Spartanburg Bus Accident Lawyers

Getting into a bus accident can be devastating. Not only can a bus cause tremendous damage to your car, but it can also result in serious injuries that could affect you for the rest of your life.

If you’ve been in a bus accident in South Carolina, you may be worried about your injuries as well as how you’re going to pay for your medical bills. The bus accident lawyers at Nowell Law Firm are here to help.

Bus Accident Statistics

According to the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute, an average of 63,000 busses are involved in accidents every single year in the United States. Among these accidents, 14,000 people are injured and 325 suffer from a fatal injury. Inner-city buses are 1.9 times more likely to get into an accident.

Why Bus Accidents Happen

Bus accidents occur for many reasons. Drivers may be fatigued and not practicing the proper safety measures. Other drivers on the road might not realize that a bus has blind spots and attempt to cut the bus off or pass it without leaving any distance. Busses are large and if they’re involved in an accident, they can easily take up a few lanes. Other drivers could crash into them and cause a pileup.

Additionally, bus companies might not train employees properly or maintain their busses. Busses’ brakes could give out, for instance, which could potentially lead to an accident.

In order to stay safe on the road and not become another statistic, it’s important to always be vigilant around busses of any kind. They may have blind spots since they are larger vehicles, so make sure you keep your distance at all times.

This is very important when you’re passing a bus. No matter what, put away distractions like your cell phone and food, use your signals and headlights and let busses over when they want to get into your lane.

I Was in a Bus Accident – Now What?

If you were involved in a bus accident, there are some steps you need to take to protect yourself.

You’ll need to call 9-1-1 right away so that the police can take a report of the incident. If you have no injuries or minor injuries, collect the bus driver’s information including their name and phone number, their company’s name and their insurance information.

If you see any witnesses, gather their statements about what they saw and their contact information, too. Take photos of the accident and your injuries. You’ll need pictures of any damage to your car as well as the surroundings – especially if something like a pothole or a construction site played a factor in the crash. Look for any cameras that could have captured what happened.

If you have even the hint of an injury, get medical attention as soon as possible. Get a full checkup and request X-rays and other tests, like MRIs, if you think there is a larger issue going on. Follow the doctor’s orders, visiting any specialists they refer you to and taking medication they put you on.

If you get into a bus accident and you’re seriously injured, then call the police and go to the hospital right away. Your health is the most important thing, and you can always get the driver’s information from the police report later on.

When you get home from the hospital, call your insurance company and inform them about the accident. If you get a call from the driver’s insurance company, do not give them any details about the accident or take any lowball settlement offers. Insurance companies seek to avoid paying out as much as possible, and they’ll likely offer you much less than you need for your medical bills, lost earnings, and the pain and other trouble you experienced because of the accident.

Even if you feel like you’ll heal quickly from your injuries, you can never be certain. It could take months or years until you are fully recovered. Medical costs are very expensive, and you don’t want to be stuck with that high bill – especially if you have to take time off work.

To get the settlement you deserve, contact a personal injury lawyer for your bus accident case.

Getting in Touch with a Personal Injury Lawyer

You’ll want to find a personal injury lawyer with extensive experience right away. In South Carolina, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is three years, so you don’t want to wait too long to get in touch with an attorney.

Your lawyer may give you a free consultation to determine if they can work with you. Then, they’ll only take an attorney fee if they win your case. If they don’t win, you don’t have to pay them anything.

You likely won’t have to go to court, as most personal injury cases are settled before they can go to trial. Insurance companies would usually rather settle than to take a chance that they might pay out more by going to trial.

If a lawyer takes on your case, it means they believe they can win it and get you compensation not only for your medical bills, but also perhaps for lost wages for taking time off work and pain and suffering you experienced as well. Since there is no upfront cost to obtain legal representation, an injured person has nothing to lose by going this route.

When you’re ready to get in touch with a personal injury lawyer, make sure you can access your medical records, police record, information about the driver, photos of the accident and witness statements. The more information you have available, the better the chances of a successful outcome in your case.

Contact Nowell Law Firm

If you need legal help after getting into a bus accident, the personal injury lawyers at Nowell Law Firm are here for you. To get started, message us online or call our office today for a free consultation and case assessment.