Serious traffic accidents cause devastating injuries and trauma as well as property damage. Because traffic accidents don’t just happen spontaneously, there is always someone at fault who bears liability for the damages to injury victims. This is typically a negligent driver, but other entities can cause or contribute to an accident, including negligent road maintenance agencies, auto part manufacturers, and commercial or government entities such as city bus agencies and road maintenance departments.
All St. Louis accident claims for compensation require investigations to determine liability so an injury victim can recover their damages; however, a bus accident claim is often far more complex to navigate than a car accident claim.
Understanding Liability In Car and Bus Accidents
Under the fault-based insurance systems in most states, including Missouri, it’s necessary to determine the responsible party and prove their liability through a preponderance of the evidence. In bus accident claims, this becomes complex because multiple entities are accountable for keeping buses on the road and ensuring qualified drivers are behind the wheel. Depending on the results of the investigation, the following parties could be liable, or multiple parties could share liability:
- The bus driver
- Another driver
- The busing company or agency
- A bus maintenance company
- The manufacturer of a bus tire or part
- A negligent road maintenance agency
- A road planning agency
Aside from the official accident report, law enforcement typically does not invest time or money in accident investigations. Instead, Investigations into both car and bus accident claims are conducted by the involved insurance companies or their legal representation. Because multiple entities are involved in busing, there are more potentially liable parties compared to typical car accident cases, often requiring the help of an expert.
Multiple Injury Victims In Bus Accident Claims
Adding to the complexity of bus accident claims compared to car accidents are the multiple injury victims involved in bus accident cases. Buses carry many passengers, and a crash often results in multiple injury victims. In some cases, the mass confusion and exodus from the damaged bus cause additional injuries. When there are numerous injury victims, a substantial number of attorneys investigate the same accident, each aiming to prove fault, present evidence of liability, and support their clients’ damage claims.
Settlements for Bus Accident Claims Compared to Car Accident Cases
Most personal injury claims in car and bus accident cases end with an insurance company paying a settlement to the injury victim for their damages, such as medical expenses, lost earnings, and compensation for pain and suffering. Corporate and private bus companies, city bus agencies, and the public school system all have extensive insurance coverage. In contrast, drivers in typical car accidents often have only the minimum required auto insurance.
There is far more compensation available in most bus accident cases. For this reason, settlements in bus accident claims are often substantial compared to car accident cases. Despite larger insurance policies, insurance companies try to protect their profits at the expense of injury victims. A personal injury attorney with experience in bus accident cases assertively defends their client’s best interests throughout the investigation and during negotiations to recover the largest possible settlement.