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Charleston, WV Bus Accident Lawyer
- How Can an Attorney Help Me After a Bus Accident?
- How Long Do I Have to File a Bus Accident Lawsuit in West Virginia?
- Why You Need Our Lawyers After a Serious Bus Accident
- Types of Bus Accidents
- How Negligence Is Established in a Bus Accident Case
- Who Is Liable for My Injuries in a Bus Accident?
- Potential Injuries Sustained in a Bus Accident
- Types of Compensation for Bus Accident Victims
- Get a Free Case Evaluation from Our Charleston Bus Accident Lawyers
Buses tend to cause more severe accidents than much smaller commuter vehicles. These kinds of collisions can lead to severe injuries to other drivers, passengers on the bus, and any pedestrians or bicyclists in the vicinity of the vehicle.
You may be entitled to compensation if you have sustained injuries in a bus accident or a loved one has died in a bus crash caused by another’s negligence. The skilled lawyers at Warner Law Offices, PLLC can investigate the collision to determine who’s responsible for your injuries and pursue the compensation you deserve.
Our attorneys are ready to get to work and help you find the best path forward. To request a free consultation with an experienced Charleston bus accident lawyer near you, contact our West Virginia law firm.
How Can an Attorney Help Me After a Bus Accident?
The legal process is not always straightforward. The party liable for a bus accident is often a large bus company with considerable resources. They will have seasoned attorneys and insurance adjusters working for them to ensure they pay as little as possible even if they are at fault.
Having an experienced collision attorney on your side is crucial for protecting your interests after a serious crash. When you hire our Charleston bus accident lawyers, we will take care of every aspect of your claim. This includes:
- Answering all your questions and educating you on your rights
- Finding a quality doctor who will document your injuries from the accident
- Conducting a comprehensive investigation to gather evidence and prove liability
- Filing the required insurance and court documents on time
- Hiring and consulting expert witnesses, medical professionals, and accident reconstruction specialists to build the strongest possible case
- Handling communication with the insurance company to prevent them from convincing you to accept a low settlement
- Negotiating a maximum settlement for all of your damages
- Filing a lawsuit and litigating your case in court if the insurance company is unwilling to settle
How Long Do I Have to File a Bus Accident Lawsuit in West Virginia?
In the state of West Virginia, you typically have two years from the date of an auto accident to file an injury claim. Keep in mind that if the bus accident claim involves buses run by local governments and municipalities, you’ll need to submit a written notice of claim 30 days before you file your lawsuit.
It’s best to speak with our Charleston bus accident lawyers as soon after your accident as possible. Initiating the legal process early means we can begin investigating the incident, gathering crucial evidence for your case, and negotiating a settlement with insurance companies.
- 20+ Years of Experience
- Award Winning Law Firm
- No Fees Unless You Win
- Millions Won For Our Clients
Why You Need Our Lawyers After a Serious Bus Accident
At Warner Law Offices, our Charleston, WV personal injury lawyers know the challenges people face after a major coach or bus accident. Our law firm’s goal is to help you get back on your feet and seek compensation for the losses related to your bus crash.
Boutique Law Firm, Big Results
Our West Virginia trial lawyers provide the best of both worlds: the dedicated service of a small law firm as well as the experience and resources of a national legal practice. It’s one of the many reasons why Bobby Warner and the entire team have been named Top 100 Trial Lawyers by National Trial Lawyers and Best Attorneys of America by Rue Ratings.
Born and Raised in West Virginia
Our attorneys were born and raised here in West Virginia. That means we know city bus routes, popular motorcoach companies serving the Metro Valley, and potential road hazards throughout Kanawha County. Our lawyers also know local judges, local medical professionals, and local laws, all of which can help support your bus accident case.
We Accommodate Your Mobility and Schedule
After a serious bus accident, you might feel overwhelmed by the physical pain from your injuries and the complexities of the claims process. We can make things easier for you. If you cannot come to us after a shuttle or bus crash, our attorney can visit you. We’ll go to your home or the hospital to ensure you get started with your claim as soon as possible.
Attorneys Who Provide Peace of Mind
When you choose Warner Law Offices, you choose to work with top-rated accident attorneys who focus on client peace of mind. While you focus on recovering from your injuries, our skilled team of accident attorneys can handle your bus collision claim from start to finish. We’ll sweat the hard stuff so you can rest easy.
If We Don’t Win, You Don’t Pay
Our bus accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. That means we will only get paid if we can negotiate a favorable settlement on your behalf or win damages for you in court. If we don’t win, you don’t pay—easy at that. Warner Law Offices, PLLC removes the risk of further financial hardship so you can focus on healing and recovery.
To request a free consultation with experienced Charleston bus accident lawyers near you, contact our West Virginia law firm today.
Types of Bus Accidents
Bus accidents can cover all kinds of vehicles that are designed to shuttle groups of people. The type of bus involved in a collision matters since the victims in the crash will be different. Our Charleston bus accident attorneys can help with all kinds of collision cases.
School Bus Accidents
School bus accidents are of grave concern given the ages of the passengers. School bus drivers must take extra care when operating the vehicle to ensure they follow the rules of the road and that reckless motorists do not strike the vehicle. Injuries sustained by children can be especially troubling, particularly if the injuries lead to a long-term or permanent disability. When school bus accidents occur, our lawyers are here to help.
Public Transportation Bus Accidents
Numerous people rely on public transportation to get to work and run errands throughout Charleston and Kanawha County. It’s a testament to the reliability of the Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority (KRT), yet sometimes accidents can happen. When KRT collisions occur, our law firm will investigate the cause or causes of the crash and make sure negligent parties are held liable.
