Riding a city bus, school bus or charter bus from the Kerrville Bus Company should not end in disaster. Yet bus companies and their bus drivers do not always take the appropriate steps to ensure the safety of their passengers or the public. If you or a loved one has been injured in a bus accident, the Kerrville bus accident attorneys at The Hill Law Firm can help you understand and protect your legal rights during the injury claim process. Contact us to start with a free case evaluation.
Kerrville Bus Accident Resources
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Why Hire Us
Common Causes of Bus Accidents
Why Serious Bus Injuries Happen
Types of Bus Injuries
Benefits of Hiring a Local Lawyer
Potential Damages Available
Statute of Limitations in Texas
Contact Us
Why Hire The Hill Law Firm After a Kerrville Bus Accident?
- Our attorneys have recovered millions of dollars in successful settlements and judgment awards for clients. This includes $10 million in combined settlements for a commercial bus accident.
- Our trial attorneys are prepared to fight for you. We will work hard to negotiate a satisfactory settlement, but we are also ready to go to court to pursue just case results, if necessary.
- Our Kerrville bus accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you won’t pay us anything for our legal services unless we win your case.
Common Causes of Bus Accidents
Texas is a fault state, meaning the person or party at fault for causing a traffic accident is responsible for paying for a victim’s losses, including medical bills and property damage. Identifying the cause of your bus accident can be difficult depending on the situation. For example, if there are three or more drivers involved in the crash, determining fault will be complicated.
Common causes of bus accidents in Kerrville include:
- Driver distraction
- Texting and driving
- Driving under the influence
- Breaking traffic laws
- Following too closely (tailgating)
- Red-light running
- Bus driver fatigue
- Lack of familiarity with the route
- Faulty bus equipment
- Poor fleet maintenance
- Bus company negligence
- Dangerous road conditions
- Poor weather
Bus driver negligence is often behind bus accidents in Texas; for example, if a bus driver fails to pay attention to the road or violates traffic laws, he or she could cause a catastrophic accident. In many cases, bus companies can be held vicariously responsible for bus accidents that are caused by their drivers and staff members. Bus companies can also be held liable for their own misconduct, such as poor driver hiring and training practices.
Why Do Bus Accidents Frequently Cause Serious Injuries?
In a typical car accident, vehicles have safety features such as seat belts and airbags to help protect occupants from serious injuries. In a bus accident, however, safety equipment is not available for bus passengers. In a collision, bus passengers can be ejected from their seats and suffer serious injuries from contact with other passengers, seats, metal hold bars or the floor of the bus.
Bus passengers may not be the only people injured in bus accidents. Drivers and passengers in other vehicles can also be hurt, as well as motorcyclists, pedestrians and bicyclists. The immense size and weight of a large bus make these collisions more dangerous to those riding in smaller vehicles. The bus can crush or cause significant damage to the smaller, lighter car. Kerrville pedestrians accidents pose a heightened risk of fatal injuries when individuals are involved in collisions with buses.
Our pedestrian, bus and car accident lawyers in Kerrville are ready to take on your case and fight for justice on your behalf.
Injuries Caused by Bus Crashes
Sadly, many bus accidents cause fatalities. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, in 2020, 156 fatal accidents in the U.S. involved buses. The victims who survive bus accidents may be left with devastating physical injuries and emotional distress.
Common injuries include:
- Bone fractures
- Burn injuries
- Concussions
- Head injuries and skull fractures
- Internal injuries and organ damage
- Lacerations
- Neck and back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Whiplash
- Wrongful death
The Hill Law Firm’s Kerrville personal injury attorneys have decades of experience representing clients who have been injured in various types of accidents. We can help if you or a loved one suffered any kind of injury in a Kerrville bus accident.
Benefits of Hiring a Kerrville Bus Accident Lawyer
Bus accidents are unique within motor vehicle accident law. Unlike a typical car accident case involving only two motor vehicle drivers, a bus accident can involve a bus company, a school district or the city government. These defendants often have aggressive legal teams and legal experts helping them challenge claims and refute liability. Balance the scales by hiring an experienced bus accident lawyer in Kerrville to represent you.
An attorney can revisit the scene of your bus accident and conduct a thorough investigation. Your lawyer will work to discover witnesses and collect evidence to support your injury claim. A law firm will also have connections to highly qualified experts who can testify during your case, such as crash reconstruction experts and medical experts. Throughout your case, a lawyer will give you greater peace of mind by answering your questions and providing tailored legal advice.
Potential Damages Available After a Bus Accident
The damages, or financial compensation, recoverable after a bus accident in Kerrville will depend on the case and circumstances. A personal injury claim can make both economic and noneconomic damages available to crash victims, such as:
- Past and future medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lost capacity to earn
- Disability
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Death benefits, if applicable
Insurance companies and the courts determine case values according to factors that are specific to each claim, such as the severity of the victim’s injuries. Speak to an attorney about the potential value of your claim before accepting a settlement from an insurance company to ensure a fair case outcome.
What’s the Statute of Limitations for Texas Bus Accidents?
You have a deadline of two years from the date of your bus accident to file a related personal injury claim, according to Texas’s statute of limitations. This law imposes a strict deadline to encourage prompt claims filing. If you are bringing a claim against a municipal government for a city bus accident, however, you may have significantly less time. Contact an attorney right away; if you wait too long and the statute of limitations expires, you may forfeit your right to recover compensation.
Speak to Our Kerrville Bus Accident Attorney Today
A bus accident may turn your life upside-down. At The Hill Law Firm, we can help you pick up the pieces and move forward after a bus collision using high-quality legal services. We care about our clients and will be there for you every step of the way. Request a free case consultation by calling (210) 960-3939 or contacting us online 24/7.