NASHVILLE BUS ACCIDENT LAWYER
Public transportation is quickly growing in popularity, with many individuals electing to reduce their carbon footprint and expenses associated with owning their vehicle. One form of transportation that is responsible for the daily commutes and other travel purposes of a huge portion of the population is public buses, which are predicted to increase in popularity.
Other than airplanes, local and intercity buses move more people than any other form of mass transportation. Legally, bus drivers have the same duty of care as ridesharing operators. They have a duty of utmost care when it comes to avoiding accidents and ensuring personal safety. So, what might be a one-off accident in some contexts is actionable negligence in this context. In other words, it’s easier to obtain fair compensation for your serious injuries.
You Need an Expert in Your Corner
The insightful Nashville bus accident lawyers at Mitch Grissim & Associates understand how complex bus accident claims can be. Usually, the victims hail from different counties or even different states. Furthermore, the company which owned the bus, and is therefore financially responsible for damages, is usually a foreign corporation. Our dedication to you helps us find a way around these obstacles.
Our bus accident attorneys offer a free consultation to discuss your case with you and how to go about filing a claim. If you live in Middle Tennessee or the greater Nashville area, then working with our legal team is the solution you need in the event of a bus collision.
Causes of Bus Accidents
Driver fatigue is one of the leading causes of many bus accident cases in Tennessee. Drowsiness can affect drivers in several different ways.
Sleepiness
Bus operators are often behind the wheel early in the morning, around midday, and late at night. Most people are naturally drowsy at these times of day, no matter how much rest they had the previous night. Circadian rhythm fatigue is especially severe if the operator recently altered her/his daily schedule.
Long Shifts
Furthermore, a bus operator, like everyone else, often has a long day. Fatigue and alcohol affect the brain and body in about the same way. Driving after eighteen consecutive awake hours is like driving with a .05 BAC level. That’s above the legal limit for commercial operators in Tennessee.
Medical Conditions
Medical issues sometimes contribute to operator fatigue. Since they sit for long periods, a driver could have sleep apnea. These individuals basically doze all night. They receive little, if any, deep, restorative sleep. As a result, they are usually fatigued even after a full eight hours of “sleep.”
Bus Driver Error
Operational errors, like speeding and making an illegal turn, also cause many bus accidents. These huge vehicles have an unusual center of gravity, so it’s easy for even experienced drivers to lose control of them. Distracted driving can also lead to collisions.
Failure of Safety Features
In some cases, the bus manufacturer could be at fault for the incident if certain features are not working properly. Many school buses and charter buses are designed with safety features that protect the vehicle and its passengers while on the road. If any of these parts fail for whatever reason, it could lead to a collision.
Liability Issues
If a bus driver’s negligence causes an accident, the entity which employed the driver is usually financially responsible for damages. The respondeat superior rule applies if:
- Employee: Many commercial and city bus drivers are independent contractors. Many noncommercial bus drivers, like church van operators, are unpaid volunteers. But for negligence purposes, these individuals are employees. The school district, charter bus company, church, or other entity exerts some control over the driver, and that’s the only requirement.
- Scope of Employment: Once upon a time, the law defined this phrase very narrowly. But today, any act that benefits the employer in any way is within the scope of employment. That includes actions like driving empty buses back to a garage or bus station.
The entity which owned the bus is normally also responsible for personal safety injuries, like passenger-on-passenger assaults. The duty of care is not limited to car accident prevention. Bus companies also have a duty to prevent assaults, falls, and other such injuries. This duty usually applies on the bus and on any property the company controls, like a station or parking lot.
Potential Damages to Pursue
Most bus accidents will cause injuries of varying degrees, from minor cuts and bruises to fatal injuries. There is also property damage to passenger vehicles, as well as non-economic damages that can result from the collision. A Nashville bus accident attorney can help you evaluate what level of compensation you are entitled to based on the following damages.
Medical Bills
Whether you need care for common injuries or more serious or fatal injuries, the financial fallout from your recovery can be devastating. Tennessee law allows you to receive a settlement from the responsible parties to help pay for expensive medical bills that resulted from the collision, so long as you were not at fault. Common injuries you might receive are broken bones, neck injuries, spinal injuries, or lacerations and bruises.
Lost Wages
If the personal injury you have received leads to lost income because of an inability to perform your job, you may be entitled to a financial payout. Personal injury attorneys often help out-of-work employees who are recovering from physical challenges after any accidents, relieving the financial burden they are under with a fair settlement.
Property Damage
If your vehicle has been harmed because of bus accidents, you can recoup the value of the necessary repairs with the help of Nashville bus accident lawyers. Whether it is a charter bus, school bus, or another type of bus, these public transportation vehicles can be huge, causing severe damage to other vehicles.
Seek compensation to cover the cost of the damage with the help of an accident lawyer on our legal team.
Noneconomic Damages
While the previous examples can be measured monetarily, not all types of damages fall under that category. After bus accidents, victims may experience trauma such as emotional distress or PTSD.
Bus Accident Claims are Complex
Though the process can be intimidating, going up against large entities like the insurance company, you have a right to file a claim after bus accidents cause harm to you or your vehicle. Since they are much larger, even a single bus crash with other vehicles can have devastating effects on victims.
Our Firm Can Handle Your Case
This is why you should get in touch with the Mitch Grissim & Associates team whenever you get into accidents involving buses. We offer a free case review before taking you on as a client so you don’t feel pressured to work with us before you have more information. Our firm can help you navigate the claims process, whether the accident involves charter buses, school buses, or other public buses.
Let us help you win fair compensation.
Contact a Diligent Davidson County Bus Accident Lawyer
For bus accidents and all other types of injury cases for that matter, there are limits to filing a claim against the responsible party. First off, you must be able to prove that the other party is mostly at fault. Secondly, there is a statute of limitations that prevents a claim from being filed after a certain amount of time has passed.
Reach Out Today
Bus accident victims are entitled to significant compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney in Nashville, contact Mitch Grissim & Associates. You have a limited amount of time to act.
Call our toll-free number at 615-255-9999 to find out about our practice areas and how we can help you file a claim after any accidents that resulted in physical harm to you or your vehicle.
