A freeway accident on March 27th, 2013 involving an SUV and a bus injured 11 people. Only minor injuries were reported from the crash, which occurred at about 7:30 a.m. Reports indicate that a municipal bus and an SUV collided on an on ramp in Riverside, CA - further details as to the cause of the crash remain unknown. The bus was carrying a total of 29 passengers.
Issue of Liability
The success of a personal injury claim arising from a bus involved collision depends entirely on bringing the appropriate charges against the appropriate party. Failure to name the appropriate party in any type of personal injury claim can result in a legitimate accident victim being prevented from collecting the damages that he or she may be entitled to.
When a party is found, through civil litigation, to have been responsible for injuries to another party, it is said that the responsible person is “liable” for those injuries, and the court can order the liable party to pay damages to the injured person. Damages for injuries typically include monetary compensation for pain and suffering, medical expenses, expenses related to physical therapy, certain mental health expenses, lost earnings / wages, and certain other expenses as the law allows. Since the law does not want to require someone who is not responsible for an injury to pay for those injuries, bringing charges against the appropriate party is of the utmost importance.
In the case of a municipal bus accident, the injury victim is faced with a laundry list of individuals and entities against which damages can be sought. That list may include the bus driver, the driver’s employer, the company that manages the bus, technicians who may have worked on the bus and their employer, the bus manufacturer, the manufacturers of the bus’s components, other passengers who may have interfered with the safe operation of the bus, drivers of other vehicles, the manufacturers of other vehicles on the road, and even the agency or organization that manages the portion of road where the accident occurred.
Only in rare instances will all of the individuals listed above be named in the same lawsuit, but this just goes to show how many people can be involved in a single case. With so many moving parts, it is usually best to let an attorney handle the claim process and litigation, as trying to juggle all of this on their own can leave accident victims frustrated and potentially taken advantage of.
After a Bus Accident
Fortunately for the passengers in the case above, no serious injuries were reported. This is also good news for the person or persons responsible for causing the collision, as serious injuries often result in expensive damages.
After any sort of bus accident, injury victims are encouraged to remain at the scene, receive appropriate medical care, and to not talk to investigators, whether they are from the city, the bus company, or insurance company involved. As soon as they are able, they should contact an experienced personal injury attorney who can represent their best interests and serve as a go-between for setting up official interviews.
