Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Fremont offers a free case consultation to all victims injured while riding an Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) bus and to those struck by a bus. It’s a simple way to determine what your injury is worth and how to hold the at-fault party responsible.
Victims should receive full compensation for their recovery costs. This should include the money to support themselves and their families while an injury keeps them from working.
Deciding If You Could Use a Lawyer’s Help With Your Bus Accident Case
Your need for a lawyer depends largely on what type of injury you come away with. If you suffer only minor injuries, perhaps just a quick checkup at the ER at Washington Health, you may come out fine handling your own case. And you always have the right to file a claim yourself.
But if your injury is more serious, the costs start to grow, and your need for a lawyer’s protection becomes more important. A serious injury would include something like a broken arm, a neck or back injury, or a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). It might involve whiplash pain that lasts more than a few days.
Protection for Your Case: Your Fremont AC Transit Bus Accident Lawyer becomes a safeguard when insurers for bus operators try to blame you for what happened. Government lawyers may also try to cast doubt on your injury and how long it will take you to recover. This is despite what your own doctors say. Your lawyer can collect evidence from the accident and medical evidence from your doctor to shut down any insurance tactics meant to rob you of support.
Boosting Your Settlement Amount: A skilled attorney also has the experience to know when insurers are holding back support. An attorney would reject any “lowball” settlement offer and demand more for what you’ve been through. A great attorney can often secure much more for your case than you could by taking on a government agency alone.
Take Advantage of a Free Consultation with a Real Lawyer
We offer a free case review to all bus accident victims in the East Bay area. And there’s no reason not to talk over your case, especially if you aren’t sure if you should file or not.
There’s no charge, you are under no obligation to hire us, and your consultation is completely confidential.
It’s an easy way to find out what your injury may be worth and how to hold a transit service and government operators fully liable.
Earning Support from AC Transit After an Accident
Reckless bus drivers can cause harm to passengers and to anyone traveling outside the bus. Passengers can be tossed around inside a bus if a drowsy bus driver runs off the road and strikes a tree.
It might be a driver on the way to work in an SUV who is struck by a bus driver who was going too fast to brake in time for a red light. It might be a pedestrian in a crosswalk or a bicyclist in a bike lane on Fremont Boulevard who gets hit. It could be a motorcyclist who is hurt after a bus driver makes a rushed turn in front of the motorcycle along Mowry Avenue.
The size and weight of a bus can bring a lot of extra force to a collision, causing devastating injuries. The longer recovery takes, the more doctor bills will stack up and the more pay periods the victim will miss at work.
A skilled Fremont attorney would make sure these and other benefits were included in any settlement agreement:
- Money for injured bus passengers to pay every hospital bill now and in the future
- A lifetime of support for a permanent physical disability
- Travel costs while going to hospital appointments that may be anywhere in the Bay Area
- Support for the physical pain victims endure
- Support for the emotional trauma victims must suffer through
- Past and future lost income and benefits while you miss work
- Estimates on lost earning capacity from a permanent disability
- The cost of car repairs or replacement if a bus strikes a car
- Wrongful death support for families who lose a loved one in a bus accident
The financial responsibility for any harm a bus driver causes should fall to the owners and operators of the bus service. But even when the fault is laid out clearly in a Fremont Police accident report or a CHP report, insurers and government lawyers can find ways to shed blame. It’s a good idea to have your own legal representative to make sure the story of what happened can’t be changed.
Finding Out Who Is Responsible for a Fremont Bus Accident
The Federal Government holds the operators of bus services that transport the public to a higher standard than normal drivers in cars and SUVS. Transit services are considered “Common Carriers,” and this designation means operators must protect passengers from harm.
It means safe drivers must be hired, and buses must be maintained to ensure a safe ride. Tires must be replaced when they are worn, and brake pads should be checked closely. Hazards created by passengers must be monitored for and cleaned up or repaired before others can end up hurt.
In the case of an AC Transit Bus, after an accident, you’ll unfortunately have to seek help from the Government. The service is funded by a combination of several agencies, including federal money, California funds, money from Alameda County, and support from local cities like Fremont. The AC Transit is self-insured and backs bus drivers who cause accidents.
The unfortunate part is that government entities have special protections against litigation, and claims can be much more difficult to win.
- Shorter deadline: You’ll likely have just 6 months to file a claim of notice with AC Transit administrators. They get to go over your evidence and decide if they’ll pay you what you are asking or reject your claim. In a normal car accident between two regular drivers, victims usually have two years to file.
- Complicated paperwork: Your paperwork will have to be filled out correctly, or administrators will use it as an excuse to ignore your claim.
- Government attorneys: The agencies will have access to teams of lawyers who will fight to block your claim.
A Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyer is often a necessary safeguard in these cases. A lawyer can investigate your bus accident, gather up evidence, and be ready for the extra scrutiny a case against the government will bring.
Common Injuries for Bus Accident Passengers
Victims in AC Transit Bus collisions and single-vehicle accidents can suffer major harm and even life-threatening risks. They may end up at Fremont Medical Center without even remembering what happened.
After an impact, victims can be sent into a seat, a metal wall, a window, the floor, or other passengers. In a bus that rolls, victims can even collide with the ceiling.
These are just a few of the injuries that are commonly treated after a public bus crash:
- Broken arms and legs
- Ligament and tendon tears
- Traumatic Brain Injuries, including moderate to severe concussions
- Cuts and puncture wounds
- Crush injuries that damage internal organs, especially for victims pinned in the wreckage
- Facial lacerations, broken noses and jaws, teeth lost
- Whiplash
- Back injuries and damage to the spinal column
Victims need to insist on settlement checks that cover any potential care victims will need in the years ahead.
Contact a Fremont Bus Accident Attorney
To get a jump on your case, Contact Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Fremont to schedule a free, confidential consultation. We want to hear what happened to you. You’ll learn about what your injury is worth and learn just who to hold responsible.
We want to help you navigate such a difficult time and get back to your normal life.
There’s no obligation when you talk to us, but if you feel we can help you get the most out of your injury claim, you won’t need any money to hire us. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement that AC Transit and those who fund it must pay you.