Hancock County Bus Accident Lawyer

Buses in Hancock County and along the Coast offer thousands of people an efficient way to travel. Not only do buses decrease the overall number of vehicles on the road, they also help to reduce pollution and allow riders without licenses a mode of transportation.

Bus drivers must take special care not to place others at an unnecessary risk of harm. However, as a product of the size and weight of their bus, or due to inattentive driving, bus drivers and their employers can be at-fault for an accident that results in catastrophic injuries.

A Hancock County bus accident lawyer could help if you or a loved one has suffered injuries, or a loved one died, in a commercial vehicle wreck. A well-practiced injury attorney could help you seek compensation from the negligent bus operator and/or his employer.

Bus Driver and Employer Breach of Duty

The law states that all bus drivers must take appropriate care to prevent undue harm. This means that they must obey all rules of the road as well as refrain from careless actions that may result in a collision.

Bus operators must take special caution considering the size of their vehicles and the additional passengers on board. Buses have large blind spots where cars can easily become hidden. Due to their weight and size, these vehicles can be slow to stop in an emergency and when making sudden turns.

Of course, the driver’s employer must provide necessary training on the safety rules that must be followed, and proper operation of the bus.

In addition to the duty to protect other drivers, bus operators must also protect their passengers. Even wrecks that do not involve another vehicle can lead to claims for damages that arise out of a passenger’s injuries. A Hancock County bus accident attorney could help any person who has suffered an injury because of the negligence of a bus driver and/or the bus company.

Damages in a Public Transportation Wreck

Public transportation accidents can result in life-altering injuries. These large vehicles cause massive amounts of force on people both inside and outside of the bus. This force can break bones, separate joints, or cause spinal cord damage. A negligent bus driver and their employer could be held responsible for providing payments for the costs of all resulting medical care, the amount of past and future lost wages, and compensation for physical pain, emotional suffering, and even inconvenience.

When filing a civil suit, injured claimants must examine how the accident has affected each aspect of their lives.  Bus crashes can cause significant mental trauma that may require counseling or adjustments in a claimant’s lifestyle. It is also possible that the accident will force a person to miss time at work because of a temporary injury or permanent disability. A Hancock County bus accident attorney could measure a person’s losses and pursue appropriate compensation.

Legal Deadline to File a Claim in Hancock County

No matter how clear liability is in a case, or how severely a person is injured, they will not be able to collect payments unless they act quickly. Under Mississippi Code §15-1-49, injured people have three years after the accident to demand payment. If the bus is owned or operated by a City, the County, or another government entity, the deadline for filing a claim may only be one year. A Hancock County bus accident lawyer could act to make sure that a person’s claim is filed within the applicable deadline.

Get in Touch with a Hancock County Bus Accident Attorney

Every person who suffers injuries because of the negligence of another party deserves compensation for their losses. This includes motorists who are hurt in bus accidents and any passengers within that bus. Injured claimants must prove that a bus driver and/or the bus company was at fault for an accident. This may require gathering police reports, obtaining traffic camera footage, interviewing witnesses, and/or hiring experts to reconstruct how the crash occurred.

A Hancock County bus accident lawyer could help you pursue these claims. They can handle all the details while you focus on making your recovery. Call our office today to schedule a free consultation.