Maison Law Accident and Injury Lawyers of Modesto are ready to assist local victims injured in bus accidents. These accidents might involve careless drivers for Modesto Area Express (MAX) and Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority (StanRTA).
We offer a free case consultation to all victims who have been struck by a bus or hurt while riding a bus. It’s a no-obligation opportunity to see if you have a strong case and what the city and county could owe you in recovery compensation.
When You Should Talk to a Lawyer for Your Case
A lawyer will be most helpful and valuable if your bus accident results in a serious injury. The longer the recovery takes, the more hospital bills and physical therapy bills will arrive.
The rising costs make city and county operators behind StanRTA nervous. They can immediately call upon government lawyers to help them find ways to reject your injury claim or reduce the funds they must turn over to you.
A skilled StanRTA Bus Accident Lawyer is a shield against this type of treatment…and also a financial benefit in many cases. Your lawyer gathers evidence in a bus accident to make sure a reckless bus driver is held firmly at fault. Then your lawyer works to secure the most possible for your injury through aggressive negotiations with reluctant transit officials.
A lawyer can often win much more for your recovery than you could win for yourself. A lawyer is often able to secure a bigger settlement check when you are dealing with a serious condition like a broken bone, brain trauma, or a neck or back injury.
The Support You Must Demand from a Modesto Bus Operator
A claim filed after a bus accident injury must ensure the victim doesn’t face financial hardships in the future. That means a settlement should provide for any care victims may require in the years ahead. That means money to cover any additional surgeries that become necessary. It means support to pay for physical therapy if more is required to get victims back to doing the things they used to do.
That comprehensive support should include help for victims who have long-term injuries and may require home care, medical equipment, and further rehabilitation, so they can have as much freedom as possible.
Our experienced Modesto Bus Accident Lawyers know that recovering victims can need much more than just money to pay for a night in the hospital.
A skilled attorney would demand these benefits and more:
• All medical bills for as long as necessary.
• A lifetime of care for those who suffer permanent physical disabilities in a frightening bus accident
• Support to keep families afloat financially while victims can’t go to work to earn a paycheck.
• Support for the pain a MAX bus accident patient endures.
• Support for the emotional trauma that a scary collision and a difficult recovery cause.
• Travel expenses going to medical appointments across town and in other cities.
• Wrongful death benefits for families who lose a loved one to a major bus accident.
Finding Out Who Is Responsible for a Modesto Bus Driver’s Mistake
In the case of a bus driver on the road for a city or county agency, it’s the public transit agency that must accept liability for accidents.
A bus driver could cause a multi-car collision when carelessly switching lanes along Highway 99 anywhere in Stanislaus County. Passengers in the bus and the occupants of other vehicles could suffer devastating injuries.
A sleepy transit driver may hit a curb on Briggsmore Avenue and turn a bus over, leaving passengers inside at extreme risk and sending several people to Memorial Medical Center. You could also be hit while walking or riding a bike.
The bus drivers work for the Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority (StanRTA), and it’s their employers who would be held responsible for the costs of recovery for every victim. The StanRTA is operated with Federal Funds, support from California, and money from the local cities it serves. It’s a government agency that must insurer it’s drivers for when they cause collisions.
As a “common carrier,” the Federal Government holds public bus operators to a higher standard of safety. The operators can be liable for almost any act of negligence that puts passengers and other travelers at risk. That may involve the hiring of an unsafe bus driver without a proper background check. Fault may be assigned because local bus officials failed to keep new tires on the bus or new brake pads, causing it to go out of control.
Why Cases Against Public Transit Bus Agencies Are More Difficult
Cases against the City of Modesto or Stanislaus County can be more challenging than a normal crash between two drivers in cars.
Public agencies enjoy protection against litigation. They give you less time to file a claim and add plenty of red tape.
These are the steps you will have to take:
· File Your Claim. You’ll have up to six months to file a claim of notice with the Regional Transit Authority. This alerts them to your accident and demands for compensation. Miss the deadline, and you lose your chance to seek damages. This notice should include your account of what happened and your best evidence of who was at fault. A skilled attorney can certainly supply stronger evidence to include.
· Complicated Paperwork. Beyond the need to present your evidence, you’ll also need to fill out paperwork without mistakes. An error can be used as a reason to deny your claim. A lawyer helps you meet all sneaky deadlines and can file documents correctly and effectively.
· Dealing with Government Lawyers. Your lawyer is a great protection against the attacks of Transit Lawyers who will be trying to question all of the facts in your case.
· Waiting on The StaRTA. The transit authority would alert you to whether they decided to compensate your claim or reject it. If your claim is tossed out, you’d have the option to file a lawsuit against the agency.
Your attorney would help you demand more for your case. If your claim is outright rejected, your Maison Law representative would help you decide if your case was strong enough to take to court. Your lawyer would already have a case prepared if the RTA refused to accept blame for an accident that cost you so much.
Contact a Modesto Bus Accident Attorney
Contact Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Modesto to schedule a free, confidential consultation with a real MAX bus accident attorney. We want to hear what happened to you. We’re going to answer your questions and make sure you are prepared for the insurance tactics you’ll face so you don’t forfeit valuable support.
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’ll need no upfront money to hire us. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement you receive.