Intercity Bus and Motorcoach Accidents
Greyhound, Barons Bus, and other intercity motorcoach companies make it affordable to get from Charleston to another major city in the Mountain State. While these intercity bus companies tend to be safe, various issues with drivers and the maintenance of coach fleets could lead to serious collisions. Warner Law Offices, PLLC can take on major bus companies when their negligence causes injuries to passengers and other motorists.
Shuttle Bus Accidents
Shuttle buses often travel short distances and fixed routes, getting passengers from point A to point B with as little hassle as possible. Yet accidents can happen anywhere, even with small shuttle buses. When these crashes happen, our law firm can look into the factors that contributed to the crash and hold negligent parties accountable.
How Negligence Is Established in a Bus Accident Case
West Virginia is an at-fault state, meaning that individuals who act negligently and cause accidents must compensate the victims for any resulting damage. To establish negligence after a bus accident, you must prove the following elements:
- Duty of Care: Drivers of motor vehicles are legally obligated to act with reasonable care to prevent causing injuries to other people. Bus drivers must drive safely and avoid accidents while operating companies must hire competent drivers and service their vehicles regularly.
- A Breach of Duty: The defendant did not act with the required standard of care a reasonable person would have applied under similar circumstances. In bus accident cases, negligence—such as distracted driving on Charleston roads, speeding, or disobeying traffic rules— breaches the duty of care.
- Causation: The defendant’s breach of duty directly caused the victim’s injuries. A bus accident attorney can consult medical professionals and other experts to support these claims.
- Proof of Damage: Finally, the bus accident must have caused harm and damages. Some examples include bodily injuries, medical bills, damaged property, lost wages, and lost earning capacity.
Who Is Liable for My Injuries in a Bus Accident?
You may think that bus drivers are the liable party in a bus crash, but that’s not always the case. Other parties can also be responsible for the accident and the injuries you sustained. For instance, if a bus driver hit a pothole and lost control of the vehicle, a government entity might be liable for failing to fix dangerous roadway conditions.
Other parties that might be solely or jointly liable in a bus accident case include:
- Bus operating companies
- Other motorists on the road
- Local road authorities
- Manufacturers of the bus
- Makers of tires and other auto parts
- Motorcyclists
- Bicyclists
- Pedestrians
Establishing liability for a bus accident can get complex, especially when it involves other parties besides the driver. Let the Charleston bus accident lawyers at Warner Law Offices, PLLC run a thorough investigation and bring the negligent party to justice.
Potential Injuries Sustained in a Bus Accident
Bus accidents often cause catastrophic injuries given the size of the vehicles and force of impact. Below are just a few of the serious injuries people could sustain in a bus accident.
- Broken Bones: Serious bone fractures may require surgery. Even after healing, bus accident victims may notice differences in the movement, mobility, and function of the body part that’s healed.
- Burn Injuries: Second-degree and third-degree burns in an accident could lead to serious harm to a person’s skin, muscles, nerves, and other soft tissues.
- Dislocated Joints: Joint injuries cannot be taken lightly. Sometimes an artificial joint will need to be placed to restore function and use of the affected part of the body.
- Hearing and Vision Loss: Major head trauma could cause varying degrees of hearing and vision loss. Some victims could become blind or deaf after a serious bus crash.
- Loss of Limbs: Losing a limb or multiple in a bus accident may necessitate a prosthesis. This will change numerous aspects of your daily life.
- Neck and Back Injuries: Whiplash, a ruptured disc, and other serious injuries to the neck and back can have potentially long-lasting effects on your health and wellness.
- Physical Disfigurement and Scarring: Serious collisions could lead to major scars and trauma to facial features that may be noticeable even after undergoing reconstructive surgery.
- Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI): Damage to the spinal cord could lead to varying degrees of paralysis. In extreme cases, a bus accident could cause paraplegia or even quadriplegia.
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Concussions and other types of traumatic brain injuries can have a lasting effect on your memory, mood, cognitive abilities, motor skills, and ability to communicate.
Types of Compensation for Bus Accident Victims
If you’re wondering how much your case is worth, our bus accident lawyers in Charleston, WV can evaluate your damages and calculate how much compensation you may receive. Bus accident victims can receive two main types of compensation: economic damages and noneconomic damages.
- Economic Damages: These are quantifiable losses incurred from the crash, such as medical bills, lost wages, property damage, caregiver costs, and lost future earning potential.
- Noneconomic Damages: These refer to damages arising from the psychological and emotional effects of the injury, such as physical pain and suffering, mental trauma, and changes to your quality of life.
Compensation in Fatal Bus Accidents
If you lose a loved one in a fatal bus accident, our lawyers can help you seek compensation in a wrongful death claim. Damages in a wrongful death lawsuit will cover the cost of funeral expenses, grief counseling, and the pain of losing a loved one in a preventable collision.
Get a Free Case Evaluation from Our Charleston Bus Accident Lawyers
At Warner Law Offices, PLLC, our lawyers are dedicated to serving our clients with compassion and effective representation. We will take on those responsible for your bus accident injuries and ensure you get the compensation you deserve. For a free case review from experienced Charleston bus accident attorneys near you, contact our West Virginia law firm.
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Charleston, WV 25301
Bobby has received many accolades throughout the years from both his peers in the legal community, as well as the media. The National Trial Lawyers association named Bobby a Top 100 Trial Lawyer and he has been selected as a Member of the Nation’s Top One Percent. Additionally, he has been named a Best Attorneys of America by Rue Ratings, which also named Warner Law Offices to its Best Law Firms of America.
We represent clients across West Virginia and surrounding areas, providing compassionate client service and relentless advocacy in and out of the courtroom.
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