to our clients and their concerns. You don't have to take our word for it, though. Our past clients say things like:
- “I would not recommend that my family or friends see anyone else. - Meagan”
- “Glad I found [Dolman Law Group]! Matt Dolman is a great personal injury lawyer... They stayed [in touch] with me throughout the entire process. I highly recommend [them].” - Rhianna”
- “Met with Mr. Dolman regarding an auto accident... We discussed my daughter's case for an hour and a half. Mr. Dolman is very intelligent…” - Melissa
You can view our client testimonials on our website at any time. We value our clients' kind words. Our team is always glad to meet their needs and get them back on track after suffering upsetting and life-altering events like bus accidents.
Dolman Law Group Will Stand By You Throughout Your Bus Accident Case
Bus accident claims can be incredibly complicated and challenging to prove, especially when you go up against the bus company's insurer, who will try anything to deny your injury claim.
Fortunately, when you work with a San Antonio bus accident lawyer, they can promptly get to work, investigating your claim, securing vital evidence needed to show fault and damages, and pursuing fair compensation on your behalf.
We understand not only the unique legal issues these accidents involve but also the debilitating repercussions these bus crashes can cause. That is why our legal team is here for you, ready to take on this fight and go after the fair financial recovery you need.
Contact a San Antonio Bus Accident Lawyer's Team Today
Do not wait to seek legal help if a San Antonio bus accident disrupted your life or the life of a loved one. Contact Dolman Law Group today for a free case review, and let our bus accident attorneys show you how we can help you and your claim.
San Antonio Office
921 S St Mary's St #2
San Antonio, TX 78205
Phone: (210) 361-2039